Gay Seoul, South Korea | The Fundamental LGBT Travel Guide!

Gay Seoul is amongst the planet’s many underestimated vacation spots, overlooked continually for the more famous eastern Asian next-door neighbors. Better-known for Samsung and political tensions with North Korea, there was a thriving queer scene right here concealed inside plain view – you only need to know where to search!

Busy and entirely obsessed with manner and innovation, the powerful city of Seoul can be greatly traditional, with peaceful palaces, temples and mountain tracks. Skyscrapers overshadow stylish hanbok (old-fashioned wood houses), green places and cycle channels soften commercial tough borders, and K-Pop can be heard blaring on nearly every street spot.

Seoulites have actually a great deal to end up being pleased with inside their 24/7 area – where you can get whatever you want, anytime – in addition to their gay scene here’s no exception. We desire the culture as a whole could be more recognizing…

Southern Korea as a whole has a much less accepting view of the LGBTQ community than most of the rest of Asia – although the strength of conservatives and Christian fundamentalists wanes gradually, everything is nevertheless perhaps not in which they should be.

LGBT recognition has actually, but rapidly cultivated before ten years, especially in younger years,  as a result of intercontinental influences, even more queer occasions, and a louder existence from the regional LGBT community, including –rather famously – celebrity
Hong Seok-cheon
, developing in public places.

Lots of in Korea feel they usually have never met a gay person, and it is an interest infrequently talked-about, with political functions keeping away from conversation of LGBT liberties and lots of folks burying their unique minds within the mud.

As a customer, you’re acutely extremely unlikely enjoy any straight-out discrimination but remember, lots of queer natives lead two fold everyday lives and succumb to your daunting societal stress to maintain their sex private.

Southern Korea is without a doubt one of the more old-fashioned countries in Asia, but even right here, it really is commercially unlawful is discriminated against based on intimate positioning. Nevertheless, numerous members of the LGBT community nevertheless face problems yourself and work, meaning Gay Korea has actually quite a distance to visit however to catch up with their even more progressive neighbors – Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and more and more Vietnam.

The homosexual scene in Seoul, but is growing from year to year and has now a lot of fantastic queer enjoyable available. Foreign celebration kids in search of combined foreign/local enjoyable would want to drop by the famous Homo Hill in Itaewon, very long connected with gay lifestyle, but natives may constant the main district of Jongno.

Similar to skyscrapers, the bustle of Insadong and road barbecues, discover really a hidden-in-plain-sight gay scene right here with increased bars, karaoke bones, gay hot rooms and cafes than we can easily count.

Not many tourists ever before enterprise to Gay Jongno but know if you will do that into the taverns and organizations, you will always be welcomed with a smile. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Seoul’s homosexual hot rooms and sail groups world, which actively discriminate against and bar anybody who is non-Korean – it doesn’t matter what acquainted with traditions and/or vocabulary you will be.

Hopefully this changes in the long term and now have ideas that might help, however in this respect, the homosexual scene in Seoul nonetheless greatly has some raising up to perform.

Still, with more than 10 million people, Seoul is among the most significant towns in the world features one thing for almost all people. Food, concept, tradition, record and crazy night life – this sprawling city has everything!

Destinations in Seoul

Normally, being gay does not establish which tourist attractions the majority of us may wish to see in each area, and most queer tourists will simply would you like to browse the top items to see in Seoul during the day!

There’s a whole lot to-do here – but we found well known thoughts were wandering through getting missing on back-streets, checking out every odd cafes, hitting-up Lotte industry and roaming through style studios!

Among the best tips we can give you for exploring Gay Seoul would be to pre-order a travel SIM card for simple airport collection and activation when you arrive and that means you cannot pay a lot of money in international roaming fees.

Get restaurants referral and reservations about fly, trains and buses instructions up to the minute, club opening hrs, and, in case it is your own thing – the means to access gay hook-up apps to learn more concerning local world.

Mobile phone information is quickly, inexpensive and available all over the place in Asia, therefore it is not surprising that many travelers choose to remain connected and acquire from the beaten track (without ever fretting about acquiring missing). Why wait?
Pre-order top local SIM credit now to possess it available whenever you appear.

Nevertheless – it helps for some thought of what’s going on, so here you will find the most readily useful activities to do in Seoul, based on you!

