NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s first stop in Korea wasn’t a hotel or a conference room — it was a PC bang. Here’s what that tells us about Korean gaming culture, and your complete guide to visiting T1 Base Camp in Hongdae.
He Landed in Seoul and Went Straight to a PC Bang
On June 5, 2026, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang touched down at Seoul Gimpo Airport and made an immediate decision: skip the hotel, skip the meetings, and head directly to a PC bang in Hongdae.
Not just any PC bang. He went to T1 Base Camp — the flagship gaming lounge run by Korean esports powerhouse T1 — where he met League of Legends legend Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) and presented him with a custom GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card.
The CEO of the world’s most valuable chip company chose a gaming cafe as his very first stop in Korea. That tells you something important: Korean PC bangs are not internet cafes. They are something else entirely.
If you have never set foot in a Korean PC bang, this guide is for you. We will explain what makes them unique, why Jensen Huang visited one three times in four days, and everything you need to know before walking into T1 Base Camp yourself.
Why Did Jensen Huang Go to a PC Bang Before Any Business Meeting?
The answer goes back 25 years.
NVIDIA started as a graphics processing unit company, and it grew inside the gaming market. Korea was one of the most important places where that growth happened. In the late 1990s, PC bangs exploded across South Korea alongside the rise of StarCraft, and GeForce graphics cards powered those machines.
Huang has been open about this for years. During a previous visit to Korea, he stated directly that without PC games, PC bangs, and esports, NVIDIA as it exists today would not have been possible. He credits Korean gaming culture as one of the foundations of his company’s rise.
This trip reinforced that message. Huang visited PC bangs three separate times over his four-day stay in Seoul — before meeting Samsung, SK, Hyundai, and Korea’s top tech executives. He went to T1 Base Camp in Hongdae on day one, then attended an Aion 2 user event at a PC bang near Sinnonhyeon Station alongside NC CEO Kim Taek-jin.
His itinerary sent a clear signal: he visited PC bangs before conference rooms.
🇰🇷 What Makes Korean PC Bangs Different from Anywhere Else in the World
Most foreigners hear “internet cafe” and picture outdated computers, slow Wi-Fi, and a dusty room you use only when your laptop dies. A Korean PC bang is the opposite of that.
The hardware is professional-grade. Premium PC bangs in Korea run RTX 40-series graphics cards as standard and offer internet speeds that exceed 10 Gbps. The machines are often better than what most gamers have at home, and they are refreshed regularly.
The price is almost impossible to believe. The average hourly rate across Korea runs between 1,000 and 2,000 Korean won — roughly $0.75 to $1.50 USD. For that price, you get a high-performance gaming rig, a gaming chair, a large monitor, and a headset. No equivalent exists anywhere in the world at this cost level.
You can order food without leaving your seat. Ramyeon (instant noodles), drinks, and snacks are delivered directly to your desk. You never have to pause your game or your work.
They operate 24 hours a day. PC bangs never close. Whether it’s 3 PM or 3 AM, the lights are on and seats are available. For travelers, this makes them one of the most practical spots in Seoul if you need fast internet, a quiet workspace, or simply a way to spend a few late-night hours.
The scale is remarkable. In 1997, Korea had around 100 PC bangs. After the release of StarCraft in 1998, that number surged to approximately 25,000 by 2002. As of 2026, over 18,000 PC bangs remain open across the country, with the highest concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area.
T1 Base Camp Hongdae: A PC Bang That Became a Cultural Landmark
T1 Base Camp was already on every K-culture traveler’s list long before Jensen Huang walked through the door. His visit simply confirmed what regulars already knew.
What it is: T1 Base Camp is the official gaming lounge and fan hub operated by T1, the Korean esports organization widely regarded as the greatest League of Legends team in history. It is not a standard PC bang. It is a full premium experience — part gaming center, part esports venue, part official merchandise store.
Location and hours: B1, 147 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 5-minute walk from Hongik University Station, Exit 1 Open 24 hours, every day
Price: Approximately 2,000 KRW per hour — slightly above the average PC bang, but reasonable given the facility.
The space itself: The venue spans over 850 square meters and is designed entirely in T1’s signature red, black, and white color scheme. The layout is spacious enough to feel comfortable even during peak hours, which is rare for Hongdae venues.
Every PC station is equipped with high-performance graphics cards, high-refresh-rate monitors, and the same class of peripherals used by T1’s professional players.
On match days, large LED screens throughout the venue turn the space into a proper watch party arena. Fans gather to cheer for T1 together in an atmosphere that feels more like a stadium section than a gaming lounge.
Beyond the gaming floor, there is a Faker photo zone, a T1 official merchandise shop stocked with jerseys, accessories, and limited items, and a food menu with dishes that even carry player-inspired names from T1’s roster.
You do not need to be a hardcore gamer to enjoy this place. The atmosphere alone makes it worth the visit.
Can Foreigners Actually Use It? (Practical Guide)
The short answer: yes, foreigners can use T1 Base Camp and most Korean PC bangs without major difficulty. Here is what to know before you go.
How to get in: At the entrance, there is an automated kiosk where you purchase time in advance. You do not need a Korean account to enter. Simply select a time block, pay, and the kiosk gives you a code that unlocks a PC. The entire process takes under 30 seconds.
Game accounts: For League of Legends specifically, playing on Korean servers requires a Korean account. However, most other games — including Steam titles — allow you to switch servers manually and log in with your existing account. For Steam logins, use QR code authentication rather than typing your password, and always log out fully when done.
Language barrier: The interface is primarily in Korean. Staff at T1 Base Camp are generally helpful and accustomed to international visitors, but having a translation app on your phone makes everything smoother. Google Translate’s camera mode works well for reading on-screen menus.
Security note: Do not save login credentials on shared PCs. Log out of all accounts before leaving your seat.
Pre-visit checklist:
- Navigate to Hongik University Station (Line 2) and use Exit 1
- Bring a card or cash for the kiosk (both accepted)
- Check the T1 official match schedule at t1.gg if you want to time your visit with a watch party
- Have your Steam or game account details ready on your phone
- Download a translation app in advance
The Boardroom Can Wait — The PC Bang Comes First
Jensen Huang did not visit T1 Base Camp as a publicity stunt. He went because Korean PC bang culture genuinely shaped NVIDIA’s trajectory. Twenty-five years of GeForce sales, gaming culture, and esports viewership in Korea gave NVIDIA the foundation it needed to become what it is today.
That history lives in places like T1 Base Camp.
If you are planning a trip to Seoul, Korean BBQ and K-pop concerts might already be on your list. Add a PC bang session to it. Spend an hour at T1 Base Camp, order some food to your seat, sit in front of hardware that professional players train on, and watch the LED screens fill a room with energy on match night.
You will understand immediately why the world’s most powerful chip executive made this his very first stop.
T1 Base Camp — B1, 147 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul | Open 24/7 | Hongik University Station Exit 1 🌐 Official T1 website and match schedule: t1.gg
