We now live in a world where the internet is available in basically every country and you’re never far away from a WIFI hotspot. However there is a related business which is in slight decline the Korean Internet Cafe or PC Bang. Of course Korea is famous for it’s E-Sports league and the talented gamers that populate it, however their training ground are becoming less common.
We personally feel that the main reasons are the development of Smart Phones and increase in home computers. Previously if you wanted to check your emails or even Facebook you had to use a computer, however these days it’s a simple tap of a screen away. One other reason has been the smoking ban inside public places, this means that people who want to smoke and play games do so at home. Finally interest in the latest online games, Koreans were previously big players of online games such as Starcraft and WoW. However these days interest in those games has fallen and less new gamers have taken up newer titles.
The only positive has been a rise in the number of MultiBangs and PlayStation Bangs, which has seen a high demand for home consoles. Also there is now a reduced risk of addiction to online gaming, which has been a serious problem in the past here in South Korea.
Pictures from Inside an Average Korean Internet Cafe / PC Bang
Here are a few pictures from inside of our only local PC Bang;
Finally
If you have any questions or comments regarding Korean PC Bangs / Internet Cafes or anything related please feel free to comment below or via our Facebook or Twitter pages.
Thank you and have a great day.
Tim
Modern Seoul
tim@modernseoul.org
Modern Seoul 
How do u pay at pc bangs? There is one across my house but im too scared to go in haha. Do u usually pay per hour? Or just buy a drink?
It’s a little scary the first time, basically you pick up a card at the front desk which gives you a username. Then log onto a computer. You then pay for the time used, normally by the hour or 30mins.
You can buy drinks but it’s not required.
Hi , ill be visiting seoul for the next few days. Is there any good internet cafes / PC Bang around gangnam area that serves a variety of games includes DOTA2 ?
Just walking down the main street in Gangnam (close to the station) I’ve seen numerous signs and banners for PC Bangs that offer DOTA2 and other game.
However I can’t recommend a specific one as I don’t play those type of games or even use PC Bangs.
Thanks !! I’m currently in Seoul now. Just had dinner and searching for a good Pc Bang to game away
The popularity of the computer game “League of Legends” [LoL] nearly single-handedly saved the pc bang from annihilation back in 2012. Since then pc bangs have actually seen a resurgence. The reason why pc bangs remain popular despite home Internet and smart phones being ubiquitous is the fact that computer gaming is a social activity in Korea. A whole generation of Korean kids kids became addicted to playing the five-person team-based strategy game “League of Legends.” Since 2012 kids have been headed to the pc bang after school and on weekends to play the game together.
Playing the game together at the pc bang has several benefits for kids. PC bangs are relatively cheap. In fact, at many pc bangs anyone can make a membership and play for less than 600 won an hour, making it one of the few non-free things kids can afford to do together. Also since it’s a real time game requiring teamwork and communication, it’s more fun to play it together in person. Finally, the pc bangs offer special in-game benefits for most games. With LoL for example all 100+ “champions” [game characters] are available for play. Ordinarily you have to buy these characters either with real money or gradually by earning points through hours and hours of game play.
I have been in Korea since 2007 and PC bangs have changed a lot in that time. Back then they were often dirty broken-down, dimly lit, smoke-filled environments. PC bangs opened within the last few years tend to be clean, well-maintained, and feature the latest in computer technology and accessories. They also tend to enforce the no-smoking laws a little better than they used to. They no longer provide ashtrays and most have a special “glass closet” for smoking. Especially during the hours when kids are allowed to use pc bangs [up until 10:00 PM] you will see a lot less tolerance for smoking.
I think collective gaming at PC bangs in Korea is the cultural equivalent of playing X-Box with a group of friends at home in “Western” countries. So, I don’t think the pc bangs will be going anywhere anytime soon. Though the sudden rise in popularity of the new game “Overwatch” during the last two months may threaten LoL’s four year reign at the top of the PC bang charts.