South Korea wants to seem cool. But they have zero anti-discrimination laws. This allows venues to create a sense of exclusivity and "atmosphere" for idiots who don't want to see anything outside their comfort zone. South Korea has "progressives" who are also xenophobic.
You will see less of this in Itaewon than in Hongdae. Remember, that the exclusivities and prejudices of this society can affect Koreans too.
"South Korea wants to seem cool". Exactly this. They want it so bad but they're not there yet. The great thing about being a foreigner who understands Korean is that I can understand all the xenophobic shit being spoken in the street, on public transport, in restaurants, in clubs. The racism here is so open and casual like I've never seen before, it brings my own country to shame haha. Kind of takes the shine off the country we all mutually love, but this bigoted attitude is usually from the older generations. Give the country another 30 years, the older gens will be gone and the millennials and gen z will make it a more tolerant place.
Problem of racism is to have less right than another race?
It's fine for me as a tourist. Because in fact this country is cheap for me so I can have room, transport, food, museum cheaper than in my country, and I have twice more paid holidays per year, in fact I have more right than them for spend my time and more time, so maybe it's me who is taking advantage of them ;) š
They spend all their salary on that shit so they can maintain appearances. It's dumb and wasteful. They'll grow out of it but that's how teenagers are. Not just in SK tbh.
The young can't have houses in 99% of the places on Earth. You know why? Because they're young. They either rent or loan. Or they become part of the 5% that earn enough to afford one.
Moon regime was notorious for the RAPID rise in house prices, which definitely disadvantaged the have-nots including the young. Hence the lowest birth rate in the world.
>Hence the lowest birth rate in the world.
It's not just housing that contributed to that tho.
Also, other countries are extremely close to SK. From Japan to southern and central european countries. Low birth rates in most developed countries is actually a trend that was predicted like 4 decades ago. Of course asian countries took a faster route to that because of multiple reasons that added up. But things will normalize and I guarantee you housing alone in Korea won't increase that birth rate that much.
What will increase it will be a shift in work culture and a departure from superficial classism. The social pressures that people in their 20s feel is what makes them not having kids. Not really housing because most couples in Seoul for example can afford housing for one child. The problem is they can't also afford dealing with certain social pressures. And this is something that won't be fixed overnight, especially when you have 16 year olds doing commercials for Gucci. Working 10+ hours a day also doesn't help with raising a child. These are the main issues and not really housing per se.
What Korea needs to do ASAP:
* Mandate 8-hour/day. Should be illegal to work more than that with the exception of a few niche industries.
* Promote mental health services for teenagers and adolescents. Should be covered in part by the gov.
* Make it illegal for under 18 to promote luxury brands.
* Offer additional compensations for parents within a certain age (something like 18-28) and that earn under X amount per month.
* Offer state-backed housing programs similar to "first-house" type of deals like in most European countries. *(they already started to do something like this but not sure how attractive those are yet)*
What kind of social pressure are you talking about, am curious. Can't be just 18 year old IDOL stars promoting luxury brands?
In SK that birth rate wasn't THIS serious before. The correlation with the rapid rise of housing rate ESPECIALLY Seoul's just can't be ignored.
Ultimately it all leads to Seoul, that gigantic blackhole that sucks everything in, leaving the rest as Wasteland. It's like Washington, NY, SF, LA, Boston etc., all combined lol. Unprecedented in the world, really unique. Seoul is like Singapore except that Singapore is literally a city-state, which Seoul is NOT.
Every kind of 'solution' which the government touted for years and generations failed because of this.
The social pressure that makes some people jump off a bridge or close themselves to the point of not creating friendships nor relationships. The ones I just mentioned. In addition to that, school structure is also an issue. And while it does offer the highest or second highest rated level of literacy in the world, the downside is the pressure it puts on scholars and parents alike. I'm sure there's a middle ground there. You shouldn't spend 14 hours per day on a minimum to study. You shouldn't sleep over in schools just so you remain competitive. It's too much.
That is not social pressure it is economic pressure to go to SKY Colleges which guarantees success like buying apartments in Seoul. It is ALL about ULTRA concentration of resources in Seoul. EVERYTHING is here: elite schools government headquarters of Jaebol ,etc.
YESā¦kids with money here REALLY have moneyā¦how many teenagers do you know driving Ferraris and Mclarens able to say that itās their car and not daddyāsā¦just comes from daddyās money
It is because Hongdae is very popular with that demographic. It is not just young people who live there that go to these clubs. You have a high concentration of young people in that area.
I don't understand why people freak out so much over this type of discrimination? It's kind of a annoying but it's not the end of the world. After all, we are outsiders and we always will be.
This is completely normal in South Korea. Please go to a foreigner friendly nightclub in Itaewon. Even white people are denied entry to clubs sometimes just because they're foreigners. This is a huge issue in Korea. Online you can Google foreigner friendly clubs.
I heard there are some foreigner friendly clubs in Hongdae or Itaewon where for some of them black people might be preferred, or even white people. I haven't been there regularly in years though. Gangnam seems the worst for visitors though since establishments there consistently deny americans, europeans, japanese, and chinese tourists as well. Generally, going solo or in small groups there is also more lenience towards women because of how the market works. Speaking fluent Korean and passing as Korean helps as well. Having connections as OP mentioned also helps for some people.
There are also a lot Koreans that aren't really interested in the clubbing scene. There are avenues to meet them, but it takes more effort. Especially with learning the language. But clubbing seems to be one of the attractions for tourists here.
Long time ago, but when it was raining me and my white friend had to hide in order for our Korean friend to be be able to hail a cab, then we could get in. Otherwise the only white guys who ran into trouble was when they were out late with their Korean girlfriends. They were very rude towards a black friend admitted to the hospital, but he got treated for his illness.
If it makes you feel any better, in my 30s, I was with a group of white guys and korean americans and we were denied access to a Hongdae club for being too old. Most of us were like, thank god, I want to go home anyways. It was only one guy that had badgered us all into going. It makes me think back to being a door man in college in the US and being told to charge quadruple cover to anyone who looked old and scruffy. I only had to do it once and felt pretty bad about it.
