I tried making a vlog about this a while ago, but the audio got messed up and then I just gave up on it. But I’ve decided to transcribe most of it into a blog post instead to let people know about clubbing in Korea and the places I like to go.
Can foreigners go clubbing in South Korea? Yes! Usually you just need to be aged 19+ and bring your passport for entry. Seoul and throughout Korea you can find amazing clubs
Here’s a post about the first three or so trips I made to clubs out in Hongdae which will shine a on what clubbing is like in Korea and some top tips for places to go.
Clubbing in Korea is like… whoa. I didn’t know what to expect because I went to a place in Sinchon called Mike’s Cabin frequently and I thought it was a club because whenever I went there it was always jam packed with people dancing to really loud hip hop or techno music and it was crazy; you couldn’t move half the time. And I really liked going there.
But I found out it wasn’t actually a club. It only becomes a “club” when the foreigners come around coz when its just Koreans its actually just a bar which is why there’s tables in there I found out. So, contrary to belief, Mike’s is not a club, it’s a bar. Anyway, my friends were like lets go to this place in Hongdae, which is like right next to my area, Sinchon, its pretty famous for its clubs and bars and stuff.
So we went to Hongdae and… yeah it was interesting. We went to a club called NB2, there are apparently 3 of them or something. There’s NB, NB2, and another called Harlem. Oh and there’s one in Gangnam in Sineonhyeon (NB stands for Noise Basement btw) and they’re all owned by YG Entertainment, which is the company that produces groups like Big Bang, 2NE1, Epik High, and Psy (of Gangnam Style fame). So we went to NB2 and…yeah, that is a CLUB. Definitely a club. You walk in, music blasting, there’s laser lights everywhere, black lights, fog machines, its dark.
There are a bunch of different DJs, and they play hip hop music and electric/techno/house music and the only Kpop they play is by YG artists (coz it’s a YG club) and there is a VIP section, and also a bar at the top and there’s a bar at the bottom and the bottom is like the dance floor, and when it gets to 1230/1am, its gets pretty packed.
But my friend and I danced near the stage pretty much the entire time, and its not too crowded if u can make it up to that area. (my friend is “chingus” (friends) with the people that go there pretty much every single day. And I mean every day. There’s a stage underneath the DJ booth in NB2, and there are these people that have these synchronized dances to a bunch of the songs they play)….and apparently Koreans just love making synchronized dances to everything.
But yeah so, Koreans love synchronized dances, and there are these people that come every single night to this club and do these synchronized dances. They won’t go dance with other people they will just stay on the stage with their little group and do all these dances and it’s awesome. And my friend and I are always up at the stage trying to follow along and learn the dances and just having fun with them but also doing our own thing too.
I’ve only been to NB three times. The first time, it was just my friend and me. And I got a bit uncomfortable with how crowded it got coz it was my first time clubbing, so we went up to the top where the bar is and just chilled and talked with people….well, rather, yelled, coz its freaking loud. And we just chilled and danced till 5am, and then we left.
Then the next week we went back. And we got there around midnight or so. And danced up in front of the stage again with the people doing all their little dances and stuff and there were randomly these people that would just come up and dance with us.
But then suddenly my friend disappeared and I was like “omg where’d she go?!… I’m just going to stand here and dance until she comes back” and she came back and she was like “cheleen! You have to meet this guy!” and I was like “who? Who is he?” and he is apparently a famous comedian in this country? And he spoke like no English but when he tried it was really funny (but I’m not being mean, he was purposely being funny about it) and I was laughing even though I had no idea what he was saying.
But apparently there’s this show in Korea called Gag Concert, which is basically skit upon skit upon skit and its hilarious and there’s a huge comedic team behind everything. And this comedian we met was Hwang Hyunhee, and he brought us into the ‘secret’ VIP room, and we met a bunch of his friends, and we hung out with him, and he bought us drinks, and it was really cool. So yeah I technically met a celebrity in Korea? Haha it was fun.
Then the next day my other friend and I went to a club in Itaewon beacuse apparently it was ladies night or something? I really didn’t want to go haha but I went anyway and… yeah I didn’t like it. It was at Club UN, which stands for United Nations coz it’s just a bunch of foreigners that go there. And in the words of my friend, it was “ratchet.”
So we went to Club UN and we were there for maybe like an hour? And it was not fun. It was small, and I personally hated the music for the most part, and I was just bored. I was texting people the entire time. But then we left! And decided to go to Hongdae! Haha and we went to this place called Club Naked. Yes. Naked. And we went there and it WAS SO FUN.
We got in, got some drinks, checked our stuff into a locker (which u can do at most places for ~$1-3). And we just danced. We danced so much! And we met these girls and they were so nice!! Such nice people. Like, every Korean I’ve met is just so incredibly nice, I love this country. And they hung out with us and helped out if guys got a little weird (which is expected when you’re clubbing) and ITS ALWAYS THE FOREIGN GUYS THAT ARE WEIRD! Why guys? Whyyyyyyyyy westerners gotta stop! Just be cool, stop hunting!
