| Dabang | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 다방 |
| Hanja | 茶房 |
| Revised Romanization | dabang |
| McCune–Reischauer | tabang |
A dabang refers to a Korean establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee, tea or other beverages. It is called coffee house, coffee shop, dasil, dajeom, or chatjip.
As Korea was open to the West in the late period of the Joseon Dynasty and Korean Empire, dabang began to emerge. The cafes affiliated to Daebul Hotel, and Steward Hotel established by foreigners in Incheon became pioneering dabang. Though, dabang with modern functions and styles appeared after March 1st Movement in 1919. The first hotel-style dabang of Seoul was housed inside Sontang Hotel built in the neighborhood of Jeong-dong, Seoul in 1902 by Ms. Sontag, German-Russian. The hotel was built to serve foreign diplomats in Korea.[1]