In South Korea Internet cafes are referred to individually as a PC방 (PC bang). 'Bang' translates to 'room' in English, a word used quite frequently in Korean and not to be confused with the 노래방 'noraebang' (singing room) or 찜질방 'jjimjillbang' (public bathing room) that you will also see advertised everywhere. Generally the PC방 is advertised on a building with huge neon letters, with the PC written out in Romanized letters, making it easy to spot.

The Internet cafe in South Korea is extremely prolific, with even the smallest of towns boasting at least a couple of PC방s. They provide high speed Internet access as well as refreshments. Most will have vending machines filled with soft drinks and canned coffee, and many also provide snacks such as ramen noodles that can be cooked and consumed on premises. Internet usage itself usually costs between ₩500 and ₩1500 (the equivalent of $0.50 to $1.50) per hour, with a few cafes allowing you to pay by the half hour or even minute instead.

These PC방s were initially established to allow everyone access to the world wide web, but with the development of online games they have become somewhat of a phenomenon. An entire generation of teen-aged South Koreans admit to spending most of their free time in these establishments with their peers. Their popularity increases with the obvious lack of adults, although you will occasionally see an older foreigner trying to check or send an email while on the road.

The most frequent users of the Internet cafes in South Korea are school-aged children, ranging from about 12 years to 18 years of age. As such, the rooms are often packed, noisy and filled with smoke. The PC방 is a haven for stressed out school kids who wish to break a few of the boundaries of society. Unfortunately, the health hazards of the Internet cafes reflect this. It is often difficult to breathe due to the number of people chain smoking as they play their games, and the food selection for kids who spend all of their time in front of the computers is far from nutritious.

It is worth noting that in South Korea there have been a number of deaths linked to the PC방s, as children who are addicted to online gaming refuse to quit for long enough to eat, drink or even come up for a bit of clean air. Therefore, if you're going to use an Internet cafe in South Korea, it's often wise to be as quick as possible.