A lamp in my favourite coffee shop in Gwangju.

Korea has really taken to the whole coffee shop thing - they're everywhere.
They tend to always be the same few chains though, very generic, usually noisy, and a little on the soulless side.

But with a bit of leg work and a keen eye, you can find independent places dotted around the city.
They are much more interesting haunts. Usually small, cozy and quirkily decorated. The coffee is often better, the service more intimate - and they usually sell alcohol to boot.

I was never a coffee shop man back home - and though I'm not a fan of the larger chains here either, the little ones are a wonderful place to chill with a good book, or while away a few hours with friends.