Gay Seoul, Southern Korea | The Main LGBT Travel Guide!

Gay Seoul is amongst the world’s many underestimated vacation places, overlooked continually because of its more well-known East Asian next-door neighbors. Better known for Samsung and political tensions with North Korea, there clearly was a thriving queer world here concealed inside simple picture – you simply need to know where to look!

Busy and thoroughly obsessed with manner and technology, the vibrant town of Seoul can greatly old-fashioned, with tranquil palaces, temples and hill trails. Skyscrapers overshadow stylish hanbok (old-fashioned wood domiciles), eco-friendly spaces and period tracks soften manufacturing difficult edges, and K-Pop may be heard blaring on nearly every street spot.

Seoulites have too much to be happy with within 24/7 town – where you are able to get whatever you decide and wish, whenever you want – and their gay world is no exception. We wish the culture in particular could be much more recognizing…

South Korea all together has a much less accepting look at their LGBTQ neighborhood than a lot of remainder of Asia – and even though the effectiveness of conservatives and Christian fundamentalists wanes gradually, things are nevertheless perhaps not in which they should be.

LGBT acceptance has actually, but rapidly expanded in earlier times ten years, especially in the younger generations,  as a consequence of intercontinental influences, a lot more queer events, and a higher presence on the regional LGBT area, including –rather famously – star
Hong Seok-cheon
, coming out in public places.

A lot of in Korea believe they’ve got never ever came across a gay person, and it’s really a subject not often discussed, with political functions preventing conversation of LGBT liberties and lots of people burying their minds in the sand.

As a customer, you happen to be very extremely unlikely to achieve any straight-out discrimination but be aware, numerous queer residents lead two fold physical lives and succumb to the overwhelming societal pressure to keep their sexuality exclusive.

Southern Korea is without a doubt one of the most traditional nations in Asia, but also right here, really technically illegal to get discriminated against based on intimate positioning. Nevertheless, lots of members of the LGBT neighborhood nonetheless face problems at home and work, indicating Gay Korea has actually quite a distance going still to catch up with their more modern neighbors – Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and more and more Vietnam.

The homosexual scene in Seoul, but is continuing to grow on a yearly basis features loads of fabulous queer enjoyable available. Global celebration males looking for mixed foreign/local fun would like to drop by the popular Homo Hill in Itaewon, very long of gay lifestyle, but natives are more likely to frequent the central region of Jongno.

Synonymous with skyscrapers, the bustle of Insadong and street barbecues, there was actually a hidden-in-plain-sight gay world here with increased bars, karaoke joints, homosexual saunas and cafes than we could depend.

Not many visitors previously opportunity to Gay Jongno but know if you do that inside bars and clubs, you can expect to continually be welcomed with a grin. Unfortunately, the same cannot be stated for Seoul’s homosexual hot rooms and sail organizations scene, which positively discriminate against and bar anybody who is actually non-Korean – regardless of what acquainted practices or even the language you may be.

We hope this alterations in the near future and also have suggestions that might help, in this value, the gay world in Seoul however quite definitely has some raising as much as carry out.

Still, with well over 10 million men and women, Seoul is amongst the most significant towns in the world and it has something for everyone. Foods, style, culture, background and crazy night life – this sprawling metropolis has actually it-all!

Attractions in Seoul

Obviously, being gay will not determine which destinations a lot of us may wish to see in each city, & most queer travelers will simply want to have a look at leading things to see in Seoul in the day!

There was really to accomplish here – but we discovered well known memories happened to be wandering through acquiring lost on back-streets, visiting all unusual cafes, hitting-up Lotte globe and wandering through style studios!

One of the better ideas we could offer you for exploring Gay Seoul is always to pre-order a vacation SIM card for simple airport collection and activation as soon as you arrive you will likely not spend tons of money in worldwide roaming charges.

Get restaurants advice and reservations on the travel, public transport directions up to the minute, bar beginning hours, and, if it’s your thing – access to homosexual hook-up apps for more information about the regional world.

Mobile information is fast, inexpensive and offered almost everywhere in Asia, it is therefore not surprising a lot of travelers choose to remain linked and obtain off the beaten track (without ever before worrying about acquiring lost). So just why wait?
Pre-order the very best local SIM credit today for it waiting for you once you arrive.

Nonetheless – it will help having some thought of what’s going on, so here you will find the greatest things to do in Seoul, per us!

