Upscale coffee comes to Korea -- in a Starbucks cup

From Sohn Jie-Ae
CNN Seoul Bureau Chief

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Koreans are the biggest coffee drinkers in Asia.

But most of them are hooked on instant coffee, which residents get from vending machines or small coffee houses.

But the king of retail coffee -- Starbucks -- is out to change all that, starting with the world's largest coffee shop in central Seoul. The five-story Starbucks is already open and able to seat some 200 coffee drinkers in its cozy, modern interior.

VIDEO CNN's Sohn Jie-ae reports Starbucks plans for a major expansion in Korea over the next five years Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Ten other stores have already opened in Korea, and some 130 Starbucks throughout the country are in the works.

"As a specialty coffee business, we really have unlimited opportunities in the future," said Starbucks licensee Chung Chin-Koo, of ESCO Korea.

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TravelAsia site on Korea

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