Koreans read books while sipping cocktails at a bar in Seoul, hip to the ‘text hip’ trend
K-pop stars like NewJeans’ Minji are making reading cool again. Chaeg Bar in Seoul is lined with books to read and serves literary cocktails
By Korea Times
On a rainy night on October 22, a dimly lit bar was filled with the sounds of classical music.
The bar’s walls were lined with shelves stacked with books, either for sale or to browse, with chalkboards inscribed with eye-catching quotes, hand-scribbled notes pinned here and there, and green hardcover menus listing cocktails named after literary classics.
Beneath soft pools of light, late-night readers were sipping their drinks and reading.
This is the scene at Chaeg Bar in Mangwon-dong, Mapo district, Seoul, which has become a popular destination for experiencing the concept of “text hip”.
The term conveys the idea that reading is cool.