The daily maximum caffeine intake advised by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is 400 mg or less for adults, 300 mg or less for pregnant women, and 2.5 mg or less per kg of body weight for children and teenagers. The caffeine in one cup of coffee changes with the amount of beans, the brewing method and the cup size, so there is no single answer to “how many cups”. The basic approach is to add up the caffeine from all the coffee, tea and drinks you had in a day and compare the total with these numbers.
What does a recommended maximum mean?
It is not a legal ban line. It is a guideline for the amount you should try not to exceed in a day. On October 20, 2026, ahead of the national college entrance exam, the MFDS reminded test takers to be careful with caffeine and gave the same figures again. That notice also says that even if you stay within the recommended amount, you should cut back or stop if you notice palpitations, headaches or sleep problems. The number is a ceiling, and signals from your body come first.
The same notice advises checking your total intake when you consume several products together. People often count only coffee and forget the tea or energy drink they had in the afternoon.
How do you calculate it for children and teenagers?
Children and teenagers are calculated by body weight: multiply the weight by 2.5 mg per kg. At 40 kg that is 100 mg, at 50 kg it is 125 mg, and at 60 kg it is 150 mg. These are simple multiplications of the advised standard. The key point is that the adult figure is not applied as it is, and the total matters most when someone drinks several cups to stay awake during exam season.
How do you check what you drank today?
Rather than memorizing a mg figure per cup, it is easier to fix a checking routine. Packaged drinks sometimes show the caffeine content on the label or nutrition information, and at a cafe you can ask what information the shop provides. If you cannot find the number, leave a margin: go down one size, or switch to a lower-caffeine drink in the afternoon.
Are there times to be more careful?
Pregnant women have a lower limit of 300 mg, as shown above. People who often feel their heart racing, sleep poorly or take medication may also feel the same amount differently. This article only summarizes general figures and cannot replace medical judgment about your situation. If you have concerning symptoms, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups of coffee a day are okay?
A cup count cannot be given, because caffeine differs with volume and brewing method even for one cup. The accurate way is to add up the caffeine of everything you drank and check that an adult total stays at 400 mg or less.
Is decaf coffee caffeine free?
The MFDS material I checked gives no standard for decaf content, so I do not state a number here. Check the figure on the package or the shop’s information.
What if I cannot sleep even within the limit?
As the MFDS notice says, if you have symptoms even within the recommended amount, cut back or stop. Start by reducing what you drink late in the afternoon.
At Soruru Cafe
Soruru Cafe roasts its beans every morning, and the menu includes hand drip coffee brewed slowly. When you want to manage how much you drink, setting aside time to enjoy a cup slowly can help. Take a break in the space in Mangu - see getting here. Opening hours and more are in the FAQ.
Source
- Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, caffeine guidance for exam takers (2026-10-20), posted by KDI Economic Information and Education Center - eiec.kdi.re.kr (checked 2026-10-30)