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

Gay Seoul is just one of the planet’s the majority of underestimated vacation locations, overlooked constantly because of its much more famous East Asian next-door neighbors. Better known for Samsung and political tensions with North Korea, there can be a thriving queer scene right here concealed in plain picture – you simply need to know where to search!

Hectic and thoroughly obsessed with fashion and technologies, the dynamic city of Seoul can profoundly standard, with peaceful palaces, temples and hill tracks. Skyscrapers overshadow elegant hanbok (traditional solid wood domiciles), green spaces and pattern ways soften professional hard sides, and K-Pop is generally heard blaring on almost every street part.

Seoulites have too much to be proud of within their 24/7 area – where you are able to get anything you desire, whenever you want – as well as their gay world here is no exception. We wish the community most importantly might possibly be much more accepting…

Southern Korea as one features a much less accepting view of their LGBTQ neighborhood than a lot of the remainder of Asia – even though the effectiveness of conservatives and Christian fundamentalists wanes slowly, things are nonetheless not in which they need to be.

LGBT recognition has, but quickly expanded previously ten years, especially in the younger generations,  compliment of international influences, even more queer events, and a louder presence with the neighborhood LGBT neighborhood, such as –rather famously – celebrity
Hong Seok-cheon
, coming-out publicly.

A lot of in Korea feel they usually have never ever met a homosexual person, and it’s also a topic seldom mentioned, with political parties avoiding conversation of LGBT liberties and lots of individuals burying their particular minds into the mud.

As a visitor, you’re exceptionally not likely enjoy any straight-out discrimination but realize, a lot of queer residents lead two fold schedules and succumb to the overwhelming societal pressure to maintain their sexuality personal.

Southern Korea is undoubtedly one of the more conservative countries in Asia, but even here, its theoretically illegal become discriminated against on such basis as intimate orientation. Nonetheless, lots of members of the LGBT neighborhood nonetheless face difficulties at your home and work, indicating Gay Korea has actually a considerable ways commit nonetheless to capture up with the even more modern neighbors – Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and progressively Vietnam.

The gay scene in Seoul, however, is growing annually and contains enough fantastic queer fun to offer. Overseas party boys looking for blended foreign/local enjoyable will want to drop by the famous Homo Hill in Itaewon, long related to homosexual night life, but natives are more inclined to frequent the central section of Jongno.

Synonymous with skyscrapers, the bustle of Insadong and street barbecues, discover really a hidden-in-plain-sight homosexual scene here with more bars, karaoke joints, gay saunas and cafes than we could depend.

Not many vacationers previously venture to Gay Jongno but determine if you are doing that during the taverns and groups, you will often be welcomed with a grin. Sadly, alike can not be said for Seoul’s homosexual saunas and cruise groups world, which positively discriminate against and bar anybody who is actually non-Korean – no matter what familiar with traditions and/or vocabulary you will be.

Hopefully this changes in the near future and also have suggestions that can help, in this regard, the homosexual scene in Seoul however considerably has many growing around do.

Nevertheless, with well over 10 million folks, Seoul is among the most significant cities on Earth and contains something for absolutely everyone. Food, layout, culture, background and untamed nightlife – this sprawling area provides all of it!

Destinations in Seoul

Obviously, being homosexual cannot determine which attractions a lot of us will want to see in each city, & most queer travelers only will wish take a look at the leading items to see in Seoul in the day!

You will find such to accomplish right here – but we found our favorite thoughts happened to be wandering through acquiring lost on back-streets, going to every weird cafes, hitting-up Lotte World and wandering through layout studios!

One of the better ideas we could provide for discovering Gay Seoul is to pre-order a travel SIM card for simple airport pickup and activation the minute you appear and that means you will not shell out a fortune in international roaming fees.

Get restaurants advice and bookings from the travel, public transport guidelines up-to-the-minute, club beginning many hours, and, if it’s the thing – use of gay hook-up software to find out more about the neighborhood world.

Cellular phone information is quickly, low priced and offered almost everywhere in Asia, therefore it is no wonder most tourists elect to remain connected and get off the beaten track (without actually ever worrying all about obtaining lost). Why hold off?
Pre-order best regional SIM card today to possess it waiting for you whenever you appear.

However – it assists to own some thought of what is going on, therefore here you will find the most useful activities to do in Seoul, based on united states!