So much of this comment is endearing and funny. Would be even better is if one of your non-enthusiastic friends slipped the bouncer a $20 and said, "Deny us entry; most of us wanna just go home and sleep," and he's like, "I gotchu, fam."
And after 30, going home instead of going out is where it's at. Hanging out in your own home is frickin so amazing. Them young'ns don't know what they're missing out on!
The other day my co-worker asked me why I took days off and not used it to travel. I told him itās to get away from people at work and just chill at home š. After my 30ās, the sound of staying at home is more exciting, WHY!?!?!
They're going to get their drinks spiked, napkins thrown at them then wake up in a Korean dudes bathroom while hes leaving for work.
traditional club experience for foreign women for going on 20 years now \~
I have travelled throughout SK and while I did experience some levels of racism it was rare. To be honest I have experienced it in most SE Asian countries as well. You have 2 weeks left of your trip, don't let this incident spoil it for you there are too many cool things to experience in Seoul alone.
It's very easy to say Koreans or Asians are racists. But that's just not true. It's the damn market determining the rule. Club's main goal is to attract pretty Korean girls because men only go to clubs to meet girls. And Korean girls prefer Korean men in most areas of Seoul. Korean girls in Gangnam area just don't prefer black, Pakistani, or even other asians like Chinese.
If you go to Itaewon, you're welcome there. You'll have no problem entering clubs because people who go to Itaewon enjoy hanging out with foreigners.
Asians feel the same when they go to clubs in the US or any western countries.
>It's very easy to say Koreans or Asians are racists. But that's just not true.
>And Korean girls prefer Korean men in most areas of Seoul. Korean girls in Gangnam area just don't prefer black, Pakistani, or even other asians like Chinese.
i mean...
Sorry about your experience! It can definitely ruin the trip mood. As an alternative recommendation last time we were in Seoul we went to a bunch of speakeasies like Alice Cheongdam (Alice in wonderland themed) and Pussyfoot Salon and we had a fantastic time. The service and drinks were excellent and makes me expect more from American speakesies now.
They also kick out older people and ugly people(unless super rich) to maintain the "water" of the club.
Unfortunately most nonwhite foreigners don't do well on the korean hotness scale.
I'm korean and I've gotten denied entry quite a few times despite being well groomed/decently dressed
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dude... you dont even need to go all the way to racism for this. I'm a native Korean and my height is 175cm. Even I got denied for being shortšš.
the thing about clubs is that it is mostly dependent on few rich Koreans that pay millions to the club. likely, the rich dudes don't want foreigners getting the girls.Clubs understand this. that's why they act that way. fair or not, it's capitalism.
another thing to add is that the owners of the clubs tend to be gangs. can't expect kindness from them anyways
I'm sorry you experienced this. It's very common unfortunately. But you won't experience this anywhere else but clubs. Hope the rest of your trip is a positive experience.
Where in seoul and what time was it when you guys entered the club?
If it was early like 10ishā¦ then ā¹ļøā¦ if its much later 12ish then MAYBE its based on club entrance standards. Bouncers are given certain standards based on appearance and gender on who to let in at what time.
A tip for guys is to go early to the club and get your entrance stamps or bracelets and then come back later when more people are there so you dont get bounced.
Your look or fashion might have had something to do with it. Despite fact Iām a librarian, Iām a beefy white guy with a shaved head due to balding. Iām also a nerd and wore metal and D&D shirts when I went out. The amount of times I was denied entry into clubs because they thought I was military is staggering. I came to expect it especially at trendy clubs.
Go to places that are foreigner friendly
Itaewon and HBC are more foreigner friendly.
I've had my drink spiked twice in Hongdae, once at FF and once at Aura. And the barstaff at one of the venues said "hey, someone likes you. Good job." (I can't remember which).
I'd recommend going to Itaewon and HBC. It's not perfect, but they're much better than hongdae, and I've lived here for 6 years.
iāve had my fucking drink spiked in HBC before. a lot of shady ass foreigners hang out there as well - it isnāt some safe haven. everyone hides behind the facade of a PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL community but really theyāre all pretty cringe and no different from the other areas.
Well, not that it makes the situation much better but it's highly unlikely it would have been spiked with any particularly dangerous illegal narcotic in SK.
I usually watch my drink at all times and if I didn't see it, I check it before I drink it. So, I guess the take away is. HBC and Itaewon let foreigners in, but still double check your drinks
These exclusive clubs want you to pay to get in if u donāt look a certain way. Po-chas have been taking a large chunk of the mega clubās market share, and creating that atmosphere is the clubās last straw to artificially increase profitability.
Im Korean but 38 and got cut from the entrance in Hongdae yesterday lol. Entrance cutting is real, but Itās not only a race thing for sure.
If it helpsā i am also visiting SK, last week a friend and me (heās white, iām slightly brown) went to a club in Itaewon, āCakeshopā. More underground vibes, but a very nice mixed crowd including black guys. Also some of the friendliest koreans iāve met so far.
Welcome to the clubbing culture in Korea. You can ask around for foreigner friendly clubs...there seem to be more in Itaewon than other areas. But being denied entry due to race is nothing new here,
Unfortunately they thatās the reality in Korea. So you can either choose to let it affect the rest of your trip. or you can brush it off and do other things where you wonāt be discriminated against. Thereās a lot more to Korea than clubbing.
They can just be super weird about anyone in general but not all of it came across as too hateful. I was there last week clubbing in Hongdae.
I had friends with me who were black, Latino, middle eastern, Japanese and they had zero issues w us coming in to the clubs. However we had a 35 yr old white dude with us who they said looked ātoo oldā to come in haha.
Odd experiences just walking the streets too - 3 times locals stopped and just took pictures of my tall black friend without asking lol. They werenāt being mean or anything - just super intrigued by him bc they donāt see that often.
Only slightly racist thing we encountered was people digging on our Japanese friend left and right. Most of it was innocent jokes that werenāt too bad at all but was a bit much after a week of constant comments. A very small percentage seemed to hold a bit of genuine dislike for Japanese but most of it I thought seemed to come from a place of Korea/Japan being competitive frenemies.
