Seoul, South Korea
Introduction
Seoul is one of those Asian cities that foreigners seem to visit mostly for business, to teach English or to visit friends living there. ... not as a lesbian travel destination. So no, it’s not necessarily a big tourist town, but I’ve got to admit, I really enjoyed myself in this city. It’s a huge, bustling metropolis that can feel overwhelming at times, but if you go with the flow you can have a pretty amazing time. One great shopping bonus… this city is knock-off central or even “fell-off-the-truck” central as many international designers have their clothes and accessories made here. I bought myself a lovely brand name (won’t say which one though… but it’s a biggie) dark red leather trench coat for about $300 and saw it in stores back home for $3500!!
Gays and lesbians in South Korea are known locally as the “iban” community. All the same, lesbians aren’t always that easy to find in everyday life in Seoul, mostly because they’re often not out. It’s said that South Korea’s LGBT scene operates about 20 years behind the North American and European scene, with many lesbians afraid to publicly live their sexuality for fear of discrimination and ostracism from their families.
Despite this closeted queer scene, there is an amazing number of lesbian bars and clubs in Seoul, more than you’ll find in most other cities around the world. All the same, you may want to contact the lesbian ex-pat group, Seoul Sisters (see “Information and Resources”), before arriving to ask when their next meet-up is or to see if they know anybody from their group who might be going out that you could hook up with. One of the main reasons for this is that directions are notoriously confusing in Seoul and it’s a bit difficult to find lesbian bars on your own. It’s not unusual to hear someone give directions by saying “meet me at my place. Get off at the Shinchon Station far exit and go left. Pass the coffee shop and go three more streets. Cross over by the barber’s place and then you’ll see a soda machine. The alley behind the soda machine has two entrances. Take the left one, go fifty metres until you see a red door. My place is right next door to that one.”
One very helpful thing though is that all of the lesbian bars and dance clubs are located in the same area, right near Hongik University, in the neighbourhood known as Hong Dae, close to either the Hongik or Hapjeong subway stations. In the “Bars, Nights & Clubs” section I’ve provided you with the basic instructions on how to get to this neighbourhood. All directions to the bars follow from this initial set of directions. I’d suggest you include these directions in your Girlports Passport to make things easier for you when you’re in Seoul. I’ve also included links to maps whenever possible.
If you are able to find one of the lesbian bars, there is a possibility you will be the only foreigner in the place. This is a bit more unnerving in the smaller spots than the bigger clubs, but no matter what you will be welcomed even if nobody there speaks English. If you do go out, you may want to try Korea’s national drink, soju, but be prepared for a major hangover the next day. It can best be described as Korea’s version of arak or vodka and is most popular served as “Soju cocktail” with soju, Sprite and other sugary syrups or “lemon Soju” with soju, Sprite and lemonade powder. One other interesting FYI, most bars and clubs serve food as well as drinks in Korea, but don’t expect chicken wings, french fries or a bowl of olives. Korean bar food is called “anju” and it could be anything from side dishes of marinated quail eggs with fruit to kimchi (marinated vegetables considered Korea’s national food), or gimbap (similar to Japanese maki rolls).
Many visiting and ex-pat lesbians also choose to go to some of the gay boy bars in the gay village (called “Homo Hill”) in one of the most touristy neighbourhoods in Seoul, Itaewon.
One last thing, I’d especially like to thank DJ from Seoul Sisters, Rachel and JJ for helping me out with some of these addresses and directions.
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