Things you can do  in Seoul

Traditional Korean Bathhouse

Not inside homosexual spa? Uncover a distinctive and family-friendly area of the Korean culture in a beautifully embellished and old-fashioned Korean-style bathhouse. Unwind from a stressful day of sightseeing – or night or partying – in a traditional oak timber spa, and luxuriate in entry to all saunas and steam rooms offering various salt and minerals treatment options for your epidermis.

For much more extravagance, you need to address yourself to a massage therapy, facials or human body scrubs? Although the bathhouse is available 24/7, definitely reserve ahead any unique treatment options to avoid at a disadvantage.

Cheonggyecheon

A landmark of new urban recovery and environmental rejuvenation, this playground room features a revived / ‘day-lighted’ stream with paths, links & greenery.

Myeong-dong

A varied purchasing & relaxed international dining destination, the busy Myeong-dong is actually full of worldwide manner brands, deluxe stores, and homegrown cosmetic makeup products shops.

Janet’s Cooking Studio

Take home more than just photographs with this particular wonderfully distinctive market concert tour and standard Korean cooking training with Janet, a Korean chef trained in New York City.

This experience isn’t about just ticking off tourist must-dos, but instead examines the real Korea through Janet’s stunning food obsession – which stands out through whether this woman is launching you to suppliers in just one of Seoul’s couple of staying neighborhood road marketplaces or smiling brightly while revealing to you personally how to create the right Bulgogi Lettuce Wrap in the woman professional kitchen area.

Janet features actually worked with the UN to advertise Korean food and society – which means you just understand the woman is the real deal! You will leave Seoul with the ability to identify unconventional ingredients in a Korean marketplace in order to create some tasty conventional meals – whilst studying exclusive reputation for Korea and taking pleasure in Janet’s comfortable personality.

A kind and warm spirit who’s truly passionate about exactly what she really does, we simply cannot suggest Janet’s Cooking Studio very enough.

Fireman Show

A remarkable show of acrobatics & dance, this much-acclaimed program utilizes a combination of performance types to state the stresses of being a fireman. Crazy, we all know, but you’ll understand why while indeed there.

Observe amazing acrobatic pulls and flips, and learn about the necessity of flame security and understanding – and being a non-verbal program, it’s well-suited for all language speakers. Have the affirmative fuel brought by melodramatic yet funny entertainers that portray lively characters.

Bukchon Hanok Village

An attractive history community with a proud 600-year history dating back with the 14th century. Fill the digital camera with selfies featuring slim roads layered with restored old-fashioned domiciles.

Like Museum

a quirky museum of entertaining sensual artwork, this is Seoul’s basic and thus far merely art gallery for adults – but we’re sure others tend to be eagerly becoming prepared. Watch physical tales of enthusiasm and need unfold prior to your eyes, get an opportunity to attempt your own hand at pole dancing – if you haven’t already – and discover the many minutes of newlyweds’ existence through interactive artworks.

There are six-themed galleries, each with a silly attraction to help you get a hold of – and rely on us, homosexual, straight, or unicorn …You won’t ever have seen everything similar to this before!

Lotte Business

No visit to Seoul might be complete without a visit to Korea’s top theme playground, Lotte industry! Lotte business passes are interestingly reduced just for foreign site visitors, therefore never miss out the possible opportunity to check out this enjoyable two-part motif park with outside adventure trips and a ‘Magic Island’ palace location.

Through the colder several months, get a coat or have fun with the adrenaline-charged interior destinations for the ‘Adventure’ location, plus attend the many parades and programs. If you want to do even more, you will find a Lotte globe + Aquarium combo ticket to also contains a call to everyone’s largest sea ecology tank in the Lotte industry Aquarium, featuring over 650 marine species across 13 distinct areas.

Jongmyo

A UNESCO World Heritage website and shrine to Joseon dynasty leaders & queens. Ritual ceremonies however occur at this Confucian shrine focused on Joseon dynasty royals. Nowadays Jongmyo is the ideal escape from the urban hustle and bustle and an intriguing looking into Old Seoul.

Café Onion

Serving post-industrial decay realness, this Uber-hip design cafe in Seongdong-gu is simply how exactly we would picture Chornobyl becoming if Brooklyn hipsters relocated in. Serving cool baked creations and specialty coffee combinations, this place is definitely worth the trek over to discover – only if to appreciate all of your current monochromatic Instagram aspirations.