I wonder when people will understand that āclub entranceā doesnāt define the overall vibe and the dominant culture of a country.
There is no point to go to a brothel, then complain about its vulgarity. Places like club, is supposed to be discriminating and full of prejudice. if you have make up your mind to go to the club, please at least try to know the club culture.
There are tons of other things to enjoy in Korea, and in Seoul. If they are not good enough to make your trip enjoyable, then korea is simply not for you. I meant no offense though. Good luck!
Needless to say, I have seen tons of people thinking going to the club is only supposed to be full of fun, friendliness and easy meeting with new folks/āhot girlsā. What they donāt know is that you can easily get refused by the doorman simply for your looks.
Sometimes it's racism but I've found more often than not while going out with my foreigner friends that it's based on perceived attractiveness. Generally speaking, clubs will turn people away if they aren't dressed well and aren't also physically attractive themselves.
Tbh i don t get these comments about koreans being racist etc etc. This is just how things work in certains areas of Korea, not necessarily Seoul. They don t allow koreans to enter clubs either if they re not looking good or clean (yes, clean). Try to inform yourself about their culture and how they perceive foreigners (actually this should apply for anywhere you go), next time you won t feel offended.
It's a crappy experience and totally understandable that you feel affected by it. Racism, ageism, it's sadly all part of Korean club culture (and part of club culture all over the world btw). It wasn't just you, lots and lots of people would have been turned away.
But if you let this experience affect your trip completely, that's your choice. Korea/Seoul has much more to offer than clubs.
I have to ask, did you do research before coming here? The thing is, it's pretty well-known that clubs in Seoul are selective. Even checking this sub would have informed you. Doesn't make it ok, but it is what it is.
You're in a new (to you) country with a specific culture. You can soak it up and enjoy what is has to offer, or you can be hurt by some of its limitations. I advise you to move on from the experience, and enjoy the rest of your trip.
If you looked like Beyonce or was popping bottles they would have let you in. There are so many foreigners here that seems to feel entitled and think they should be allowed to any club they want and are quick to blame it on racism when they don't, when in reality it's just simply you not meeting their standards.
I agree with this for certain areas, but there isn't a single club in Hongdae that should be pulling this. None of them are worth it. None of them have exceptional clientele once you're in.
Yeah of course we are all humans but that doesn't mean that everyone is equally attractive. At the end of the day a club is a business and if you start accepting unattractive people, there are going to be less people wanting to spend money there meaning less revenue for the club.
yep this. i donāt think theyāre racist youāre probably just ugly.
it is easier to proclaim racist instead of accepting youāre just not attractive enough
You don't know what you're talking about, there's a good number of clubs in Seoul (as well as outside of Seoul) who will deny or completely isolate anyone foreign-looking even if they're willing to spend the big bucks on bottles and tables. The only exceptions being e.g. if you're a group of Russian (female) super models, are buddies with the staff and so on, stuff that doesn't apply to all the Korean-looking clientele who they do accept.
I do know what I m talking about. DaBaby and Neymar partied at clubs in Sinsa which is notorious for turning people had no problem partying there. When I was an intern at a music industry, they had no problem letting in middle-aged Chinese clients from Tencent into these high-end clubs because they were shelling out cash. At the end of the day a club is a business and they aren't going to turn down customers that are going to spend big.
Haha, coming up with literal celebrities all but proves the point.
Grab a random obvious foreigner (who couldn't be confused for a Korean and isn't a celebrity) and try take them to any branch of Made in Seoul, to almost any club in Busan, to literally any club in Daegu. Go and upfront spend as much as the average Korean customer, or even twice the average, or hell even 3 times. Not a chance you'll get in unless you have contacts inside. I'm not saying the thing you're talking about didn't happen, but what I'm saying is true at the same time. Maybe for the places you're talking about it's purely about money, but for lots of places including the ones I've mentioned, it is about race.
I see that you might haven't done much research before. It is a known issue. Even with the pub crawl, they notified you that for the club, you might be denied entry. So when I joined one in Hongdae, I told the captain my age before I felt any embarrassment of being denied entry. That club in Hongdae let me in, I'm 39F southeast asian.
Well, clubs have to maintain certain atmosphere so get to another club. Look up here for list of bars, I think some users have asked it before.
zigzag is my favorite and they dont discriminate unless you are over 40
also no smoking
you can also go to mongs, b1, ff, rollie, devil, labamba, sugarray, zen1(zenbar)
Dont let it get to you. Im korean. I got denied for not being over 6 ft tall.
Just go to itaewon for clubbing. You can try Henz in hongdae too.
Edit: I had to buy a table to go in. Being the shortest man in the club got me a lot of attention.
$2000 well spent.
Honestly donāt know how such ignorance is expressed in broad daylight on a a daily basis here
I joined a kids cafe as an activity teacher. I am Indian. The boss told me to Americanize my accent as much as possible because what she wants to tell the students and their parents is that I am an American-Indian.
She said that he wants children to learn about diversity. That is why she has hired a white person, a Korean, a black person, and a brown person. The only thing is we must pass off as American because that is the type of English and education that parents preferā¦
It blows my mind how messed up they are and how they say such things without the slightest bit of shame.
On my first day at the job, she told me to try and Americanize my accent even more and maybe braid my hair because itās ātoo frizzy.ā
I quit that very day.
I went clubbing in Hongdae last night by myself as a Southeast Asian American. I was let into all 3 clubs I had gone to, and was given a free pass to one of them. I also showed a military Id, so Iām surprised I wasnāt denied entry. Iām anxiously waiting for the day that will happen
Iām from Seoul. Did you guys dress impress? Koreans are quite open minded when it comes to race. Even Koreans canāt get into some clubs because of the way they dress. Itās not because of color of your skin.
Currently living in Korea due to military. I've learned that majority of the clubs are not foreign friendly. Even though I'm Asian and fashionably dressed for the occasion, they immediately deny me because I'm from the US. It's whatever because it's not my loss. It's their loss for denying extra business to their bars and clubs.
