Globalization is a global trend in twentieth and twenty-first centuries to integrate all aspects of life, like culture, lifestyle and products, by the international interchange. It describes the growing political, social, economic and environmental interconnectivity and interdependence of the world (Beck 19; Collins 152). The process of globalization is further facilitated with the advancement of telecommunications, transportation and internet connection. Under the influence of globalization, international trading and economic activities have become more rapid including trading of coffee and expansion. The International Coffee Organization, an international organization established in 1963, is responsible for regulating coffee bean trading and stabilizing the price of coffee by reaching agreements (Song 22).
The above statistics showed that there had been a rising amount of coffee traded out to countries around the world from US$ 8.7 billion in the year 2001/02 to nearly a double of US$ 15.4 billion in the year 2009/10 (ICO n.d.). Under this favorable environment, the coffee drinking culture is easily spread.
Coffee drinking, recognized as a reflection of Western lifestyle, has been spreading in the entire world and integrated into different cultures. Coffee is now considered as one of the highest consumed drinks internationally and about 22 million people over the world depend their livelihood on coffee (Oldenburg 134). Coffee becomes more popular among Asian countries, like South Korea and Japan. Korean consumers have learned to taste and enjoy the strong taste of coffee and changed their beverage consumption habits from drinking tea to drinking coffee. The influx of cafés helps to construct coffee drinking culture and change Korean customers’ drinking habit.
Effect of Globalization
