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

Gay Seoul is one of the planet’s most underestimated travel locations, overlooked continuously for its much more famous eastern Asian neighbors. Better-known for Samsung and governmental tensions with North Korea, there was a thriving queer scene right here concealed inside plain picture – you only need to understand where to look!

Hectic and entirely enthusiastic about fashion and innovation, the vibrant city of Seoul is greatly old-fashioned, with tranquil palaces, temples and hill trails. Skyscrapers overshadow elegant hanbok (old-fashioned wooden houses), eco-friendly places and pattern ways soften professional tough sides, and K-Pop can be heard blaring on virtually every road spot.

Seoulites have actually too much to end up being pleased with within 24/7 urban area – where you could get whatever you decide and desire, anytime – in addition to their homosexual world let me reveal not an exception. We want the society at-large might possibly be much more taking…

South Korea in general has actually a much less accepting look at its LGBTQ neighborhood than most of the remainder of Asia – and even though the strength of conservatives and Christian fundamentalists wanes slowly, things are still not in which they need to be.

LGBT recognition has actually, but quickly cultivated in the past decade, especially in the younger years,  through intercontinental impacts, a lot more queer occasions, and a louder presence associated with local LGBT area, including –rather famously – celebrity
Hong Seok-cheon
, developing in public areas.

A lot of in Korea think they’ve never ever came across a gay person, which is a topic infrequently spoken of, with political functions avoiding discussion of LGBT rights and several men and women burying their particular heads into the sand.

As a customer, you happen to be very extremely unlikely to achieve any outright discrimination but be aware, a lot of queer locals lead two fold lives and succumb for the overwhelming social force to keep their sexuality exclusive.

South Korea is without a doubt one of the most traditional nations in Asia, but also here, it is technically unlawful become discriminated against on the basis of sexual direction. Nevertheless, a lot of people in the LGBT neighborhood nonetheless face issues at home and work, which means Gay Korea features a considerable ways to visit nevertheless to catch with its even more modern next-door neighbors – Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and increasingly Vietnam.

The gay world in Seoul, but keeps growing each year possesses a great amount of fabulous queer fun to offer. Global celebration males selecting blended foreign/local enjoyable would like to check out the popular Homo Hill in Itaewon, long associated with gay nightlife, but natives are more inclined to constant the central section of Jongno.

Synonymous with skyscrapers, the bustle of Insadong and road barbecues, there is really a hidden-in-plain-sight gay world right here with more taverns, karaoke bones, homosexual hot rooms and cafes than we can easily depend.

Very few tourists actually opportunity to Gay Jongno but determine if you do that in bars and groups, you’ll continually be welcomed with a grin. Unfortunately, the exact same can not be stated for Seoul’s gay hot rooms and sail groups world, which positively discriminate against and club anyone who is actually non-Korean – in spite of how familiar with customs or perhaps the language you will be.

Develop this alterations in tomorrow and also some pointers that might help, in this value, the gay scene in Seoul nonetheless truly has some raising around perform.

However, with over 10 million people, Seoul is just one of the greatest cities on Earth possesses anything for everyone. Foods, style, society, record and crazy lifestyle – this sprawling area has almost everything!

Destinations in Seoul

Normally, becoming homosexual does not determine which destinations most of us would want to see in each city, and the majority of queer people will just would you like to browse the top points to see in Seoul through the day!

There is certainly plenty to accomplish here – but we discovered our favorite thoughts were wandering through obtaining lost on back-streets, checking out all weird cafes, hitting up Lotte industry and roaming through style studios!

One of the better guidelines we are able to give you for discovering Gay Seoul should pre-order a vacation SIM credit for simple airport pickup and activation the moment you arrive you don’t pay a lot of money in international roaming costs.

Get restaurants referral and reservations from the travel, public transport guidelines up to the minute, bar beginning several hours, and, if it is the thing – usage of gay hook-up apps to learn more about the regional world.

Smartphone information is quickly, inexpensive and offered all over the place in Asia, so it’s no wonder most people elect to remain linked to get off of the beaten track (without ever before worrying all about getting missing). So why hold off?
Pre-order a neighborhood SIM card now getting it available when you appear.

Still – it assists getting some concept of what’s going on, so here you will find the most readily useful things to do in Seoul, relating to you!