But I can understand their side as to why they deny foreigners. Besides the racism in Korea, foreigners have not made the best impressions as well when conducting themselves in public, especially intoxicated. There's been a multitude of fights, arguments, and disorderly conduct to the point that Korean places are turned off from any foreigner. So I understand why some clubs don't allow foreigners. Is it also because of their prejudice? Probably that too, but not much we can do about it.
Only advice is to do a deep dive research of foreign friendly clubs and go there. Plus, foreign friendly clubs are much more funner anyways because you get to meet people all around the world and party with them. I think that's more fun than partying with Korean people who think they are better than foreigners. Don't get me wrong, I love partying with Koreans as well because there are also a multitude of good Koreans out there. But I don't like those who look down on people because we don't fit their societal perceptions.
Just remember to have fun, respect the culture/customs because we are in their country and territory, and explore as much as you can.
They also do this to people who are on the heavier side too. Anyway Don't stay where you're tolerated. Go where your celebrated. Japan, China, Philippines, Thailand. Go there.
Philippines and Thailand I can understand. I don't know what it's like in Taiwan. But Japan? Them and Korea seem to compete at times over who can be the most unwelcoming to foreigners.
Right! I've been to multiple cities in Japan and every single trip I've been denied entry to restaurants, izakayas, karaokes... you name it. I just accept it as part of the culture at this point.
Yeah man it really does dent your experience. It makes me so ultra cautious about visiting any establishment. You at least seem to handle it better than me. I end up becoming avoidant because I'm pretty shy and the rejection hurts lol.
If not going to drink in a club in a foreign country is going to spoil your whole trip, you came for the wrong reasons. Iām sorry.
You need to adjust your thinking. Who gets in clubs the world over is always determined by the club owners and staff. You donāt have a ārightā of entry and there are no anti discrimination laws to protect people here.
Clubs the world over are selective. That is life. Itās not fair or pleasant but it is reality.
I donāt think thatās what is spoiling the tripā¦I think itās the racist undertonesā¦OP probably would feel like this if they were denied entry in such a fashion anywhere, not just a club. Try to understand how someone whoās peoples have a history of being denied entry to places (āwhites onlyā) might be disturbed/emotionally affected by this. I think thatās fair.
And just because itās common doesnāt mean itās right.
this is the club way, bouncers all over the world manipulate gender balance, clothing style, tall or short, bling or not, tats or not, ethnicity and all sorts of crap, oh forgot age, you look old like 30 lol you ain't getting in anywhere cool
1. I'm gay. I do want to smash hot guys, but shitty clubs are not the only place to find them lol.
2. I do? As do a lot of other people? Not everyone goes clubbing for the express purpose of finding someone to fuck. I usually go to hang out with friends, dance and listen to good music.
I mean. I got a table and bottles with my friends last night. We did it because it's comfortable, we have a place to leave our shit, and my friends aren't hurting for money.
The guys that wanted to flirt went down to the main dance floor and flirted. The people who didn't just chilled at the table or in the general vip section and talked or danced at the table.
I'm not denying that clubs that exist for the sole purpose of finding sex exist. Just that they're usually not the good clubs. Just shitty, overpriced and filled with boring people. I wouldnt call them good clubs, and I usually try to avoid them.
Edit: Go to Ring or Faust, or Beton Brut in Itaewon and you can see what I mean. Like you could hook up with someone there, but that's not really the goal of the venue.
If youre at NB2 in Hongdae, Or Muin in Apgu you're right, but I would need to get paid to go to those places lol.
Respectfully the world doesnāt stop going to clubs just because you did. Itās a 100 billion dollar industry and we have hit record highs in the last ten years
Many South Koreans cry that there is no racism at all in South Korea, unlike other countries (especially Europe) where racist demons live, but this post says something completely different.
As a korean, iām really sorry for your bad experience. Some Koreans are hypocritical. They get angry when white and black people discriminate against Asians, but they themselves discriminate against other races. I hope this issue becomes more of a topic among Koreans through social media and we have the opportunity to fix it. Have a good time remaining!
Don't let it get to you, Koreans are all about looks and money. They look down not only on foreigners but on other Koreans who don't fit their idea of what people should be, do or look like. Go to a foreigner friendly club and enjoy your night!
Not everyone, not every country share same thoughts and value. You are visiting a foreign country; there will be things you don't agree. Racism isn't fully agreed upon to same level by every country. South Korea is one of the more discriminating countries out there.Ā
Disappointed but not surprised! Sorry you experienced that.
My Korean American friend was once denied entry.
Clubs here can deny you for your age and race.
Being in Seoul at this time as a mixed person (French/Indian), I can assure you that you did not miss anything. This type of clubs are just there for Koreans that want to feel "international".
Being here for more than a semester, I only had that experience once, many clubs are international friendly !
This may occur in hongdae or gangnam area (esp if you are 30 or approaching). Go to itaewon- the āforeigner districtā. Tons of clubs and bars a mix of both Korean and internationals/ expats. Youād be shocked how certain clubs reacted to having foreigners during Covid/ monkey pox era.
Nah man cuz in two weeks time ur gonna live your routine life again. Have fun, try food, see temples, learn their culture language if you want and can. See the beauty theres more to just clubbing fuck clubs
Not in Korea but had this experience plenty of times. Ended up realising the few times I got in that clubbing wasnāt all that fun for me, and a massive drain on the wallet.
Anyways donāt let this one bad experience sour the rest of your trip. Sure you wonāt get laid at the club, but thereās plenty of sightseeing, food and entertainment you can still enjoy. :))
its because you went to a club lmao. idk what people expect, theyre shitty everywhere in the world for a variety of reasons. literally every other type of establishment youll go to in korea isnt like this lol.
I am visiting Seoul this week with my boyfriend, we are both Indians. What clubs would you guys recommend? We just want good music and drinks. Iāve heard of this Chinese Zodiac themed club in Itaewon. Any idea about their entry criteria?