Things To Do  in Seoul

Traditional Korean Bathhouse

Not inside gay spa? Uncover exclusive and family-friendly part of the Korean society in a beautifully decorated and old-fashioned Korean-style bathhouse. Unwind from a demanding day of sightseeing – or night or partying – in a conventional pine timber sauna, and take pleasure in usage of all saunas and vapor areas including different sodium and nutrients remedies to suit your epidermis.

For lots more luxury, you need to address yourself to a massage, facials or human body scrubs? Although the bathhouse is actually available 24/7, be sure to book ahead of time any unique treatment plans in order to prevent getting left behind.

Cheonggyecheon

A landmark of brand new urban renovation and ecological rejuvenation, this playground space includes a revived / ‘day-lighted’ flow with paths, links & greenery.

Myeong-dong

A varied purchasing & everyday international dinner location, the Bustling Myeong-dong is filled with international style brands, luxury shops, and homegrown cosmetic makeup products stores.

Janet’s Cooking Studio

Get hold of more than simply images with this fabulously unique marketplace concert tour and conventional Korean cooking tutorial with Janet, a Korean chef competed in new york.

This experience isn’t about just ticking down traveler must-dos, but instead explores the actual Korea through Janet’s breathtaking meals obsession – which stands out through whether the woman is bringing in that sellers in just one of Seoul’s couple of continuing to be regional street marketplaces or cheerful brightly while exposing for you how to come up with the right Bulgogi Lettuce Wrap back in her professional home.

Janet has actually also worked with the UN promoting Korean as well as tradition – so that you merely understand this woman is the real thing! You are going to leave Seoul having the ability to recognize bizarre ingredients in a Korean market and also to create some tasty standard dinners – whilst studying the unique reputation for Korea and enjoying Janet’s hot personality.

A kind and enjoying spirit who’s genuinely passionate about what she really does, we can’t advise Janet’s preparing Studio highly enough.

Fireman Program

An extraordinary show of acrobatics & party, this much-acclaimed tv series utilizes an assortment of overall performance designs to express the pressures of being a fireman. Weird, we realize, however you will understand why if you’re there.

Discover impressive acrobatic pulls and flips, and find out about the necessity of fire safety and consciousness – and being a non-verbal program, really well-suited regarding vocabulary speakers. Feel the affirmative fuel brought because of the melodramatic yet comical performers that portray vivacious figures.

Bukchon Hanok Village

A beautiful heritage town with a satisfied 600-year background dating back to on 14th century. Fill your own camera with selfies featuring thin roadways lined with restored old-fashioned domiciles.

Fancy Museum

a quirky art gallery of interactive sexual art, it is Seoul’s very first therefore far only art gallery for grownups – but we’re positive other individuals tend to be excitedly being prepared. See sensory tales of passion and desire unfold right before the sight, get a chance to try your own hand at pole dancing – when you yourself haven’t currently – and see different minutes of newlyweds’ life through interactive artworks.

You can find six-themed galleries, each with a silly interest to help you discover – and depend on all of us, gay, right, or unicorn …You will not have experienced something like this prior to!

Lotte Business

No trip to Seoul is full without a trip to Korea’s top motif park, Lotte World! Lotte community seats are surprisingly marked down exclusively for overseas site visitors, so don’t miss out the possibility to see this enjoyable two-part theme playground with backyard adventure tours and a ‘Magic isle’ palace area.

While in the colder months, just take a jacket or enjoy the adrenaline-charged indoor attractions in ‘Adventure’ location, plus sign up for the various parades and shows. If you wish to carry out more, there is a Lotte industry + Aquarium combination ticket to comes with a trip to everyone’s biggest water environment container from the Lotte community Aquarium, showcasing over 650 marine types across 13 unique zones.

Jongmyo

A UNESCO business Heritage web site and shrine to Joseon dynasty leaders & queens. Ritual ceremonies still take place only at that Confucian shrine specialized in Joseon dynasty royals. Nowadays Jongmyo is the ideal escape from the urban hubbub and an intriguing looking into Old Seoul.

Café Onion

Serving post-industrial decay realness, this Uber-hip concept cafe in Seongdong-gu is largely exactly how we would imagine Chornobyl as if Brooklyn hipsters moved in. Serving cool baked designs and niche coffee combinations, this area is really worth the trip out to learn – if perhaps to appreciate all of your monochromatic Instagram goals.

In addition they currently have an even more conveniently called Café Onion Anguk in Jongno-gu, except in a switched old-fashioned building/temple, and is equally remarkable.

