Why Have Dabangs been out of the Limelight?
 
 exotic menus in the coffee shops. Those who want to enjoy classy ambience and the quality coffee of a cafe open their purses to pay, even if the price is more expensive than a meal. Young people prefer cafes to dabangs because the cafes are more luxurious and exotic than the dabangs. Dabangs were become places where elders recalled their old memories. Many university students have never been to a dabang. Many young people think negatively about dabangs. L, who is a student at C Univ., said, "I frequently go to a cafe. However, I have never been to a dabang. I think that if I go to a dabang, people might think strangely about me because of prostitution is often related to the place." The main reason is that some dabangs degenerated into Ticket Dabangs which do business in prostitution by employing girls. Ticket Dabangs are outwardly lawful because they usually get permission as common restaurants. Prostitution, which is committed in the process of delivering the tea, is difficult to control unless the employee confesses. The number of Ticket Dabangs, which put up dabang signs to cause the difficulties of crackdowns, is increasing. Dabangs have been accepted as decadent services due to some Ticket Dabangs' crimes. A, who manages a dabang in downtown Cheong-ju, complained, "Most Dabangs are decadent. Many owners constrained to turn a trick employing girls to make money. Many people think negatively about me when they know I manage a dabang."

Original dabangs.
 Dabangs were the most popular places for young people from 1970 to 1985. The initial dabangs were high-class places in hotels where people could drink tea and listen to music. Dabangs were also hangouts for the intelligentsia. University students had serious discussions about democratization in the dabangs with tea. Numerous writers and artists ran dabangs, and those were also places where they talked about culture and art. Lee Sang, a poet and a novelist, and Yoo Chi-jin, a playwright, also managed dabangs. At that time, dabangs acted as gathering places. Workers worked all day or met clients in dabangs. They and their colleagues engaged in animated conversations and recovered from fatigue with a cup of coffee. Dabangs were studyrooms for university students and resting places for busy workers. They were also places where adults had pleasant chats.
 
Hakrim, which preserves the tradition of dabangs
 

 

 Hakrim, which is located in Daehakno in Seoul, has kept the same location for over 50 years. Hakrim has been located in Dongsung-dong across from the Seoul National University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences since 1956, so it also called 'the 25th lecture room' of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The name of Hakrim was derived from 'Hakrim Festival‘ which was a college festival name. Hakrim was a popular place for people of the art world, and it was a discussion place for students who led some pro-democracy movements such as the April 19 revolution or Gwangju's May 18 pro-democracy  movement.

 

Reporter's Note

I felt I was in another world when I went into Hakrim. Inside of Hakrim, it has the reserved appearance of the 1960s which is different from the outside. I asked an employee to show me the visitors´ books and looked at them. Numerous people have left writings in the visitors´ books since 1956. I could learn that many people visited Hakrim in the 1970s and 1980s who were poets, entertainers, university students and so on.
 
 
Beoul Dabang Miss Lee,  which Past and present coexist 
 

 

 ‘Beoul Dabang Miss Lee' is a fusion dabang where people taste traditional teas in a  modern atmosphere. They don't sell instant teas but freshly brewed teas such as Quince teas, Sibjeondaebotang, Jujube tea and Omija tea. Mr. L, a university student, who visits the dabang said, "I like these traditional teas which are popular with young people. The interior design is charming, so I often visit here with my girlfriend."
 One popular menu item in the dabang is the 'Recollective lunch box'. The foods are packed in an old iron lunch box. Other popular items are junk foods. They are a kind of low-quality snacks such as jjondgi and candies. They remind adults of their memories of youth. In the 70s and 80s, when they were children, they often bought those snacks and carried the lunch boxes. 'Beoul Dabang Miss Lee' gives people the unique feeling of experiencing trends of the 80s through the items which are displayed all over the Dabang.
 
 Reporter's note
 I visited 'Beoul Dabang Miss Lee' because I was attracted by the polished and charmingly decorated inside of the store. The interior design is modern, while the menus  consist of traditional teas and Korean traditional cookies. There are some interesting things which attract other people's attention other than the attractive interior design and unfamiliar menu. These are the 'wish tree' and the '100 days mail box'. People write their wishes on notes and hang them on the wish tree. Also, they write postcards and put them on the '100 days mail box'. The post cards are delivered after 100 days. I think 'Beoul Dabang Miss Lee' is loved not only because of the traditional teas but the many quaint attractions which excite the young people's sensibilities.