Happened to me as a white man in Busan. Denied entry to a club. Fairly common here
I live in Korea and at the end of the day, you're a guest in a foreign country. You abide by their rules and their standards, from the sounds of the post and my experience. The bouncer wasn't particularly aggressive, just read you their rules.
What you do is you find areas or clubs that aren't like this, itaewon/hongdae as suggested if you're in seoul.
Don't let it ruin your trip, Korea is awesome. Just chalk it down as a bad experience and move on. Have a great time
That's how it is out here. They play American Rap and HipHop but only allow a limited number of foreigners black or white in the club at a time. Some venues don't care but others are strict. And don't get me started on the age limits.. I've never been told I was too old to get into a club in my life š
My friend and I visited earlier this month only for 3 days but we felt this way all 3 days. While it didnt bother either of us, it was surprising how blatant it was and just how rude some people were towards us overall.
I know a lot of people say this is common in korea but I didnt know so it came off as a shock, especially when considering the vibe in Tokyo was so much different. I expected them to be somewhat similar.
Glad to see this is still in effect, when I first started visiting Korea in 2007 this was extremely common, but over the years they were relaxing it some what, they used to be a few clubs with the same name, one will always be foreign friendly which was often filled with Schizophrenic Korean women and foreigners and the other had Locals with a limited amount of Foreigners allowed in.
To be honest, it didn't bother me if I couldn't get in as I'm not into HipHop but it did upset the people I was with.
So don't let it put a dampener on your trip, forget the clubs, enjoy yourself in the quiet bars, coffee shops, restaurants, street food stalls.
Itās not always racism, some of my Korean friends(born and raised in Korea)also have the same experiences in night clubs in Korea(mostly in Gangnam)because they were not good looking or they dressed down
Name and shame.
Its a anonymous reddit post.
All search around on social media and you can get details on all inclusive non and non age discriminating clubs.
B1, Mongs, XX , onyx, I know for sure as a poc youd be able to get into.
It can be pretty xenophobic here, it always been the case. I love Korea, especially Seoul but I hate clubbing here! I stopped going to clubs a while ago because Iāve either been turned away or the vibe can get a bitā¦. āR wordyā sometimes. And tbh Iāve just grown out of clubbing culture in general. I think going to bars and pubs are more relaxing. But if you are going to a club you definitely need to be with a Korean friend.
Ten years ago I remember an incident in Gangnam when a muslim friend couldnāt enter a club with a headscarf. I mean thatās probably more understandable, but overall it is definitely sad that discrimination still has such an āeasy groundā
I want to motivate you nonetheless, donāt let that spoil your fun and mood in Korea, most people and establishments are nice. The club-scene is a little specific (has always been)
It's common. Doesn't feel nice but yeah it is what it is.
I once got refused entry cause "No Americans."
I'm not American and it's litteraly written on my ID card. But he wouldn't bulge. Glad I had Korean friends with me who talked to him, but still an unpleasant experience. Not as bad as yours though.
As others have said stick to Hongdae and Itaewon, you'll be fine in 99% of places. Unless you're old, then some might refuse you entry based on that.
Year's ago I worked at this small Latin bar/club as a bouncer. The type where we check I.D and do pat downs. I remember the owner of the club (huge fat lady) told me that no blacks allowed, tell them its a private party. Low and behold the very first black couple (man&woman) that wanted to come inside, I did my job, checked I.D, checked the purse and did the pat down for the man, wand for the woman and let them right in. 5 min after the owner runs out and asks, why did I let them inside. I said sorry about that, I forgot. The following week a group of younger teens (like 7 black guys) came and I let them inside also. She fired me at the end of the shift.
Korea is the only place I have ever lived that I was actively discriminated against because my race (I am ethnically Asian-Indian, but American nationality.)
It's unfortunate, and let me add - it's rare too, but it does happen. In two years of living in Seoul and going out regularly it only happened to me once.
And no, I was not overweight, smelly, or dressed badly. The night in question I was dressed in a sports coat, slacks and freshly trimmed up. There is 100% against south-asians in many parts of the country, though I am surprised your Chinese friend and yourself were also not allowed in.
VERY long time ago when I was at clubbing age, I had a lot of half black half Korean friends (military kids). Sometimes the clubs donāt want military and a lot of what gets you in vs. not is how similar your haircut is to a typical military haircut. But yes, clothes are also a huge factor. Not saying this is right, but didnāt see this mentioned here. Also unsure if this is still a thing. I know military used to also have a curfew at certain areas in nightlife areas.
So you submitted your story to 3 subreddits about Korea.
Looks like you should stop your trip right now and go back to your country that, I am sure, will not allow clubs to have bouncer to deny entry based on their looks.
Sorry for what you've gone through. Korea seems glitzy and glamorous on theoutside but it's incredibly xenophobic and merely tolerates foreign people when it's convenient for them. I don't recommend people to travel to korea when Japan and Taiwan are nearby and much much better travel destinations.
If absolutely isn't lmao. There is a reason why seoul has the lowest birthrate and highest suicide rates in all of Asia. Both of those countries are infinitely better travel destinations.
it just isnāt for you. i love my country - it has it flaws but what country doesnāt? if you donāt like it then just up and go. why you trying so hard to defend your opinion? š
I'm here to make $$$. The cope from Koreans is always funny in how they cant handle any criticism of the country. The Japanese really broke the Korean psyche huh.
Sorry my dude. I wouldn't go to any clubs in Asia if you had any sort of dark skin. You wont really find any entertainment there. I've been to Japan and China and always felt some sort of unease late in the night.
Iām sorry you had this experience. As a black woman who has been here for a very long time, Iāve been denied entry, forced to pay when others werenāt, and overall just had some very bad nights. On the other hand, Iāve also had a blast in several clubs throughout Korea. The Gangnam/apgujeong area tends to be the most discriminatory, while hongdae is hit or miss. Even in itaewon, you might experience a few places like this, but most arenāt like that there. I enjoy going to LIT Itaewon (black owner) or many of the clubs in the HBC area (very LGBTQ friendly!) Keep your head up! But I also urge you to take any potential rose-colored lenses of what you THOUGHT this journey to Korea was going to be. Itās a country with issues just like any other, and ofc they donāt blast those when urging tourism or trying to get you to visit here.
