If you’re catching the KTX at Busan Station and want a coffee stop with more character than a chain café, here’s an easy answer: Brown Hands Baekje, a café inside the former Baekje Hospital — a red-brick building from 1927 that has lived a century of Busan history and is now a National Registered Cultural Heritage site. It’s only a two-to-three-minute walk from the station. I came here right after lunch at Kokamome, the tendon shop nearby, and the two make a perfect before-your-train combo.
What is Brown Hands Baekje?
Brown Hands is a Korean design brand known for restoring old buildings into cafés while keeping as much of the original structure as possible. Their Baekje branch occupies the ground floor of the former Baekje Hospital in Choryang, just across from Busan Station. Instead of renovating the past away, they left the worn brick, peeling plaster and old wooden ceilings exposed — so having a coffee here feels like sitting inside a piece of living history.
The building’s story: hospital, restaurant, army quarters, embassy, wedding hall
This is what makes the café worth a visit even if you’re not a coffee person. The building went up in 1927 as Baekje Hospital, the first modern private general hospital in Busan, founded by the Korean doctor Choi Yong-hae. Alongside the municipal hospital and the railway hospital, it was one of the city’s three key medical institutions during the colonial era.
The hospital closed in 1932, and the building began an extraordinary second life. It became Bongnaegak, one of the most famous high-end Chinese restaurants in Busan. In 1942, at the height of World War II, it was turned into quarters for officers of the Japanese Akatsuki unit stationed in the city. After Korea’s liberation in 1945 it served briefly as the Busan Public Safety Headquarters and then as a temporary embassy of the Republic of China. From 1953 it ran as the Shinsegye wedding hall, until a fire in 1972 gutted the interior — the original fifth floor was demolished, leaving the four-story building you see today.
| Year | What the building was |
|---|---|
| 1927 | Built as Baekje Hospital — Busan’s first modern private general hospital |
| 1932 | Hospital closes; becomes Bongnaegak, a famous high-end Chinese restaurant |
| 1942 | Officers’ quarters for the Japanese Akatsuki unit (WWII) |
| 1945 | Busan Public Safety HQ, then temporary embassy of the Republic of China |
| 1953 | Shinsegye wedding hall |
| 1972 | Fire guts the interior; the fifth floor is removed |
| 2014 | Listed as National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 647 |
| Today | Brown Hands Baekje café |
In 2014 the building was designated National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 647, and the first and second floors still keep their original walls, doors and staircases — you’ll see them as you walk around with your coffee.
How to get there (near Busan Station)
The address is 16 Jungang-daero 209beon-gil, Dong-gu, Busan (Choryang-dong). Come out of Busan Station Exit 7 and walk two to three minutes toward Choryang. One heads-up: there’s no big sign — just a Brown Hands logo banner on the brick facade — so it’s easy to walk past. The entrance is the large wooden door to the left of the arched windows. There’s no dedicated parking; if you drive, use a nearby public lot, but walking from the station is by far the easiest.
Inside: bigger than it looks, with a different mood in every corner
The café is much bigger than the facade suggests — rooms keep unfolding as you walk deeper in, and each zone has its own feel. I took a window seat with plants and daylight; the high ceilings and big windows make mornings especially bright.
Red, yellow and mint chairs pop against the aged walls. On a weekday morning it was quiet, with plenty of free tables and a few solo visitors on laptops — power outlets are scattered around, so it works for getting a bit of work done. Fair warning: the chairs are vintage-style, so don’t expect plush sofas for a long stay.
How to order & menu prices (you choose your beans)
Ordering is by self-service kiosk (it has an English option). A nice touch for coffee drinkers: for espresso-based drinks you choose between two house blends — Mayfair or Midnight. Prices from the menu board:
| Menu | Price (HOT / ICE) |
|---|---|
| Espresso (choice of beans) | ₩5,300 |
| Americano (choice of beans) | ₩5,800 / ₩6,300 |
| Cold Brew | ₩6,800 |
| Cafe Latte | ₩6,500 / ₩7,000 |
| Cappuccino | ₩6,500 |
| Vanilla Bean Latte | ₩7,000 / ₩7,500 |
| Brown Latte (latte + house-made cream) | ₩8,900 |
There are also teas, ades, juices and ice cream. It’s a step above franchise prices, but reasonable for the setting.
What I ordered: iced Americano
I had an iced Americano. It was clean and smooth, no harsh bitterness — easy to drink while wandering around looking at the building. If you’re into coffee, comparing the two bean options is a fun excuse for a second cup.
Desserts & design goods
There’s a showcase of cakes and baked goods if you want something with your coffee. And since Brown Hands is a design brand first, one corner sells their mugs, tumblers and other goods — browsing while you wait for your drink is part of the fun.
Make it a Busan Station combo: tendon + heritage café
My recommendation for anyone with 1.5–2 hours around a train: eat a tempura rice bowl at Kokamome (2 minutes from the station), then walk over to Brown Hands Baekje for coffee inside a 1927 heritage building. Both are within a few minutes of Busan Station on foot, so the timing is easy to control — a proper local meal and a dose of history instead of waiting at a station café.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Brown Hands Baekje from Busan Station?
About a 2–3 minute walk from Exit 7 — fine even with a suitcase.
Why is the building famous?
It’s the former Baekje Hospital (1927), Busan’s first modern private general hospital, and National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 647. Over the past century it has been a Chinese restaurant, Japanese officers’ quarters, a temporary Chinese embassy and a wedding hall.
Is there parking?
No dedicated parking — use a nearby public lot, or just walk from the station.
What are the hours?
Daily 10:00–21:30, last order 21:20.
Is it laptop-friendly?
Yes — it’s spacious, divided into quiet zones, and power outlets are available around the café.
Final take
Brown Hands Baekje is the rare café where the building is the main attraction and the coffee still holds up. A century-old hospital turned Chinese restaurant, army quarters, embassy and wedding hall — and you get to sit in the middle of all that history for the price of an Americano, two minutes from Busan Station. If you have any time to spare before your KTX, this plus Kokamome next door is the best hour in the neighborhood.
Written by WY, a Seoul-based local sharing honest, first-hand guides to Korea. Nothing here is sponsored — I go and pay my own way. More about me →
Brown Hands Baekje (브라운핸즈 백제) · 16 Jungang-daero 209beon-gil, Dong-gu, Busan, South Korea · Daily 10:00–21:30
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