{
  "id": 15850187,
  "title": "Coastal coffee capital of Korea mixes beachside reading with 'text hip' trend",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/coastal-coffee-capital-of-korea-mixes-beachside-reading-with-text-hip",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-21T05:42:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/travel-food/20261021/coastal-coffee-capital-of-korea-mixes-beachside-reading-with-text-hip-trend"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea's tourism authorities are merging two of the country's most beloved cultural pastimes - coffee and reading - for a seaside retreat along the eastern coast. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) are hosting a five-day outdoor reading event titled \"Sea 24 Hours: Book Trip\" at Anmok Beach in Gangneung, kicking off this weekend.\n\nThis initiative taps into \"text hip\", a viral craze among younger Koreans who view reading physical books as a stylish, aesthetic lifestyle choice rather than merely a quiet pastime. It complements the annual Gangneung Coffee Festival, which annually attracts around 300,000 visitors to this coastal city renowned as Korea's specialty coffee capital.\n\nThe event is set against a backdrop of a pine forest along the sandy coastline. Its aim is to encourage tourists to unwind and spend more time in the region, thanks to a relaxed mix of coastal scenery, local coffee, and literature. The book lounge, accessible daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., features around 200 books in four thematic sections: food, photography, and two others.",
  "summary": "Korea's tourism authorities are combining two of the country's biggest cultural obsessions — coffee and reading — for a seaside getaway this week on the nation's eastern coast. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) are hosting \"Sea 24 Hours: Book Trip,\" a five-day outdoor reading event at Anmok Beach in Gangneung, running through Sunday. The event…",
  "key_points": [
    "\"Sea 24 Hours: Book Trip\" event merges coffee and reading at Anmok Beach in Gangneung",
    "\"Hip\" reading trend among younger Koreans drives initiative",
    "Event complements Gangneung Coffee Festival attracting 300,000 visitors annually"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Merging literature with the local coffee culture leverages a viral lifestyle trend to transform Gangneung from a quick stop into a destination for extended seaside relaxation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Coastal coffee capital of Korea mixes beachside reading with 'text hip' trend",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/coastal-coffee-capital-of-korea-mixes-beachside-reading-with-text-hip-15853974",
        "published": "2026-10-21T06:37:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}