Things To Do  in Seoul

Traditional Korean Bathhouse

Not inside gay spa? Uncover a distinctive and family-friendly an element of the Korean society in an attractively decorated and standard Korean-style bathhouse. Unwind from a stressful day of sightseeing – or night or partying – in a normal pine wood spa, and savor use of all hot rooms and steam spaces which include numerous salt and minerals treatment options for your skin.

To get more lavishness, why not treat you to ultimately a therapeutic massage, facials or body scrubs? Although the bathhouse is available 24/7, make sure you book ahead of time any unique treatments to avoid at a disadvantage.

Cheonggyecheon

A landmark of the latest urban restoration and ecological rejuvenation, this park room has a revived / ‘day-lighted’ stream with walkways, bridges & greenery.

Myeong-dong

A diverse shopping & casual international food location, the busy Myeong-dong is filled with international manner brand names, deluxe malls, and homegrown beauty products stores.

Janet’s Cooking Studio

Take-home more than just pictures with this specific wonderfully unique industry trip and conventional Korean cooking class with Janet, a Korean cook trained in New York City.

This experience is not about simply ticking off vacationer must-dos, but instead explores the true Korea through Janet’s stunning meals fixation – which shines through whether she is adding you to definitely suppliers in another of Seoul’s few remaining neighborhood street markets or cheerful brightly while disclosing to you personally how to make the right Bulgogi Lettuce Wrap back in the woman specialist kitchen area.

Janet has actually even worked with the UN promoting Korean as well as tradition – you merely know the woman is the real thing! You are going to keep Seoul having the ability to determine unconventional elements in a Korean market also to whip-up some tasty standard dinners – all the while researching exclusive reputation of Korea and enjoying Janet’s warm personality.

A form and enjoying soul who’s truly passionate about just what she really does, we cannot suggest Janet’s preparing Studio very sufficient.

Fireman Show

A remarkable screen of acrobatics & dance, this much-acclaimed program utilizes a mixture of performance designs to state the strains of being a fireman. Weird, we all know, but you’ll see why when you find yourself truth be told there.

Observe amazing acrobatic pulls and flips, and learn about the necessity of fire protection and awareness – and being a non-verbal tv series, it’s well-suited for many vocabulary speakers. Have the affirmative fuel produced from the melodramatic yet funny artists that portray vivacious characters.

Bukchon Hanok Village

An attractive history village with a happy 600-year history dating back to to your 14th 100 years. Fill the camera with selfies featuring thin roads layered with restored conventional domiciles.

Appreciation Museum

a weird museum of interactive erotic art, it is Seoul’s first and far only art gallery for adults – but we have been yes other individuals are excitedly getting planned. Enjoy physical tales of love and desire unfold right before your own sight, get to be able to attempt the hand at pole dance – when you yourself haven’t already – and see various times of newlyweds’ existence through interactive artworks.

Discover six-themed galleries, each with a unique appeal for you really to get a hold of – and depend on you, homosexual, directly, or unicorn …You won’t have observed everything such as this before!

Lotte Business

No visit to Seoul will be total without a call to Korea’s leading theme park, Lotte World! Lotte industry seats tend to be amazingly discounted just for foreign site visitors, thus do not skip the opportunity to go to this enjoyable two-part theme playground with outdoor adventure flights and a ‘Magic isle’ palace area.

Throughout colder months, just take a jacket or enjoy the adrenaline-charged indoor destinations in ‘Adventure’ place, plus attend the many parades and shows. If you’d like to perform more, there clearly was a Lotte community + Aquarium combo ticket to comes with a trip to the world’s biggest sea ecology tank during the Lotte industry Aquarium, featuring over 650 marine varieties across 13 specific zones.

Jongmyo

A UNESCO World history web site and shrine to Joseon dynasty leaders & queens. Ritual ceremonies still take place at this Confucian shrine specialized in Joseon dynasty royals. Now Jongmyo is the best escape from the metropolitan hustle and bustle and an intriguing looking at Old Seoul.

Café Onion

Serving post-industrial decay realness, this Uber-hip design cafe in Seongdong-gu is basically how exactly we would picture Chornobyl are if Brooklyn hipsters relocated in. Serving cool baked designs and forte coffee mixes, this area is definitely worth the trek out to learn – only if to realize your entire monochromatic Instagram fantasies.

They also now have a easily called Café Onion Anguk in Jongno-gu, except in a switched standard building/temple, which will be similarly impressive.