Anyway, if guys got weird, our unnis (older female friends) would dance with us and push the guys away. And we were there until about 5 or 6 am. And then the next night I was in bed at about 11pm and my friend was like “yo, I wanna go back to Naked. Let’s go” and I was like “dear god, I’m tired” but I went anyway. And we went back. Apparently it was like this big party or something; I mean you could not move! But once it cleared out a tiny bit by like 2am or so, it was more tolerable. By 3 it was fine. We stayed until 5 or 6 again. Hung out with the girls we had met the night before coz they happened to be there again.
And I thoroughly enjoyed all three days. I was tired as hell, but it was awesome. Hongdae is in general quite fun. I had kinda always looked down on it coz I had heard that it was just clubs and bars and that was it and just scary foreigners and stuff (which, in reality, is Itaewon). Not what I thought it was though. I really like it.
And a great thing about Hongdae is, similarly to Sinchon, there is street food everywhere, from early afternoon until 6 or 7 am! It’s great, so if you want to get some food after drinking and dancing for hours, you can just go to a stall. But Hongdae also has a lot of 24 hours places, so if u want to sit inside, you totally can.
Also, street performers, aka Buskers, are everywhere very time of day! Its nice to walk around and just randomly hear people playing music and such. And there is also a ton of shopping, and retail stores and cafes. A wonderful college town.
And if anyone knows Simon and Martina from Eat Your Kimchi, (they’re these two Canadians that blog about their life in Korea and they’re really popular) they have a studio and it’s right across from NB2, and I have seen it quite a few times now. Had no idea until I went to Hongdae, but now I see it all the time.
So clubbing, in general: Its packed. NB2 is mainly Koreans and the most crowded of the YG clubs. So if u go there and are foreign, beware, you will be stared at and tried to be danced with by lots of Koreans coz they’re like OO FOREIGNERS. NB2 is def the Korean hang out. And sometimes the YG groups will go there for after parties and stuff.
Speaking of, while at NB2, I saw a bunch of YG dancers and the Kwon Twins who will apparently debut in YG’s new boy group?
But clubbing is fun, but forewarning though, Korean clubs (though im assuming it’s the same in every country) get packed!!! Like, u cannot move! Ur just shuffling at some points, u can’t even turn around. But yeah…They love loud hip-hop, and they’re usually very dark. Usually only the bar area is lit up the most with cool lighting.
You will meet nice people, because for some reason even though its insanely loud people like talking in clubs. And once u start learning the synchronized dances they are really fun to participate in. And all in all, it’s awesome to club in Korea. And I’ve been like 10 or so times now.
Tips for Going Clubbing in Seoul and Korea
Here is some more information about clubs:
• Usually $10 to get in, but the rate is raised on weekends for some of them (NB2 is $15 on weekends)
Clubbing in Gangnam is way more expensive than Gangbuk. Entrance fees and drinks are like double in Gangnam
• You can usually check ur purses/jackets/etc in a locker.
• Simple cocktails and shots are about $5. Others are $6-10. Getting whole bottles of stuff is btw $50-100. Sometimes more depending on what u want.
• You don’t have to dress “clubby” to go clubbing. People are more lax about club style here.
• If u carry ur phone/wallet/cash with u around the club constantly double check to make sure u have it. • • Don’t leave purses out of ur sight if u go onto the dance floor. Friends’ stuff has been stolen sometimes (but u can expect this anywhere really).
• If your a girl, learn the art of avoidance and saying no. a lot of times, you’ll get guys just come up behind you and grab onto you and start trying to dance with you. Either just move away or turn around and say “no thanks.” They wont try it again if ur assertive. Also, if you see someone eyeing your friend, and you know ur friend doesn’t want them to, just pull them out of that person’s sight. They’ll get the message.
Best Clubs in Seoul
Here are some recommendations for my favourite clubs:
• NB2 (ive never been to NB or Harlem but I heard they’re decent.
• Club Naked
• Cocoon (never been here but there is always the longest line EVER outside, no matter what day it is!)
(all hongdae btw)
• Bar/Club Style (can dance or sit and drink):
• Mikes Cabin (in Sinchon)
• Bar Fly (in Sinchon)
• Helios (in Itaewon)
Best Bars in Seoul
• Hofs of any kind
• Buggle Buggle (Sinchon)
• Zen Bar I (Hongdae)
• Zen Bar II (Sinchon)
• Ho Bar (there are thousands of locations everywhere. Over 10 just in Hongdae)
Also, if you’re into the LGBT scene, there are gay and lesbian clubs all over Itaewon, especially on Homo Hill (that’s the actual name I swear) and I know there’s a lesbian club called Pink Hole (I don’t come up with these I promise) somewhere in Hongdae, but it’s only open on Saturdays I think.
Got any experiences or questions about clubbing in Korea, let me know! Or for more experiences in this region view my Asia travel tips.