Things you can do  in Seoul

Conventional Korean Bathhouse

Perhaps not inside homosexual spa? Uncover a distinctive and family-friendly a portion of the Korean society in an attractively embellished and standard Korean-style bathhouse. Unwind from a demanding day’s sightseeing – or night or partying – in a normal pine timber spa, and take pleasure in entry to all saunas and steam rooms such as numerous sodium and nutrients treatments for the epidermis.

For more extravagance, have you thought to address you to ultimately a massage, facials or body scrubs? Although the bathhouse is actually open 24/7, be sure to reserve ahead of time any special treatment options in order to prevent getting left behind.

Cheonggyecheon

A landmark of new metropolitan restoration and environmental rejuvenation, this park area features a revived / ‘day-lighted’ stream with pathways, links & greenery.

Myeong-dong

A varied shopping & everyday global dinner location, the busy Myeong-dong is full of worldwide style brands, luxury stores, and homegrown beauty products shops.

Janet’s Preparing Studio

Take-home more than simply images using this fabulously unique market tour and old-fashioned Korean cooking course with Janet, a Korean chef trained in nyc.

This knowledge just isn’t about simply ticking down traveler must-dos, but instead explores the true Korea through Janet’s stunning food fixation – which stands out through whether she is launching one sellers in one of Seoul’s couple of staying regional street marketplaces or smiling brightly while exposing for your requirements how to come up with the most perfect Bulgogi Lettuce Wrap in her pro kitchen.

Janet provides also worked with the UN promoting Korean food and society – so that you only know this woman is the real thing! Might keep Seoul have real profit determine unconventional ingredients in a Korean industry in order to make some delicious traditional dinners – all the while learning about the unique reputation of Korea and appreciating Janet’s warm personality.

A sort and warm spirit who’s genuinely passionate about just what she really does, we can not advise Janet’s Cooking Studio highly enough.

Fireman Show

An extraordinary display of acrobatics & dance, this much-acclaimed show makes use of a mixture of overall performance styles to express the stresses to be a fireman. Weird, we realize, however you will understand why while you are there.

Discover remarkable acrobatic lifts and flips, and learn about the significance of fire protection and awareness – and being a non-verbal program, it really is well-suited for several vocabulary speakers. Have the affirmative electricity produced from the melodramatic yet funny performers that portray vivacious figures.

Bukchon Hanok Village

A beautiful history village with a happy 600-year record dating back to toward 14th millennium. Fill your digital camera with selfies featuring thin streets lined with restored conventional homes.

Fancy Museum

a weird museum of interactive sexual artwork, this will be Seoul’s very first and therefore far only art gallery for adults – but we have been positive others are excitedly becoming planned. View physical tales of enthusiasm and desire unfold right before your eyes, get a chance to attempt your hand at pole dancing – when you yourself haven’t already – and discover the different times of newlyweds’ life through entertaining artworks.

Discover six-themed galleries, each with a silly attraction for you to get a hold of – and confidence you, gay, straight, or unicorn …You won’t have observed any such thing such as this prior to!

Lotte Industry

No day at Seoul could be total without a call to Korea’s leading theme playground, Lotte community! Lotte community seats tend to be remarkably marked down just for overseas website visitors, therefore don’t miss the opportunity to visit this fun two-part theme park with outdoor thrill tours and a ‘Magic isle’ castle location.

Throughout the colder months, just take a jacket or spend playtime with the adrenaline-charged indoor tourist attractions within the ‘Adventure’ area, plus sign up for the numerous parades and shows. When you need to perform even more, you will find a Lotte industry + Aquarium combo violation to comes with a trip to the world’s largest ocean ecology tank at Lotte industry Aquarium, featuring over 650 marine varieties across 13 unique zones.

Jongmyo

A UNESCO community history website and shrine to Joseon dynasty kings & queens. Ritual ceremonies however take place at the Confucian shrine specialized in Joseon dynasty royals. Today Jongmyo is the perfect getting away from the metropolitan busyness and an intriguing looking at Old Seoul.

Café Onion

Serving post-industrial decay realness, this Uber-hip layout cafe in Seongdong-gu is basically exactly how we would picture Chornobyl to get if Brooklyn hipsters moved in. Serving funky baked creations and niche coffee mixes, this area is definitely worth the trek over to find out – only if to realize all your monochromatic Instagram fantasies.