Seoul’s Palaces, Temples & Markets

Spend per day sightseeing and ticking off Seoul’s most widely used web sites. The President’s pad, Blue residence (or Cheongwadae), the switching associated with protections at spectacular Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeok Palace and visiting the nationwide Folk Museum for more information on Korea’s wealthy history through the dynasties up to the present-day.

Additionally not to ever end up being missed will be the comforting Jogyesa Buddhist Temple and bargain-hunting at the famous Namdaemun industries.

Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS

)

Find South Korea outside of Seoul by taking a trip on over 80 channels in order to over 600 channels with the Korea Rail Pass. Take unlimited rides of all Korail trains for 3 or 5 straight times or any versatile 2 and 4 times because of this discount which limited for overseas nationals.

Meerkat & buddies

An oh-so-Seoul ‘cafe’ which acts no as well as just bottled products buts lets you get fully up close and private with semi-tame meerkats, raccoons, wallabies, kitties, foxes plus. With places in Hongdae and Myeongdong, it really is touristy and odd, so in retrospect we’re preoccupied!

Discover Seoul Pass

Get easy access to a combination of 35 leading Seoul places of interest with all the Take a look at Seoul Pass. Select 24/48/72 many hours pass in order to delight in discounts and freely customize the Seoul travel with this specific flexible admission solution and transfer card through the Seoul Tourism company, entirely accessible to foreign vacationers.

ZenKimchi Korean Foods Tours

If you should be like you and planning your day at Korea for all the cooking alone, then you’ll wanna avoid the touristy areas/ terrible dining encounters and opt for an entirely immersive knowledge to really make the almost all of Seoul’s meals scene.

Thankfully, Joe, that has been running
Korea’s longest-running meals web log, ZenKimchi,
for more than fifteen years, has created an uniquely crafted concert tour to assist tourists experience actual Korean dinner. Is clear, by this, we mean he becomes no kickbacks from restaurants and goes because he’s genuinely fanatical in regards to the food they offer, unlike less scrupulous workers…

We opted for his Korean BBQ tour together with an unforgettable night finding Korean dining decorum, savoring top charcoal grilled chicken of one’s existence, admiring fulfilling talks with some other folks from across the world – and having slightly tipsy over a Korean liquor concept in a secret club!

It’s also ideal for some pre-drinking before venturing out to Homo Hill, and for solamente people exactly who might usually battle to enjoy Korean BBQ in this way.

There is many trips going around, but are all run by passionate experts who have your needs in your mind. Thus, if you’d like to escape there and view Seoul as a regional – whilst having a ridiculous level of enjoyable, ZenKimchi Korean Food Tours has actually something individually.

Gay Annual Events In Seoul

Korea Queer Movie Festival (KQFF)

A yearly occasion in July dedicated solely to assessment homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer movies. KQFF happens to be held annually since 2001 using mentioned aim of promoting range in Korean culture while increasing LGBT individual liberties and acceptance.

One of the more vital Asian forums of international LGBT film/video, assuming your times coincide if a method to discover a far more innovative amount of homosexual life in Seoul.

I’M Seoul

Korea’s biggest routine party brand, I’M established in 2015 and has quickly be just about the most popular routine occasions across Asia. Today, I WILL BE consistently entice numerous homosexual travelers from across Asia while the planet to Gay Seoul.

I WILL BE boasts three days of pub parties, pool events and after-parties filled up with music plus the hottest men. You could expect an unforgettable knowledge about a killer DJ line-up from around the planet and awesome go-go young men on stage. Ordinarily presented in August, I’M is completely worth planning a visit around.

Korea Queer Festival Celebration | Pride Parade

Korea’s biggest LGBT event, this yearly modern Korean festival, whoever motif is LGBT legal rights, has its own highlights, such as a pride procession, film festival events, art, conversations and nightclub party events.

The event can last for a week or two and in most cases happen in late might to early Summer. The procession that was prohibited in 2015 attracted worldwide awareness of the function, with many of it becoming important of the advancement made relating to LGBT legal rights in Southern Korea.

Once more taking place, there was today some help from smaller Korean political functions and stars, but major functions and the federal government at-large take a neutral stance. Unlike lots of
additional Pride celebrations worldwide
, the Seoul Pride Prade actively limits the ability of attendees to just take images or movies and requires photo-takers to blur players’ faces before publishing photographs online.

