Visitors enjoying games at G-Star 2024, South Korea’s largest gaming exhibition, which opened on November 14 last year at BEXCO in Busan. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Once a cornerstone of youth culture in South Korea, PC cafés—known locally as “PC bangs”—are vanishing at an accelerating rate. According to the National Tax Service’s statistical portal, the number of PC cafés nationwide stood at 7,280 as of October 2024, a sharp 7.6% drop from the 7,858 recorded a year prior.
The decline is even starker when compared to October 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, when 10,208 PC cafés operated—representing a nearly 23% reduction over five years. Seoul’s affluent districts, such as Gangnam and Songpa, have seen the number of PC cafés halved during this period.
Rising Costs and Static Prices
The downturn is largely attributed to surging operational costs. With most PC cafés running 24/7, rising labor costs and electricity bills have severely strained profitability. According to a 2022 survey by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), 80% of PC café operators reported increased expenses over the previous year.
Yet, despite these challenges, PC café prices have remained relatively stagnant. In 2022, the average hourly rate for members stood at 1,155 KRW (approximately $0.80), while non-members paid slightly more at 1,335 KRW.
Prices have barely budged from the 1,000 KRW standard set in the late 2000s, even as inflation has driven up the cost of living. As one frequent user put it, “The unwritten rule is that PC café rates shouldn’t go above 1,000 KRW per hour. If they do, people just won’t go.”
PC bang image (Yonhap)
Fewer Blockbuster Games and Changing Habits
The lack of new, blockbuster PC games has also contributed to the decline. As of January 2025, Riot Games’ League of Legends remains the most popular title in PC cafés, holding a commanding 37% market share—a position it has maintained for over six years.
Other top games, including FIFA Online, Sudden Attack, and MapleStory, have been staples for years, offering little novelty to lure new users.
Adding to the shift is the growing dominance of mobile gaming. In 2022, mobile games accounted for 58.9% of South Korea’s gaming market, more than double the share of PC games, which stood at 26.1%.
Younger gamers are increasingly opting for the convenience of mobile devices, while others prefer to watch gaming streams on platforms like YouTube, further reducing foot traffic to PC cafés.
Adapting to Survive
To remain competitive, PC café operators are diversifying their offerings. Many now provide gourmet food options, such as hamburg steaks, pasta, and cutlets, with food sales accounting for 24.4% of total revenue in 2022.
Others are introducing premium features like private rooms for small groups, emphasizing a more comfortable gaming environment.
Still, the long-term outlook appears challenging. With gaming PCs becoming more affordable for home use and the rise of mobile gaming, the demand for PC cafés continues to wane.
“Nowadays, many people invest in high-performance gaming PCs at home,” said one café patron. “For PC cafés to survive, they need to offer more than just a good gaming setup—they need to provide a unique experience.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