Seoul’s Palaces, Temples & Industries

Spend everyday sightseeing and ticking off Seoul’s preferred sites. The chairman’s pad, Blue home (or Cheongwadae), the changing associated with the protections from the magnificent Gyeongbokgung residence and Changdeok Palace and visiting the nationwide Folk Museum to learn more about Korea’s wealthy history from dynasties as much as the present-day.

In addition to not be overlooked is the relaxing Jogyesa Buddhist Temple and bargain-hunting during the famous Namdaemun industries.

Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS

)

Find South Korea outside Seoul by taking a trip on over 80 courses and over 600 programs with all the Korea Rail Pass. Take endless trips of many Korail trains for 3 or 5 consecutive times or any versatile 2 and 4 times with this particular discount that’s limited for international nationals.

Meerkat & Friends

An oh-so-Seoul ‘cafe’ which serves no food and only bottled drinks buts allows you to wake up near and personal with semi-tame meerkats, raccoons, wallabies, kitties, foxes and a lot more. With locations in Hongdae and Myeongdong, it is touristy and unusual, so in retrospect our company is obsessed!

Discover Seoul Pass

Get easy access to a mixture of 35 leading Seoul tourist attractions making use of find Seoul Pass. Select 24/48/72 hours pass so you can appreciate discounts and easily modify the Seoul excursion using this versatile admission pass and transfer credit through the Seoul Tourism business, solely available to international visitors.

ZenKimchi Korean Foods Tours

In case you are like us and making plans for your day at Korea your cuisine by yourself, then you will like to avoid the touristy areas/ bad dining encounters and pick a totally immersive experience to really make the most of Seoul’s meals world.

Fortunately, Joe, who has been running
Korea’s longest-running food web log, ZenKimchi,
for over fifteen years, has generated a distinctively crafted trip to help people discover actual Korean dining. Become clear, from this, we imply the guy gets no kickbacks from restaurants and guides you because he could be really fanatical regarding the food they provide, unlike much less scrupulous providers…

We plumped for their Korean barbeque concert tour together with an unforgettable evening discovering Korean eating etiquette, savoring the most effective charcoal grilled pork of our existence, appreciating satisfying discussions with various people from around the globe – and obtaining a little tipsy over a Korean liquor tutorial in a secret club!

It is also ideal for some pre-drinking before moving out to Homo Hill, and unicamente tourists which might or else battle to experience Korean BBQ in this way.

There can be a variety of tours being offered, but each one is operated by enthusiastic experts who have your needs at heart. Thus, if you wish to get-out there and watch Seoul as a nearby – whilst having a ridiculous level of enjoyable, ZenKimchi Korean Food Tours has something individually.

Gay Annual Events In Seoul

Korea Queer Movie Festival (KQFF)

An annual event in July dedicated entirely to screening homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer movies. KQFF is used annually since 2001 together with the stated goal of motivating diversity in Korean tradition while enhancing LGBT person rights and acceptance.

Probably the most crucial Asian message boards of international LGBT film/video, of course your times correspond if a means to encounter a far more advanced level of gay life in Seoul.

I’M Seoul

Korea’s largest circuit party brand name, I AM established in 2015 and has now fast become probably the most popular routine occasions across Asia. Now, IM consistently attract numerous gay people from across Asia and world to Gay Seoul.

IM claims 3 days of pub parties, share functions and after-parties filled with songs and also the hottest dudes. You could expect an unforgettable experience with a killer DJ line-up from around the whole world and awesome go-go kids on-stage. Usually presented in August, IM is actually completely really worth preparing a-trip about.

Korea Queer Festival Celebration | Pride Parade

Korea’s biggest LGBT festival, this annual modern-day Korean event, whoever motif is actually LGBT rights, has numerous features, such as a pleasure parade, movie festival activities, art, discussions and club party occasions.

The event can last for each week or two and in most cases takes place in belated might to very early June. The procession that was prohibited in 2015 attracted intercontinental attention to the event, with most of it becoming critical for the progress made relating to LGBT rights in Southern Korea.

Once again taking place, there was now some help from smaller Korean political events and famous people, but significant events plus the government at-large take a natural position. Unlike many
different Pride festivals in the world
, the Seoul Pride Prade positively restricts the capability of attendees to get images or videos and requires photo-takers to blur individuals’ faces before publishing images online.