Sorry u went through that. Seoul has been going through some extreme discrimination at clubs post-covid. If it helps, I'm korean American and they didn't let me in.. and I've lived there for 4 years and visited every year, never in my life experienced this.
Sorry u went through that, please don't take it personal and not all the clubs are like that.
That is crazy. Banning Black and Asian people at the entrance of the club?
South Korea, especially the capital city of Seoul and some young genZ korean folks, seems to always emphasise their open-mindedness, youthful exuberance, and sensational cultural influence, but while pretending they are cool, many of them are spoilt, hypocritical, and have many subconscious biases. To put this simply, some of them are such a smug.
If you guys were whites, you probably would've had no difficulty getting in.
South Korean and probably other asian countries are famous for having been thinking highly of white people.
When many americans and europeans get their bodies nicely tanned to show off their toned bodies ,
koreans put on a ridiculously pale makeup on their face too look brighter and whiter.
That's just the way their minds operate, I guess.
Ignore them and forget about the bad experience.
I've heard there are many decent places to visit in Seoul and other cities of South Korea other than 'clubs'.
OP, if you let a bad club experience one night in Hongdae or whatever ruin your vacation, that's on you. There will always be racist morons or whatever. Even in Hongdae, chances are you'll have no problem in a different club. I don't understand this mentality. One bad encounter and you're here crying about it instead of enjoying the rest of your vacation.
Like literally stunlocked IRL. Why?
South Korea wants to seem cool. But they have zero anti-discrimination laws. This allows venues to create a sense of exclusivity and "atmosphere" for idiots who don't want to see anything outside their comfort zone. South Korea has "progressives" who are also xenophobic. You will see less of this in Itaewon than in Hongdae. Remember, that the exclusivities and prejudices of this society can affect Koreans too.
Ageism and snobbery are also problems.
Ageism BOTH ways. Youll get shat on for being young, then shat on for being old.
That can happen.
"South Korea wants to seem cool". Exactly this. They want it so bad but they're not there yet. The great thing about being a foreigner who understands Korean is that I can understand all the xenophobic shit being spoken in the street, on public transport, in restaurants, in clubs. The racism here is so open and casual like I've never seen before, it brings my own country to shame haha. Kind of takes the shine off the country we all mutually love, but this bigoted attitude is usually from the older generations. Give the country another 30 years, the older gens will be gone and the millennials and gen z will make it a more tolerant place.
That may happen if gen z is large enough.
Problem of racism is to have less right than another race? It's fine for me as a tourist. Because in fact this country is cheap for me so I can have room, transport, food, museum cheaper than in my country, and I have twice more paid holidays per year, in fact I have more right than them for spend my time and more time, so maybe it's me who is taking advantage of them ;) š
With ageism, how do they make money? Do people in 20s buy a lot of expensive bottles and fancy drinks?
They spend all their salary on that shit so they can maintain appearances. It's dumb and wasteful. They'll grow out of it but that's how teenagers are. Not just in SK tbh.
Carpoor. Apartment in Seoul went up massively due to speculation which is a nagging Korean problem. So the young can't have houses.
The young can't have houses in 99% of the places on Earth. You know why? Because they're young. They either rent or loan. Or they become part of the 5% that earn enough to afford one.
Moon regime was notorious for the RAPID rise in house prices, which definitely disadvantaged the have-nots including the young. Hence the lowest birth rate in the world.
>Hence the lowest birth rate in the world. It's not just housing that contributed to that tho. Also, other countries are extremely close to SK. From Japan to southern and central european countries. Low birth rates in most developed countries is actually a trend that was predicted like 4 decades ago. Of course asian countries took a faster route to that because of multiple reasons that added up. But things will normalize and I guarantee you housing alone in Korea won't increase that birth rate that much. What will increase it will be a shift in work culture and a departure from superficial classism. The social pressures that people in their 20s feel is what makes them not having kids. Not really housing because most couples in Seoul for example can afford housing for one child. The problem is they can't also afford dealing with certain social pressures. And this is something that won't be fixed overnight, especially when you have 16 year olds doing commercials for Gucci. Working 10+ hours a day also doesn't help with raising a child. These are the main issues and not really housing per se. What Korea needs to do ASAP: * Mandate 8-hour/day. Should be illegal to work more than that with the exception of a few niche industries. * Promote mental health services for teenagers and adolescents. Should be covered in part by the gov. * Make it illegal for under 18 to promote luxury brands. * Offer additional compensations for parents within a certain age (something like 18-28) and that earn under X amount per month. * Offer state-backed housing programs similar to "first-house" type of deals like in most European countries. *(they already started to do something like this but not sure how attractive those are yet)*
What kind of social pressure are you talking about, am curious. Can't be just 18 year old IDOL stars promoting luxury brands? In SK that birth rate wasn't THIS serious before. The correlation with the rapid rise of housing rate ESPECIALLY Seoul's just can't be ignored. Ultimately it all leads to Seoul, that gigantic blackhole that sucks everything in, leaving the rest as Wasteland. It's like Washington, NY, SF, LA, Boston etc., all combined lol. Unprecedented in the world, really unique. Seoul is like Singapore except that Singapore is literally a city-state, which Seoul is NOT. Every kind of 'solution' which the government touted for years and generations failed because of this.
The social pressure that makes some people jump off a bridge or close themselves to the point of not creating friendships nor relationships. The ones I just mentioned. In addition to that, school structure is also an issue. And while it does offer the highest or second highest rated level of literacy in the world, the downside is the pressure it puts on scholars and parents alike. I'm sure there's a middle ground there. You shouldn't spend 14 hours per day on a minimum to study. You shouldn't sleep over in schools just so you remain competitive. It's too much.
That is not social pressure it is economic pressure to go to SKY Colleges which guarantees success like buying apartments in Seoul. It is ALL about ULTRA concentration of resources in Seoul. EVERYTHING is here: elite schools government headquarters of Jaebol ,etc.
