Thursday, August 28, 2008

압구정 & 스타벅스의 공통점: Why are Koreans fascinated by Starbucks and Apgujeong?





Koreans are feverishly into Starbucks and Apgujeong, one of the most expensive lands in Seoul - well the latter one is not as same popular as the former in Korea because of accessibility. I even saw two of my male Korean and Korean American Swattie friends researching about the sales of Starbucks for their economics papers, which tells that Starbucks definitely piques interests of Koreans regardless of whether they grew up in Korea or the States. Apgujeong would be the second most popular choice to the Gangnam station area for my native Korean friends who live in gangnam and go to American universities to hang out. You will bump into at least more than one of your friends in Apgujeong if you wander around the street or even stay inside one of the cafes just for an afternoon. 

The image marketing of those two models - luxury of life.

What they signify: rich, appreciation, upscale culture, intelligent, western, pretties and hotties, young, top-rated things, pretentious, bubble, exclusive, ...

Pompous manners are not a surprising manner that Koreans would show in their everyday life - as apparently seen when they choose where to go for a college or university on strongly or almost solely on the basis of the school's reputation from others. In other ways, it is very common for young Koreans, especially those who live around the Gangnam area, to just hang out in their own neighborhood and go to only the famous restaurants, cafes, and clubs to which they allude as the places designated for only cool and hot people just like themselves.

However, Starbucks and Apgujeong are not so special as the other places found in the gangbuk area or other downtown districts. One of the most important factors that make these two western landmarks in Korea so special is Koreans' ostentatious attitudes that want to mark them as only the places enjoyed by somewhat serious or ritzy-class people. They would need to visibly prove that they are elevated into a higher class of the society, which is apparently prohibited to exist in a modern society.

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