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Will unmanned convenience stores and unmanned cafes operate well in Korea?

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Ana Garcia🇩🇪
Jul 7, 2026
I recently heard that unmanned convenience stores and unmanned cafes are increasing in Korea. There is a small, nameless unmanned convenience store near my neighborhood where I often buy ice cream and snacks. Here, I use a self-checkout system to make my own payments. During my trip to Jeju Island, there was also a GS25 convenience store that operated unmanned at night in the hotel where I stayed. It was really convenient to make payments directly with a barcode scanner. Additionally, there are several unmanned cafes around me that offer automatic coffee machines and simple bakeries. These places are cozy and have a nice atmosphere, but there are hardly any people late at night. In the United States, I think such unmanned systems might not be sustainable due to theft issues. However, I also believe that as technology advances and replaces jobs, unmanned systems will increase even more. What do you think? Will this change be positive or negative for Korea?
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Will unmanned convenience stores and unmanned cafes operate well in Korea? | KoStart Community