[Korea Route] Ethiopian "Imperial Coffee Beans" Become Part of Korea's Roasted Coffee History

Promise Made to Emperor Haile Selassie I:
Roasting Coffee for 51 Years
Ethiopia Bet, a Chuncheon Landmark Since the 1970s and 1980s
A Family Legacy Spanning Three Generations,
Continuing the Tradition of Citizen Diplomacy

[Asia Economy, Youngchul Ra] According to the Gangwon Information & Culture Promotion Agency, the online visits to the 'Chuncheon Coffee City Festa (September 3-19)' held in Chuncheon this year reached 2 million.

On weekends and holidays, about 18,000 visitors attended the Let’s Coffee Expo venue.

During the event, Chuncheon City offered a variety of programs, including hands-on coffee-making experiences and special lectures on coffee. The city also emphasized that it was "the first city in Korea to open a specialty roastery cafe in 1968."

This seems to reflect an awareness of the rapidly rising popularity of the 'Gangneung Coffee Street' and the 'Gangneung Coffee Festival.'

The "first specialty roastery cafe in Korea" highlighted by Chuncheon City is none other than "Ethiopia Bet." It has long since become a nationwide landmark, well-known among coffee enthusiasts.

Our publication met with SuKyung Cho, CEO of Ethiopia Bet, and her husband to hear about the background behind the opening of Korea's first specialty roastery cafe and the friendly relationship between Korea and Ethiopia. [Editor's Note]

■ The Birthplace of Roasted Coffee in Korea

Korea's First Specialty Roastery Cafe, Ethiopiajip (Bet) [Photo by Youngchul Ra]

On Ethiopia-gil near Gongjicheon and Uiam Lake in Chuncheon, there are the "Ethiopia Korean War Veterans Memorial Hall," the "Participation Memorial Monument," and the cafe known as "Ethiopia Bet," all located across the road from each other.

In 2004, as Chuncheon City and Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, expanded their sister city exchanges, the road was named after the Participation Memorial Monument and Ethiopia Bet. The World Coffee Festival has also been held on this street.

"Ethiopia Bet" has not closed for even a single day since it first opened in 1968, for over half a century. On the day the reporter visited Ethiopia Bet recently, it had been open for 19,300 days.

The exterior of the three-story cafe building, including a semi-basement, is decorated with paintings of Ethiopian natives and the "Golden Lion," a symbol of the Ethiopian emperor, making it look distinctly different from the typical coffee shops seen today.

Portrait of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia

Upon entering the cafe, a photo of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia immediately catches the eye. There is also a sign stating the opening date, along with the phrase, "We will make sure the aroma of coffee fills this place every day without a single day off."

The interior is decorated with various sculptures and ornaments to evoke the atmosphere of Ethiopia, as well as commemorative photos of the Ethiopian emperor, presidents, and Korean War veterans during their visits to Korea.

In particular, the chairs and table where President Mulatu Teshome and his wife once sat are still preserved as they were at the time.

Chair and table where Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome and his wife sat

The entire interior, including the furniture and sofas, is made of wood in a warm, vintage brown tone. The wall facing Gongjicheon features large glass windows, offering an open view.

As rumored, there is a separate space in the semi-basement designed for the emperor’s safety, and behind a glass wall on one side sits the treasured roasting machine that holds the secret to Ethiopia Bet’s unique coffee flavor.

■ A Bond with the Emperor

President Park Jeonghee and Emperor Haile Selassie

The reason Ethiopia Bet has never closed for a single day since its opening is the promise made between the late Yongyi Cho and Okhee Kim (parents of CEO SuKyung Cho of Ethiopia Bet) and Emperor Haile Selassie I.

The story of how the relationship between Emperor Haile Selassie and the Cho couple began, and the background of the founding of Ethiopia Bet, is as follows.

The Cho couple, who were teachers in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, heard that the Ethiopian emperor was visiting Korea on a private jet and came all the way to Chuncheon out of curiosity.

Emperor Haile Selassie pitched a tent at the current location (now Ethiopia Bet), sat there, and looked at the Participation Memorial Monument with great satisfaction.