They even already have a very easily known as Café Onion Anguk in Jongno-gu, except in a transformed traditional building/temple, basically just as amazing.

Seoul’s Palaces, Temples & Industries

Spend every day sightseeing and ticking off Seoul’s top internet sites. The President’s pad, Blue House (or Cheongwadae), the switching of the protections in the magnificent Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeok Palace and visiting the National Folk Museum for more information on Korea’s wealthy history through the dynasties to the present-day.

In addition to not end up being skipped will be the comforting Jogyesa Buddhist Temple and bargain hunting on famous Namdaemun industries.

Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS

)

Discover South Korea beyond Seoul by traveling on over 80 courses in order to over 600 channels using the Korea Rail Pass. Get limitless tours on most Korail trains for 3 or 5 consecutive times or any flexible 2 and 4 days with this rebate definitely limited for overseas nationals.

Meerkat & pals

An oh-so-Seoul ‘cafe’ which serves no food and sole bottled drinks buts enables you to rise near and personal with semi-tame meerkats, raccoons, wallabies, kitties, foxes and. With places in Hongdae and Myeongdong, its touristy and odd, this is exactly why our company is preoccupied!

Discover Seoul Pass

Get easy access to a mixture of 35 leading Seoul attractions with the find Seoul Pass. Choose from 24/48/72 many hours pass so you’re able to enjoy discounts and easily modify your Seoul trip with this specific flexible admission citation and transfer credit from the Seoul Tourism Organization, solely available to overseas tourists.

ZenKimchi Korean Foods Tours

If you find yourself like all of us and making plans for your visit to Korea when it comes to cuisine alone, then you’ll definitely want to prevent the touristy places/ poor dining experiences and choose a completely immersive experience to really make the a lot of Seoul’s meals world.

Fortunately, Joe, that has been working
Korea’s longest-running food web log, ZenKimchi,
for more than 15 years, has established an exclusively crafted trip to aid tourists experience real Korean dinner. Are clear, by this, we indicate he gets no kickbacks through the restaurants and goes because he or she is genuinely fanatical in regards to the food they serve, unlike much less scrupulous operators…

We plumped for their Korean BBQ tour along with an unforgettable evening finding Korean dining etiquette, savoring the most effective charcoal grilled pork your existence, admiring fulfilling discussions with different individuals from around the globe – and obtaining only a little tipsy over a Korean alcohol concept in a key club!

It’s also perfect for some pre-drinking before heading out to Homo Hill, and solo people exactly who might usually struggle to discover Korean BBQ like this.

There is certainly a wide range of trips available, but each is operate by passionate experts who get desires in your mind. Thus, should you want to escape indeed there and find out Seoul as a local – while having a ridiculous amount of fun, ZenKimchi Korean Food Tours has actually one thing obtainable.

Gay Annual Events In Seoul

Korea Queer Movie Festival (KQFF)

A yearly event in July dedicated specifically to evaluating homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer films. KQFF is presented yearly since 2001 using the stated aim of encouraging variety in Korean tradition while increasing LGBT human rights and acceptance.

One of the most crucial Asian message boards of international LGBT film/video, and when the times correspond if an approach to experience a very innovative degree of homosexual life in Seoul.

IM Seoul

Korea’s largest routine celebration brand name, IM launched in 2015 and has now quickly be probably one of the most well-known routine activities across Asia. Today, I AM will continue to attract numerous homosexual tourists from across Asia in addition to entire world to Gay Seoul.

I WILL BE claims three days of club parties, swimming pool events and after-parties filled up with music plus the hottest guys. You may expect an unforgettable knowledge about a killer DJ line-up from all around society and awesome go-go boys on-stage. Typically presented in August, I AM is actually totally well worth planning a-trip around.

Korea Queer Festival Celebration | Pride Parade

Korea’s biggest LGBT event, this annual modern-day Korean event, whoever motif is actually LGBT legal rights, has many features, including a pride parade, film festival events, artwork, discussions and pub party occasions.

The event lasts for each week or two and often occurs in later part of the will to very early June. The procession that was banned in 2015 lured worldwide attention to the big event, with a lot of from it being critical associated with the development made regarding LGBT liberties in South Korea.