Additionally they already have an even more conveniently known as Café Onion Anguk in Jongno-gu, except in a switched conventional building/temple, basically equally amazing.

Seoul’s Palaces, Temples & Industries

Invest on a daily basis sightseeing and ticking off Seoul’s best web sites. The President’s pad, Blue home (or Cheongwadae), the altering of the guards in the dazzling Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeok residence and stopping by the National Folk Museum for more information on Korea’s wealthy record from dynasties to the present-day.

In addition not to end up being skipped may be the relaxing Jogyesa Buddhist Temple and bargain-hunting from the popular Namdaemun Markets.

Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS

)

Discover South Korea outside Seoul by traveling on over 80 routes and also to over 600 channels with all the Korea Rail Pass. Get limitless trips of many Korail trains for 3 or 5 consecutive days or any flexible 2 and 4 days with this rebate definitely limited for foreign nationals.

Meerkat & Friends

An oh-so-Seoul ‘cafe’ which acts no food and only bottled beverages buts lets you get up near and personal with semi-tame meerkats, raccoons, wallabies, cats, foxes plus. With areas in Hongdae and Myeongdong, its touristy and strange, this is exactly why we are obsessed!

Discover Seoul Pass

Get easy access to a combination of 35 top Seoul places of interest making use of the Take a look at Seoul Pass. Pick from 24/48/72 many hours go to help you appreciate discounts and freely modify the Seoul excursion because of this flexible entrance solution and transport credit through the Seoul Tourism business, exclusively accessible to overseas vacationers.

ZenKimchi Korean Foods Tours

In case you are like us and making plans for your visit to Korea when it comes down to cooking alone, then you’ll need to avoid the touristy places/ terrible eating experiences and choose a totally immersive knowledge to really make the the majority of Seoul’s meals world.

Thankfully, Joe, that has been working
Korea’s longest-running food blog, ZenKimchi,
for over 15 years, has established an uniquely crafted concert tour to help travelers discover genuine Korean food. Becoming obvious, by this, we mean he will get no kickbacks from restaurants and takes you because he is truly fanatical in regards to the fare they provide, unlike much less scrupulous workers…

We plumped for his Korean barbeque concert tour together with an unforgettable night discovering Korean eating decorum, savoring the best charcoal grilled chicken of our own existence, appreciating fulfilling discussions with some other individuals from around the globe – and having some tipsy over a Korean alcohol concept in a secret club!

It’s also ideal for some pre-drinking before venturing out to Homo Hill, or for unicamente travelers exactly who might if not find it difficult to experience Korean BBQ along these lines.

There can be an array of trips offered, but each one is run by enthusiastic professionals who get best interests in mind. Very, should you want to move out there and find out Seoul as an area – while having a ridiculous quantity of fun, ZenKimchi Korean foods Tours has some thing individually.

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Gay Annual Events In Seoul

Korea Queer Movie Festival (KQFF)

An annual occasion in July dedicated exclusively to assessment gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer films. KQFF happens to be held annually since 2001 making use of the reported purpose of encouraging range in Korean tradition while enhancing LGBT human legal rights and recognition.

The most important Asian forums of intercontinental LGBT film/video, just in case your own dates correspond if a way to encounter an even more sophisticated level of homosexual existence in Seoul.

I’M Seoul

Korea’s biggest routine celebration brand, I WILL BE launched in 2015 and has now rapidly come to be just about the most common circuit occasions across Asia. Today, I AM will continue to encourage numerous homosexual tourists from across Asia and also the planet to Gay Seoul.

I WILL BE carries 3 days of pub functions, share functions and after-parties filled with music together with hottest dudes. You could expect an unforgettable experience with a killer DJ line-up from around the world and awesome go-go males on-stage. Ordinarily held in August, I’M is actually completely worth planning a vacation about.

Korea Queer Festival Party | Pride Parade

Korea’s largest LGBT event, this annual modern-day Korean festival, whoever theme is actually LGBT legal rights, has many features, including a pride parade, movie festival occasions, artwork, discussions and pub celebration occasions.

The festival lasts for each week or two and in most cases happen in belated might to early June. The procession which was banned in 2015 attracted worldwide awareness of case, with most of it getting crucial of the development made regarding LGBT rights in Southern Korea.