Ethiopia Korean War Participation Monument and Memorial Hall

He promised to return to Korea someday and expressed to President Park Jeonghee his hope to establish the "Ethiopian Cultural Center" at this site, both as a resting place for the emperor and as a space to introduce Ethiopian culture.

After various twists and turns, the emperor's request became known, and the Cho couple used their own funds to build what is now Ethiopia Bet.

In particular, the building was designed as a sturdy semi-basement fortress to protect the emperor in case of any unforeseen events.

When it first opened on November 25, 1968, it was a cafe under the name of a cultural center where visitors could taste Ethiopian coffee made from green beans.

Upon hearing this news, Emperor Haile Selassie sent his favorite Ethiopian imperial green coffee beans as a congratulatory gift, using diplomatic pouches delivered via the Japanese Embassy and the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ethiopian coffee beans

"Bet" is a name given by Emperor Haile Selassie himself, meaning "house" in Amharic. The emperor also granted permission to use the "Golden Lion" symbol, the emblem of the Ethiopian emperor.

The emperor asked the Cho couple, "I hope there will never be a day without the aroma of coffee here."

The Cho couple replied, "We will do so. Even after 100 or 200 years, we will make sure there is never a day without the aroma of coffee," making this promise to the emperor.

The main reason this promise with Emperor Haile Selassie has been kept for 51 years, passed down through generations, is that a country with no prior ties willingly sent imperial guards, risking their lives, to help Korea during the war.

According to CEO SuKyung Cho, Emperor Haile Selassie decided to send troops to the Korean War and commanded his imperial guards, whom he regarded as his own children, "Go! Do not return with your bodies unscathed. If you come back unharmed, I will not forgive you. Go and bring freedom to them."

Interior exhibition room of the Ethiopia Korean War Veterans Memorial Hall

During the Korean War, members of the Ethiopian "Kagnew" battalion participated in 253 battles on the central-eastern front near Chuncheon. 121 soldiers were killed and 536 wounded, but it is known as the only unit with no prisoners of war.

Until their withdrawal in March 1965, after the armistice, they saved their salaries to care for war orphans in Seoul and helped rebuild post-war Korea.

CEO Cho said, "My parents always told us to remember the loyalty of those who risked their lives to fight for us," adding, "My parents resigned from their jobs and moved to Chuncheon to build Ethiopia Bet."

■ Korea's First Specialty Roastery Cafe

Ethiopia House CEO SuKyung Cho (second from the right in the front row) and her mother OkHee Kim pose for a commemorative photo with Korean War veterans.

CEO SuKyung Cho explained, "My mother was fluent in English and Japanese. My parents would visit the Japanese Embassy, and Ethiopians would also come by, so they learned how to roast coffee and started the business," recalling the early days of Ethiopia Bet.

According to CEO Cho, her mother, Okhee Kim, received a wealth of information about roasting green beans directly from Ethiopia.

As a former educator, Mrs. Kim would wrap green beans in plastic and travel across the country, giving them away for free to elementary schools and universities, saying, "These are green coffee beans produced in Ethiopia, the country that helped us during the Korean War."

Afterward, word spread as university students and the general public from all over the country would take the Gyeongchun Line train to Ethiopia Bet to enjoy a cup of coffee.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the cafe was so crowded that there were no seats available. It is said that couples who met or had blind dates at Ethiopia Bet often ended up getting married.

Josukyung, CEO of Ethiopia House, explaining the photos decorated inside the cafe

On Christmas Eve in 1991, there is a legendary story that as many as 1,260 cups of Ethiopian coffee were sold in a single day.

Stories like these suggest that the spread and popularity of coffee made from whole beans in Korea was due to Mrs. Kim's passionate love for coffee and her emphasis on trust and promises between nations.

Now, CEO Cho's son, daughter, and son-in-law continue the family business as the third generation, maintaining the daily aroma of roasted coffee in accordance with the promise made to Emperor Haile Selassie.

CEO Cho said, "I entered university in 1979, and even now, many people my age and even older still visit the cafe."

"Because we've never closed for a single day in order to keep our promise to the emperor for 51 years, we haven't even been able to do necessary repairs on the cafe," she added.

