Drinking coffee inside a two-story camera

Park first got into photography 12 years ago and his interest in collecting cameras naturally progressed over the years. The couple initially pictured a building shaped like a Leica rangefinder, but subsequently opted for a Rolleiflex design due to technical challenges. In 2009, Kwak sketched a concept for the cafe on a piece of cardboard. It was just a matter of time until the pair could turn their dream into a reality.

"We sent out a picture of the Rolleiflex to several contractors and two companies replied back saying they could build it," said Kwak. Construction began in 2012 and the cafe finally opened last year. "We were excited to learn other people's dreams, and hopefully inspire them to execute their plans by sharing our experience of planning the cafe."

Influenced by several Korean artists who create visualizations of people's dreams, the couple realized that their love for photography could play an integral role in achieving their goal. The cafe's current method of visualization is as simple as taking a photo of visitors, printing it out on instant film, and encouraging them to record their dreams in a few words on the picture's border.

Kwak and her husband are both committed to the "dream visualization" route they've taken — Park takes a photography class after work, and they are actively looking for new ways to motivate the customers to join the movement while managing the day-to-day operations.

But they admit that the majority of customers were only interested in the camera theme. "Roughly 10 percent understand our intention and openly share their stories. We would be thrilled if more people could see the cafe the way we see it — a space for dreamers," said Kwak. "We occasionally worry that we've done something wrong whenever someone stays for 30 minutes or less just for a quick look at the cameras or a quick drink of coffee. It's not meant to function like an average cafe."

After a picture of the cafe went viral, the couple found themselves in an unfamiliar situation. Their Facebook page went from 150 to more than 3,000 likes within two weeks, and they were bombarded with messages from multinational news sites. The couple said they were surprised, but added that they're not making a big deal out of the attention — they have already turned down local TV networks' requests for interviews.

The cafe owners made it clear that they weren't after money or fame. "The recent spike in interest is only temporary. Besides, the number of Facebook likes probably represents the number of people who would like to visit, but can't in reality," said Park. "Our success isn't defined by how much money we make. If someone walks through the door and talks about their dream, that would make our day. That's what the Dreamy Camera Cafe is for."

Sam Byford contributed to this report.