A South Korean coffee brand is crossing the Taiwan Strait not merely to sell beverages, but to test whether a philosophy of affordable accessibility can outlast borders. Paik's Coffee, founded by a man who traded television fame for corporate ambition, signed a decade-long franchise agreement this week in Taipei, committing to 150 stores in five years. The move is part of a broader reckoning with saturation at home and possibility abroad — a story as old as commerce itself, now playing out one cup at a time.