This is done to decrease the possibility of accidental excursions of members which nevertheless face significant discrimination in Korean society. Whilst the organizers have actually big intends to develop the function into most significant in Asia, Seoul’s Queer lifestyle Festival reveals in a variety of ways, Southern Korea is within the rock Age.

120,000 LGBT individuals honestly participated in 2018 – the greatest ever – but 200,000 signatures had been additionally obtained to prevent the Parade, and 1000s of anti-LGBT protestors turned out.

Still, it really is incredible observe NGOs and companies acquiring agreeable given that event grows. In a nation where modesty around outsiders is paramount and intimate choice is not one thing to be flaunted, we are able to only hope improved visibility as time goes by helps brand-new years of South Koreans feel at ease sufficient to be exactly who they truly are.

Gay-Friendly and Gay Hotels in Seoul

Although Korea and Seoul may be much less politically modern and gay-friendly than, say,
Bangkok
,
Tokyo
or
Taipei
, it’s still secure to think queer travelers need no problems checking more or less any hotel in Seoul. Unfortunately, however, there are no specifically gay places in Seoul to evaluate into.

Seoul is actually a worldwide mega-city with a shortage of space, so space dimensions are smaller compared to just about everywhere else in the arena – but as lots of gay guys know, it isn’t really all about dimensions, but exactly how you employ it! Our company is talking about concept, functionality and views, darling!

However, everybody else loves to end up being surrounded by people who have usual passions, and therefore, there are a few famous gay-friendly motels in Seoul which are hot spots for homosexual travelers to remain – either due to their area or their layout and comprehensive vibes.

Resorts near Homo Hill, the foreigner-friendly queer enclave in Itaewon, are incredibly favored by homosexual travelers – specially travelers which only communicate English but Jongno when you look at the Nagwon-dong neighborhood, is actually the gayest section of Seoul, though more popular with residents than site visitors.

You might also consider residing in the tourist-popular Myeongdong / Seoul main, usually considered to be the center of Seoul or even in the world-famous Gangnam area, a.k.a the ‘Beverly Hills of Seoul.’

The following accommodations in Gay Seoul have got all had a glowing referral from gay tourists in the past, however,
discover a huge selection of different motels in Seoul
if they are not exactly what you’re in search of.

Whether need an enjoyable and personal hostel, an affordable destination to freeze after a night of partying or an ultra-chic developer option to sip cocktails and surround your self with fantastic individuals  – Gay Seoul provides one thing for everyone!

Gay-friendly Hotels in Itaewon

Hamilton Resort â˜†â˜†â˜†â˜†

A landmark in Seoul’s Itaewon, this comfortable hotel in a modest redbrick building is only one minute’s walk from the subway section with unfussy rooms, free of charge Wi-Fi and useful employees.

You hardly ever should leave with eight various food choices, such as a sleek Italian bistro, 2 LGBT-friendly nightclubs, a backyard roof swimming pool – popular with peacocking muscle gays-, a 24-hour sauna, a fitness center, plus a little shopping mall.

Not too long ago refurbished from top-to-bottom whilst still being only a short stumble from Homo Hill, HOMPA by Le Queen and Club HIM.

IP Boutique Hotel â˜†â˜†â˜†â˜†

Based in Seoul’s cosmopolitan shopping and activity region, Itaewon, IP Boutique resort, provides another way of living knowledge for homosexual visitors. Featuring exceptional layout and magnificent ambiance, the resort supplies 133 guestrooms, a café restaurant, and endless usage of their unique fully equipped fitness area.

Exceptional price, IP Boutique resort is only a brief stroll towards the Always Homme gay bar and Club HIM by Pulse, increasing their homosexual popularity.

Resort ITW â˜†â˜†â˜†

(briefly or completely closed. Once you learn some thing, please advise an edit.)

A clean, modern-day, appealing hotel in Itaewon with costs of the same quality or better than other locations in Seoul. We adored it absolutely was within convenient taking walks length associated with the gay restaurants, bars, and shops which make Itaewon this type of a pulsating and appealing section of Seoul. Hotel ITAW is, however, up a steep hill and located on a narrow one-way street basically frustrating after per night of consuming.

Sp@Itaewon Guesthouse â˜†â˜†â˜†

(Temporarily or completely shut. If you know one thing, please suggest an edit.)

The right hangout for the personal tourist with exclusive spaces, affordable dorms, and routine BBQ
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