People typing loudly on their laptops, students watching online lectures and university students studying for exams are common sights when one steps into South Korea’s bustling cafes.

Unlike in other countries where people usually go to cafes to chat and socialize, South Korean cafes are frequently patronized by university students to study. As a result, a special term has been coined to refer to this particular demographic who camp out at cafes for hours — “cagongjok” (카공족), a portmanteau of Korean words meaning “cafe-study tribe.”

The cagongjok’ presence in cafes has become more prominent, particularly in the wake of the