She also said, "I can't dye my hair, wear makeup, or use perfume. Only then can I brew coffee with the proper taste and aroma."

She continued, "We still follow the method used by the emperor's maidservants, who would carefully select and roast each bean for the emperor. Out of 1 kilogram of green beans, 200 grams are sorted out."

Roasting Date Labeling

According to CEO Cho, because the coffee is made from wild beans, they must be thoroughly washed and dried. Defective beans-those with holes, mold, or irregular shapes-are removed, and the beans are left to rest for three days to release carbon dioxide, which is essential for the coffee's unique flavor.

In fact, CEO Cho once retrieved leftover coffee from a customer's trash to taste it herself, asking, "Why did they leave it? Was it not good? Was something wrong?"

She said, "Whether I make 100 cups a day or serve a customer who visits 100 times, the taste must always be the same." She added, "The secret is the promise and principles kept with the emperor for over half a century."

She shared another story: "All former presidents of Korea have visited at least once. When President Moon Jae-in visited as a presidential candidate, one of his aides asked if we could serve his coffee early due to his schedule, but I politely refused, explaining that orders must be served in the order received."

In the end, candidate Moon waited his turn, drank his coffee, and then left.

■ Korea's 'Ethiopian Holy Land'

Commemorative photo of Ethiopian Korean War veterans and VIPs visiting Korea

CEO SuKyung Cho and her husband, David Cha, are honorary ambassadors for Ethiopia.

The couple said they always help Ethiopians in Korea, whether they face disadvantages or difficulties, and they also participate in good causes together.

Every year in early October, Ethiopians celebrate their New Year. Because Ethiopia uses a different calendar, the date varies slightly each year.

At that time, even the Ethiopian president sometimes visits, gathering Ethiopians in Korea for a festival. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event could not be held last year or this year.

Interestingly, Ethiopia is currently in the year 2014, and a year has 13 months. Time is also different: a day begins at 6 p.m. Korean time. For example, 6 a.m. in Korea is 12 noon in Ethiopian time.

When Ethiopian ambassadors, staff, or consuls are assigned to Korea, they first visit the Ethiopia Korean War Participation Memorial before visiting the Blue House or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then come directly to Ethiopia Bet.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (1992-present) has visited, and even now, Ethiopian Korean War veterans visit every year.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Korea-Ethiopia diplomatic relations (1963-2013), a commemorative event was held at Ethiopia Bet, attended by more than 130 delegates and over 50 expatriates, led by the Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Flag Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Korea-Ethiopia Diplomatic Relations

Later, in 2015, President Mulatu Teshome and his wife visited Ethiopia Bet. For this reason, Ethiopians regard the place where Emperor Haile Selassie once stayed as a "holy land."

CEO Cho said, "Emperor Haile Selassie is known as a descendant of Solomon and Sheba. The respect for the emperor is immense, and Ethiopians take great pride in their coffee."

She added, "Many Ethiopians, including those who come to enjoy the taste of their homeland's coffee or those who come out of homesickness, sometimes end up in tears here."

She also shared a story about the relocation of the Participation Memorial Monument due to bridge construction.

Josukyung, CEO of Ethiopia House, is guiding the place where Emperor Haile Selassie sat.

At that time, the Ethiopian president expressed his disappointment to CEO Cho, saying, "The way Koreans think of a president is different from how we think of an emperor."

He continued, "When the monument that the emperor had paid tribute to was moved, no one consulted us or even informed us. Why was the site left empty? Are you disregarding our country?" CEO Cho recalled feeling deeply embarrassed and at a loss for words.

The Cho couple said, "We have requested cooperation from Chuncheon City to build a statue or bust of Emperor Haile Selassie at the original site of the Participation Memorial Monument."

The Cho couple's support for Ethiopia has continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began last year. They have used their own funds to purchase and send hand sanitizers and masks to Ethiopia.

CEO Cho said, "Due to the current financial difficulties in Ethiopia, there is only a consulate in Korea, not an embassy."

Inside the Ethiopian House (Bet)

She added, "When I think of the kindness Ethiopia has shown us, I feel too sorry to just stand by. I will do my best to save money little by little so that an Ethiopian embassy can be established in Korea."