No 20s zone: Cafe owners employ anti-'cagongjok' tactics

Cafes are the perfect place to find respite from the sweltering summer heat, but the overly icy air inside some cafes might serve as a warning sign to not overstay one's welcome.

Such was the experience of Kim Min-chang, a 20-something-year-old man who sought a refreshing air-conditioned environment at a local cafe.

"After cooling off and quenching my thirst (with a cold brew coffee), I began working on my project. Originally, I had planned to stay for about 3 hours and finish the work, but I ended up leaving after just one hour because it was too cold," Kim recounted.

Setting the indoor temperatures at a level that feels nice at first but chilly after some time is one of the strategies shared online by cafe owners to discourage lengthy stays of “cagongjok,” the individuals who spend a long period of time studying or working in cafes. These anti-cagongjok tactics include enforcing a two-hour time limit for a single beverage and deactivating electrical outlets.

Maeng, a graduate school student in her 20s, suspects that some cafes subtly prevent studying in cafes by furnishing their spaces with uncomfortable chairs and low tables.

"At a cafe near my school, I have to stoop to read books because of the low tables. The chairs were uncomfortable, so hard that they actually caused back pain," she explained. “It almost seemed as if the cafe had the intention of deterring long stays, as hardly anyone was studying there."

For 22-year-old Kim, it was challenging to concentrate on her studies due to the excessive volume of music playing at a local cafe.

“Without noise-canceling headphones, I sort of gave up on reading because the music was deafening with a thumping base,” she said. “It was even difficult to talk to my friends on the phone.”

A recent online post on Monday that stirred up the cagongjok debate showed a photo of a sign that reads, "No 20s Zone: Entry restricted for university students and office workers in their 20s." This sign was placed on a glass door, which had the word "cafe" inscribed on it.

Regarding the ongoing battle between cafe owners and cagongjok, Choi, the owner of a cafe in Seoul's Jung-gu, hopes that common sense will prevail on both sides.

"I, as a cafe patron myself, once experienced unfair treatment when a cafe owner asked me to leave simply because I had a laptop with me," she shared with The Korea Herald. "It's important not to just assume that a particular customer intends to stay for a long time."

"However, at the same time, as a cafe owner, I don't endorse the notion of individuals staying for 3-4 hours on the purchase of just one coffee. They also need to consider what they're paying for and the value they're receiving in return," she emphasized.