JIO Book Café near Seoul National University: It’s a little different from the norm

Go down any main street in Seoul (or any Korean town/city) and you’re likely to a see a chain coffee shop such as Starbucks, Holly’s Coffee, Café Bene and many more. With a wide range of quality coffee’s and snacks plus the bonus generally of free Wi-Fi they all prove very popular most people. However if you want somewhere a little different from the norm and give you something more interesting to whilst drinking your Mocha Latte then maybe the JIO Book Café is worth a go.

The Outside

Located down a side road a few streets down from Seoul National University subway station, the JIO Book Café doesn’t draw to much attention from the outside. Nevertheless as you walk down to the 1^st floor basement admiring the unique cartoon draw all over the walls, you feel a comfortable feeling just as you were walking into your family home.

The Inside

Inside the café is filled with different books and magazines from all around the world and in many different languages, some dating back 20 years or more. Your eye is then drawn to the small tree in the middle of the room which anywhere else would look out of place however here it seems to fit in.

The Menu and Coffee

There’s a wide ranging coffee menu and with prices starting at ₩3000 it’s reasonably priced and there’s also the now standard free Wi-Fi.

Location

To find it head towards Seoul National University leaving the subway station exit 2 and continue straight about 4 blocks and then turn left then left again and your there (check the map below). It is a little of the beaten track, but well worth going to.

For more information here is their website: http://blog.naver.com/mnwn2000 (In Korean)
Also a Korea Herald Article on the evolution of Book Cafes: http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130125000784 (In English)

Finally

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below.

Modern Seoul
contact@modernseoul.org