Again happening, there clearly was today some assistance from more compact Korean political functions and famous people, but significant parties and also the federal government in particular take a basic posture. Unlike a lot of
different Pride celebrations globally
, the Seoul Pride Prade actively limits the power of attendees to simply take photographs or video clips and requires photo-takers to blur individuals’ confronts before publishing pictures using the internet.

This is done to decrease the possibility of unintentional outings of players who however face considerable discrimination in Korean culture. Although the organizers have actually large plans to grow the big event toward most significant in Asia, Seoul’s Queer lifestyle Festival shows in lots of ways, South Korea is within the rock Age.

120,000 LGBT individuals openly took part in 2018 – the largest actually – but 200,000 signatures had been also gathered to prevent the Parade, and a great deal of anti-LGBT protestors turned-out.

Nevertheless, it really is remarkable observe NGOs and companies obtaining on-board once the event develops. In a nation in which modesty around outsiders is vital and intimate preference isn’t one thing to be flaunted, we are able to just wish increased exposure as time goes on assists new generations of South Koreans feel comfortable enough to be exactly who they truly are.

Gay-Friendly and Gay Hotels in Seoul

Although Korea and Seoul can be less politically progressive and gay-friendly than, say,
Bangkok
,
Tokyo
or
Taipei
, it’s still safe to think queer people has no problems examining literally any resort in Seoul. Sadly, however, there aren’t any entirely gay resort hotels in Seoul to evaluate into.

Seoul is an international mega-city with a lack of room, so place dimensions tend to be smaller than just about everywhere else in the arena – but as an abundance of homosexual males understand, it is not about dimensions, but how you employ it! We have been making reference to style, efficiency and opinions, darling!

Having said that, everyone loves to end up being surrounded by people with common passions, and therefore, there are some well-known gay-friendly places in Seoul being hot places for homosexual tourists to stay – either due to their place or their particular layout and inclusive vibes.

Hotels near Homo Hill, the foreigner-friendly queer enclave in Itaewon, are really popular with gay tourists – specifically travelers whom merely talk English but Jongno within the Nagwon-dong neighborhood, is clearly the gayest part of Seoul, though popular with residents than site visitors.

You can also give consideration to staying in the tourist-popular Myeongdong / Seoul main, often said to be the center of Seoul or in the world-famous Gangnam region, a.k.a the ‘Beverly Hills of Seoul.’

This amazing accommodations in Gay Seoul have all had a glowing referral from gay tourists in past times, but of course,
you will find hundreds of different hotels in Seoul
if they’re not exactly what you are actually shopping for.

Whether you want a fun and personal hostel, an affordable destination to crash after every night of partying or an ultra-chic developer choice to drink cocktails and surround your self with fabulous men and women  – Gay Seoul has one thing for everyone!

Gay-friendly Resorts in Itaewon

Hamilton Resort â˜†â˜†â˜†â˜†

A landmark in Seoul’s Itaewon, this calm lodge in a modest redbrick building is just a minute’s walk from the train station with unfussy areas, free Wi-Fi and helpful team.

You rarely need certainly to leave with eight different dining choices, such as a shiny Italian restaurant, 2 LGBT-friendly nightclubs, an outdoor roof share – popular with peacocking muscle tissue gays-, a 24-hour spa, a fitness center, plus a tiny mall.

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

IP Boutique Hotel â˜†â˜†â˜†â˜†

Based in Seoul’s cosmopolitan purchasing and enjoyment region, Itaewon, IP Boutique resort, provides a unique way of life knowledge for gay guests. Featuring exceptional layout and magnificent atmosphere, the resort supplies 133 guestrooms, a café cafe, and limitless use of their well-equipped fitness space.

Excellent price, IP Boutique resort is a quick walk into definitely Homme gay club and Club HIM by Pulse, contributing to their homosexual popularity.

Hotel ITW â˜†â˜†â˜†

(Temporarily or once and for all closed. If you know some thing, kindly advise an edit.)

A clean, modern-day, appealing resort in Itaewon with prices as good or better than other locations in Seoul. We enjoyed it was within convenient strolling length in the homosexual restaurants, pubs, and retailers which make Itaewon these a pulsating and appealing part of Seoul. Resort ITAW is, however, up a steep hill and found on a narrow one-way street in fact it is challenging after a night of ingesting.

Sp@Itaewon Guesthouse â˜†â˜†â˜†

(briefly or permanently shut. If you know some thing, kindly recommend an edit.)

The most perfect hangout for personal tourist with private spaces, affordable dorms, and typical BBQ