{
  "id": 9844699,
  "title": "Korean 'yajang' culture explained: Guide to outdoor dining in Seoul",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/korean-yajang-culture-explained-guide-to-outdoor-dining-in-seoul",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-25T22:07:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/travel-food/20260926/korean-yajang-culture-explained-guide-to-outdoor-dining-in-seoul"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Seoul, the saying goes \"Not going to yajang in this weather should be a crime,\" referring to the Korean tradition of outdoor dining and drinking. As evening falls, particularly around 7 p.m., the streets of Jongno 3-ga area come alive with plastic chairs, sizzling grills, and lively conversations. College students, office workers, couples, and older diners gather shoulder to shoulder around red and blue tables, sharing dishes like grilled pork belly and sipping beer, soju, and makgeolli. While indoor restaurants and bars provide a warm and refined atmosphere, it is the humble outdoor tables, often located in front of old storefronts and unchanged streets, that attract the most patrons. This phenomenon, known as \"yajang,\" encompasses casual outdoor dining and drinking experiences in Seoul.",
  "summary": "“Not going to 'yajang' in this weather should be a crime,” Koreans jokingly say whenever a crisp, breezy evening arrives — a seasonal call to trade indoor dining rooms for plastic chairs, sizzling grills and conversations held in lively streets. By 7 p.m. on Monday in Seoul’s Jongno 3-ga area, the saying seemed to have become reality. Red and blue plastic tables were set up in narrow alleys,…",
  "key_points": [
    "Seoul's yajang culture involves outdoor dining and drinking.",
    "People gather around red and blue tables in Jongno 3-ga area.",
    "Outdoor tables attract patrons more than indoor restaurants."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Korean 'yajang' culture explained: Guide to outdoor dining in Seoul",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/korean-yajang-culture-explained-guide-to-outdoor-dining-in-seoul-9848402",
        "published": "2026-09-25T22:32:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}