BTS Jimin’s father to close his Busan cafe after years as beloved fan landmark

For seven years, a converted factory in Busan's Nam-gu district has been a coffee shop with a second job: a proud father's shrine to his famous son, and a must-stop for BTS fans from around the world. Now it has an end date.

ZM-illennial, the cafe run by Park Hyun-soo, father of BTS member Jimin, will close in one year. The cafe began the countdown in a November 1 Instagram post that opened with the line, "Starting from today, ZM-illennial has 365 days left with you." It gave no reason for the decision.

The post thanked customers and fans who had supported the business over the years, including many who traveled long distances to visit, and said the cafe hoped the coming year would be "more than just a countdown" and instead a stretch of new memories shared with visitors.

From factory to fan landmark

Park opened the cafe in 2019 in Daeyeon-dong under the name Magnate, remodeling a former factory into a sprawling space with industrial-style decor, a large chandelier and lounge seating. It became a regular stop on fan itineraries in Busan, the hometown of both Jimin and fellow member Jungkook, and it features on commercial BTS pilgrimage tours of the city alongside Gamcheon Culture Village and Busan Asiad Main Stadium.

The cafe changed its name to ZM-illennial on August 15, 2024, after an unrelated company claimed the trademark to the original name. By then the brand had already expanded beyond Korea, opening a branch in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, in December 2023, along with a merchandise line under the same name. The November 1 announcement did not say whether the Japanese location is affected.

Inside the Busan cafe, BTS memorabilia, artwork of Jimin and gifts sent by fans line the walls. Visitors can leave messages for the singer in guest books, buy merchandise and, on a lucky day, meet Park himself, who occasionally greets fans and signs autographs. A signed copy of Jimin's solo album "Muse," bearing a handwritten note from the singer to his father, has been displayed on one of its shelves.

A father's public diary

Park, who has no personal social media presence, has used the cafe's Instagram account as a kind of public diary of his son's career. When Jimin enlisted for mandatory military service alongside Jungkook in December 2023, Park posted a farewell photo with a message thanking fans in Korean, Japanese and English. In early 2024 he hung a transparent letterbox outside the cafe so fans could leave letters for the singer while he served.

He has also staged small celebrations around his son's milestones, handing out free pens to customers on the July 2024 release day of "Muse" and hosting an event at the cafe on June 11, 2025, to mark Jimin's discharge.

The attention has not always been welcome. The cafe's Instagram account has drawn hostile messages from some online users, and Park was reported to have closed its comment section and removed photos of his son from the account. The cafe has not linked any of this to its decision to close.

Timing

The announcement comes months after BTS returned to Busan for two nights at Busan Asiad Main Stadium on June 12 and 13 as part of its "Arirang" world tour, the group's first concerts in the city since October 2022. The city staged citywide festivities around the shows, drawing a fresh wave of fans to landmarks such as ZM-illennial. The tour continues into 2027.

If the countdown holds, fans have until around November 1, 2027, to make the trip to 135 Jinnam-ro in Nam-gu.

In its post, the cafe expressed heartfelt thanks to everyone who had visited, cherished and continued to support it over the years.