Tabang

Tabangs are Korean coffee shops, but they differ markedly from the more traditional coffee shops.Fact|date=April 2008 There are many in the smaller towns as the meeting and socialising places for the town's residents, in lieu of the fact that there might not be any where else for them to go.

Tabangs had their origin in 1902.Fact|date=April 2008 A Madam Lyuov [http://bridgingculturekorea.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html,] opened a hotel and called the coffee shop a tabang. They proliferated from that point on as places where people could come and talk or discuss business over a tea or a coffee.Fact|date=April 2008

They function as many things, depending of course on the owner proprieter. Some are places for old people to play Paddock or Go (a Korean-Chinese board game)Fact|date=April 2008, others merely serve tea or coffee to its patrons, others deliver coffee or juice to its patrons, and others are small mom and pop stores where the family might be living in the back.

Of the numerous types of Tabangs, one particular type called a "Ticket Tabang" is known in South Korea as a source for discrete prostitution. Ticket Tabangs make up a small percentage of Tabangs. Often when a person orders coffee from a Ticket Tabang, they are aware the service includes sex. Ticket Tabang women often deliver the coffee on a scooter and then provide a sexual service upon arrival. Ticket Tabang employees can be seen driving scooters to and from Ticket Tabangs in the more rural communities throughout South Korea [ [http://www.humantrafficking.org/uploads/publications/Outofthetrap.pdf 0826 ] ]

Location

Tabangs are everywhere. In some provinces they are called Tashils. The smaller villages have many of them, because it's where people socialise. The prettier the agashis of course then there is more socialising. You will see them on every corner in some of the smaller towns.

Costs

A customer in a tabang would never pay more than W3000 for a cup of coffee [ [http://www.kims-korea.co.kr/Information1.htm?offset=1&o_no=2&o_hit=73&table=Night%20Life Kims Korea ] ] , or sometimes less for a tea. Tabangs are the best place to try Korean teas, because they serve all of them. Some have their own special brews, but if you want to get a handle on Korean teas, tabangs are a good place to start.

References