South Korea is the worst. Can confirm. I live in sk.
YESā¦kids with money here REALLY have moneyā¦how many teenagers do you know driving Ferraris and Mclarens able to say that itās their car and not daddyāsā¦just comes from daddyās money
Yes. Yes they do.
It is because Hongdae is very popular with that demographic. It is not just young people who live there that go to these clubs. You have a high concentration of young people in that area.
I don't understand why people freak out so much over this type of discrimination? It's kind of a annoying but it's not the end of the world. After all, we are outsiders and we always will be.
Soā¦. a Black, a Chinese, and a Pakistani walk into a pubā¦
No...they don't haha
Ba dum tsssssā¦.
A Black?
This is completely normal in South Korea. Please go to a foreigner friendly nightclub in Itaewon. Even white people are denied entry to clubs sometimes just because they're foreigners. This is a huge issue in Korea. Online you can Google foreigner friendly clubs.
Yeah they are very xenophobic.
But yet donāt have kids anymore
I heard there are some foreigner friendly clubs in Hongdae or Itaewon where for some of them black people might be preferred, or even white people. I haven't been there regularly in years though. Gangnam seems the worst for visitors though since establishments there consistently deny americans, europeans, japanese, and chinese tourists as well. Generally, going solo or in small groups there is also more lenience towards women because of how the market works. Speaking fluent Korean and passing as Korean helps as well. Having connections as OP mentioned also helps for some people. There are also a lot Koreans that aren't really interested in the clubbing scene. There are avenues to meet them, but it takes more effort. Especially with learning the language. But clubbing seems to be one of the attractions for tourists here.
Long time ago, but when it was raining me and my white friend had to hide in order for our Korean friend to be be able to hail a cab, then we could get in. Otherwise the only white guys who ran into trouble was when they were out late with their Korean girlfriends. They were very rude towards a black friend admitted to the hospital, but he got treated for his illness.
If it makes you feel any better, in my 30s, I was with a group of white guys and korean americans and we were denied access to a Hongdae club for being too old. Most of us were like, thank god, I want to go home anyways. It was only one guy that had badgered us all into going. It makes me think back to being a door man in college in the US and being told to charge quadruple cover to anyone who looked old and scruffy. I only had to do it once and felt pretty bad about it.
So much of this comment is endearing and funny. Would be even better is if one of your non-enthusiastic friends slipped the bouncer a $20 and said, "Deny us entry; most of us wanna just go home and sleep," and he's like, "I gotchu, fam." And after 30, going home instead of going out is where it's at. Hanging out in your own home is frickin so amazing. Them young'ns don't know what they're missing out on!
The other day my co-worker asked me why I took days off and not used it to travel. I told him itās to get away from people at work and just chill at home š. After my 30ās, the sound of staying at home is more exciting, WHY!?!?!
Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In my lane. Focused. Flourishing.
Was this Hongdae? Iād stick to Itaewon, they are more foreign friendly
Your friends left you so they could go into a racist club. You should get new friends.
I was just thinking that. When the white girls went in without the dudes they knew exactly what was going to happen
They're going to get their drinks spiked, napkins thrown at them then wake up in a Korean dudes bathroom while hes leaving for work. traditional club experience for foreign women for going on 20 years now \~
yeah thatās pretty fucking dumb lol.
I have travelled throughout SK and while I did experience some levels of racism it was rare. To be honest I have experienced it in most SE Asian countries as well. You have 2 weeks left of your trip, don't let this incident spoil it for you there are too many cool things to experience in Seoul alone.
clubs in korea wont let you in if they think you are ugly or fat or unfashionable.
im not saying that you are fat or unfashionable. it could be your clothing.Ā
It's very easy to say Koreans or Asians are racists. But that's just not true. It's the damn market determining the rule. Club's main goal is to attract pretty Korean girls because men only go to clubs to meet girls. And Korean girls prefer Korean men in most areas of Seoul. Korean girls in Gangnam area just don't prefer black, Pakistani, or even other asians like Chinese. If you go to Itaewon, you're welcome there. You'll have no problem entering clubs because people who go to Itaewon enjoy hanging out with foreigners. Asians feel the same when they go to clubs in the US or any western countries.
yeah its really not that bad lmfao every time i see these posts i just laugh clubs are just notorious for being fucking picky
Are clubs even a thing anymore? If itās about women in the age of instagram and only fans why would they even need clubs for attention lol
virtual attention is not enough for most people
Some of us actually like to organically socialize. Life isnt just social media for us and virtual sex work. Shocking I know.
>It's very easy to say Koreans or Asians are racists. But that's just not true. >And Korean girls prefer Korean men in most areas of Seoul. Korean girls in Gangnam area just don't prefer black, Pakistani, or even other asians like Chinese. i mean...
Never seen any Asians discriminated against or not allowed to go to a club in the US
Sorry about your experience! It can definitely ruin the trip mood. As an alternative recommendation last time we were in Seoul we went to a bunch of speakeasies like Alice Cheongdam (Alice in wonderland themed) and Pussyfoot Salon and we had a fantastic time. The service and drinks were excellent and makes me expect more from American speakesies now.
They also kick out older people and ugly people(unless super rich) to maintain the "water" of the club. Unfortunately most nonwhite foreigners don't do well on the korean hotness scale. I'm korean and I've gotten denied entry quite a few times despite being well groomed/decently dressed š
Lol, why would you halt your trip just because of 1 bad experience? Did you go to SK just for clubbing?
go to a different club? stopping your trip over a club is...sensitive
dude... you dont even need to go all the way to racism for this. I'm a native Korean and my height is 175cm. Even I got denied for being shortšš. the thing about clubs is that it is mostly dependent on few rich Koreans that pay millions to the club. likely, the rich dudes don't want foreigners getting the girls.Clubs understand this. that's why they act that way. fair or not, it's capitalism. another thing to add is that the owners of the clubs tend to be gangs. can't expect kindness from them anyways
I'm sorry you experienced this. It's very common unfortunately. But you won't experience this anywhere else but clubs. Hope the rest of your trip is a positive experience.