This is accomplished to lessen the chance of unintentional outings of members who however face significant discrimination in Korean culture. As the organizers have huge intends to develop the event with the most significant in Asia, Seoul’s Queer community Festival reveals in lots of ways, Southern Korea is in the Stone era.

120,000 LGBT people honestly took part in 2018 – the biggest actually ever – but 200,000 signatures happened to be in addition collected to cease the Parade, and thousands of anti-LGBT protestors turned out.

Nevertheless, it really is amazing observe NGOs and companies acquiring on board because the occasion develops. In a nation where modesty around outsiders is paramount and intimate inclination just isn’t something you should end up being flaunted, we are able to just wish enhanced presence down the road assists brand-new years of South Koreans feel safe adequate to be who they are.

Gay-Friendly and Gay Resorts in Seoul

Although Korea and Seoul may be much less politically progressive and gay-friendly than, say,
Bangkok
,
Tokyo
or
Taipei
, it’s still safe to believe queer travelers need no problems checking pretty much any hotel in Seoul. Unfortunately, but there aren’t any solely homosexual hotels in Seoul to evaluate into.

Seoul is a major international mega-city with a shortage of room, so space sizes tend to be smaller compared to almost everywhere otherwise on earth – but as an abundance of gay men learn, it is not everything about size, but exactly how you employ it! We have been speaking about concept, functionality and views, darling!

Having said that, every person loves to end up being surrounded by people with common interests, and thus, there are many popular gay-friendly motels in Seoul which happen to be hot areas for gay people to remain – either due to their area or their style and comprehensive vibes.

Hotels near Homo Hill, the foreigner-friendly queer enclave in Itaewon, are extremely popular with homosexual people – specifically tourists just who just speak English but Jongno inside the Nagwon-dong neighborhood, is really the gayest area of Seoul, though popular with natives than site visitors.

You might also think about residing in the tourist-popular Myeongdong / Seoul Central, frequently considered to be one’s heart of Seoul or in the world-famous Gangnam region, a.k.a the ‘Beverly Hills of Seoul.’

These resorts in Gay Seoul have the ability to had a glowing advice from gay people in earlier times, but of course,
there are a huge selection of other accommodations in Seoul
if they are not quite what you are actually seeking.

Whether you desire a great and personal hostel, an affordable place to freeze after per night of partying or an ultra-chic fashion designer substitute for sip cocktails and encompass yourself with fabulous people  – Gay Seoul has some thing for all!

Gay-friendly Resorts in Itaewon

Hamilton Hotel â˜†â˜†â˜†â˜†

A landmark in Seoul’s Itaewon, this calm lodge in a modest redbrick building is a minute’s stroll through the train place with unfussy rooms, complimentary Wi-Fi and beneficial employees.

You almost never have to leave with eight different eating options, including a glossy Italian bistro, 2 LGBT-friendly nightclubs, a patio roof share – popular with peacocking muscle tissue gays-, a 24-hour spa, a fitness center, as well as a small shopping center.

Not too long ago renovated from top-to-bottom and still simply a quick hit from Homo Hill, HOMPA by Le Queen and Club HIM.

internet protocol address Boutique Hotel â˜†â˜†â˜†â˜†

Based in Seoul’s cosmopolitan purchasing and entertainment area, Itaewon, internet protocol address Boutique Hotel, provides a life style experience for homosexual guests. Featuring exemplary concept and magnificent atmosphere, the hotel offers 133 guestrooms, a café cafe, and endless usage of their fully equipped physical fitness space.

Exemplary value, internet protocol address Boutique Hotel is only a brief stroll towards the definitely Homme gay bar and Club HIM by Pulse, contributing to its gay popularity.

Resort ITW â˜†â˜†â˜†

(Temporarily or once and for all closed. Once you learn one thing, kindly advise an edit.)

On a clean, modern-day, attractive lodge in Itaewon with rates as good or better than almost every other spots in Seoul. We liked it absolutely was within convenient taking walks distance associated with gay restaurants, bars, and shops which make Itaewon such a pulsating and attractive section of Seoul. Hotel ITAW is actually, but up a steep mountain and located on a narrow one-way road that will be frustrating after every night of sipping.

Sp@Itaewon Guesthouse â˜†â˜†â˜†

(briefly or permanently shut. Knowing anything, please recommend an edit.)

The most wonderful hangout for any social tourist with personal rooms, inexpensive dorms, and standard BBQ
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