Once again happening, there’s now some assistance from smaller Korean political events and stars, but significant parties as well as the federal government most importantly take a basic position. Unlike a lot of
additional Pride celebrations around the globe
, the Seoul Pride Prade positively limits the capacity of attendees to just take pictures or movies and asks photo-takers to blur participants’ faces before publishing pictures online.

This is accomplished to decrease the chance of unintentional outings of participants which nevertheless face significant discrimination in Korean community. Although the organizers have large intends to grow case toward biggest in Asia, Seoul’s Queer community Festival shows in lots of ways, Southern Korea is in the Stone Age.

120,000 LGBT folks honestly participated in 2018 – the biggest actually – but 200,000 signatures were in addition collected to quit the Parade, and many anti-LGBT protestors turned out.

Still, its amazing to see NGOs and brand names acquiring agreeable just like the occasion grows. In a nation where modesty around outsiders is paramount and sexual inclination is not one thing to end up being flaunted, we are able to only wish enhanced exposure as time goes on helps brand new years of South Koreans feel safe adequate to be exactly who they truly 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 is still safe to believe queer travelers may have no dilemmas examining nearly any lodge in Seoul. Unfortunately, but there are not any specifically gay places in Seoul to check into.

Seoul is a global mega-city with a lack of area, so space sizes are smaller compared to almost everywhere more around – but as a good amount of homosexual males know, it is not all about dimensions, but exactly how you employ it! The audience is making reference to concept, functionality and views, darling!

However, everybody wants to be in the middle of people with usual interests, and as such, there are some popular gay-friendly places in Seoul which are hot areas for homosexual tourists to stay – either due to their area or their own concept and inclusive vibes.

Resorts near Homo Hill, the foreigner-friendly queer enclave in Itaewon, are extremely well-liked by homosexual tourists – particularly travelers which just speak English but Jongno inside the Nagwon-dong community, is truly the gayest part of Seoul, though more popular with natives than site visitors.

You could also start thinking about staying in the tourist-popular Myeongdong / Seoul Central, typically considered to be the center of Seoul or perhaps in the world-famous Gangnam region, a.k.a the ‘Beverly Hills of Seoul.’

The following motels in Gay Seoul have all had a glowing referral from homosexual tourists in the past, however,
you can find numerous various other accommodations in Seoul
if these are generally not exactly what you are actually searching for.

Whether you desire an enjoyable and personal hostel, an affordable location to crash after a night of partying or an ultra-chic developer option to sip cocktails and encircle yourself with fantastic folks  – Gay Seoul features one thing for all!

Gay-friendly Hotels in Itaewon

Hamilton Hotel â˜†â˜†â˜†â˜†

A landmark in Seoul’s Itaewon, this comfortable lodge in a small redbrick building is only a moment’s walk from train section with unfussy rooms, cost-free Wi-Fi and helpful staff.

You almost never want to keep with eight different dinner solutions, including a sleek Italian restaurant, 2 LGBT-friendly clubs, a backyard rooftop share – popular with peacocking muscle gays-, a 24-hour spa, a health club, plus limited mall.

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

IP Boutique Hotel â˜†â˜†â˜†â˜†

Situated in Seoul’s cosmopolitan shopping and activity district, Itaewon, internet protocol address Boutique Hotel, presents a new life style experience for homosexual visitors. Featuring exemplary design and magnificent atmosphere, the resort provides 133 guestrooms, a café bistro, and endless utilization of their unique fully equipped physical fitness space.

Exemplary worth, internet protocol address Boutique resort is just a short walk into definitely Homme homosexual club and Club HIM by Pulse, contributing to its homosexual popularity.

Hotel ITW â˜†â˜†â˜†

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

On a clean, modern-day, attractive lodge in Itaewon with rates as good or better than other spots in Seoul. We enjoyed it was within convenient strolling length associated with gay restaurants, bars, and shops which make Itaewon this type of a pulsating and appealing section of Seoul. Resort ITAW is actually, however, up a steep hill and located on a narrow one-way road which will be challenging after a night of ingesting.

Sp@Itaewon Guesthouse â˜†â˜†â˜†

(Temporarily or forever shut. Once you know some thing, kindly suggest an edit.)

The most perfect hangout for any personal traveler with private areas, inexpensive dorms, and routine BBQ
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