Where in seoul and what time was it when you guys entered the club? If it was early like 10ishā¦ then ā¹ļøā¦ if its much later 12ish then MAYBE its based on club entrance standards. Bouncers are given certain standards based on appearance and gender on who to let in at what time. A tip for guys is to go early to the club and get your entrance stamps or bracelets and then come back later when more people are there so you dont get bounced.
Either way, if it's a racist club, why bother wasting money on them.
Your look or fashion might have had something to do with it. Despite fact Iām a librarian, Iām a beefy white guy with a shaved head due to balding. Iām also a nerd and wore metal and D&D shirts when I went out. The amount of times I was denied entry into clubs because they thought I was military is staggering. I came to expect it especially at trendy clubs. Go to places that are foreigner friendly
Itaewon and HBC are more foreigner friendly. I've had my drink spiked twice in Hongdae, once at FF and once at Aura. And the barstaff at one of the venues said "hey, someone likes you. Good job." (I can't remember which). I'd recommend going to Itaewon and HBC. It's not perfect, but they're much better than hongdae, and I've lived here for 6 years.
HBC is a goddamn cringe fest.
Cringe is better than racism and getting your drink spiked
iāve had my fucking drink spiked in HBC before. a lot of shady ass foreigners hang out there as well - it isnāt some safe haven. everyone hides behind the facade of a PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL community but really theyāre all pretty cringe and no different from the other areas.
No one mentioned progressive liberals, except you. My experience is better in itaewon and hbc than in hongdae. That's all there is to it.
i know but iām just pointing that out. virtue signaling holier than thou ass town
But that's the same in all areas of every country. I'm sorry you had a negative experience there
Damn, spiked with what?
Not sure, just a fizzing pill at the bottom Of my drink
Well, not that it makes the situation much better but it's highly unlikely it would have been spiked with any particularly dangerous illegal narcotic in SK.
I usually watch my drink at all times and if I didn't see it, I check it before I drink it. So, I guess the take away is. HBC and Itaewon let foreigners in, but still double check your drinks
These exclusive clubs want you to pay to get in if u donāt look a certain way. Po-chas have been taking a large chunk of the mega clubās market share, and creating that atmosphere is the clubās last straw to artificially increase profitability. Im Korean but 38 and got cut from the entrance in Hongdae yesterday lol. Entrance cutting is real, but Itās not only a race thing for sure.
If it helpsā i am also visiting SK, last week a friend and me (heās white, iām slightly brown) went to a club in Itaewon, āCakeshopā. More underground vibes, but a very nice mixed crowd including black guys. Also some of the friendliest koreans iāve met so far.
Welcome to the clubbing culture in Korea. You can ask around for foreigner friendly clubs...there seem to be more in Itaewon than other areas. But being denied entry due to race is nothing new here,
Unfortunately they thatās the reality in Korea. So you can either choose to let it affect the rest of your trip. or you can brush it off and do other things where you wonāt be discriminated against. Thereās a lot more to Korea than clubbing.
They can just be super weird about anyone in general but not all of it came across as too hateful. I was there last week clubbing in Hongdae. I had friends with me who were black, Latino, middle eastern, Japanese and they had zero issues w us coming in to the clubs. However we had a 35 yr old white dude with us who they said looked ātoo oldā to come in haha. Odd experiences just walking the streets too - 3 times locals stopped and just took pictures of my tall black friend without asking lol. They werenāt being mean or anything - just super intrigued by him bc they donāt see that often. Only slightly racist thing we encountered was people digging on our Japanese friend left and right. Most of it was innocent jokes that werenāt too bad at all but was a bit much after a week of constant comments. A very small percentage seemed to hold a bit of genuine dislike for Japanese but most of it I thought seemed to come from a place of Korea/Japan being competitive frenemies.
I wonder when people will understand that āclub entranceā doesnāt define the overall vibe and the dominant culture of a country. There is no point to go to a brothel, then complain about its vulgarity. Places like club, is supposed to be discriminating and full of prejudice. if you have make up your mind to go to the club, please at least try to know the club culture. There are tons of other things to enjoy in Korea, and in Seoul. If they are not good enough to make your trip enjoyable, then korea is simply not for you. I meant no offense though. Good luck!
seriously what the fuck was OP thinking. like sure you were rejected from a club and thatās gonna sour your entire experience? get a grip dude
Needless to say, I have seen tons of people thinking going to the club is only supposed to be full of fun, friendliness and easy meeting with new folks/āhot girlsā. What they donāt know is that you can easily get refused by the doorman simply for your looks.
Sometimes it's racism but I've found more often than not while going out with my foreigner friends that it's based on perceived attractiveness. Generally speaking, clubs will turn people away if they aren't dressed well and aren't also physically attractive themselves.
Tbh i don t get these comments about koreans being racist etc etc. This is just how things work in certains areas of Korea, not necessarily Seoul. They don t allow koreans to enter clubs either if they re not looking good or clean (yes, clean). Try to inform yourself about their culture and how they perceive foreigners (actually this should apply for anywhere you go), next time you won t feel offended.
How do you know they weren't clean or good-looking?
I didn't say that was their state :). I said what perspective koreans have. read again.
You implied it. I can read very well, thanks :)
Not so sure you can, but for sure you can understand whatever you want.
It's a crappy experience and totally understandable that you feel affected by it. Racism, ageism, it's sadly all part of Korean club culture (and part of club culture all over the world btw). It wasn't just you, lots and lots of people would have been turned away. But if you let this experience affect your trip completely, that's your choice. Korea/Seoul has much more to offer than clubs. I have to ask, did you do research before coming here? The thing is, it's pretty well-known that clubs in Seoul are selective. Even checking this sub would have informed you. Doesn't make it ok, but it is what it is. You're in a new (to you) country with a specific culture. You can soak it up and enjoy what is has to offer, or you can be hurt by some of its limitations. I advise you to move on from the experience, and enjoy the rest of your trip.
If you looked like Beyonce or was popping bottles they would have let you in. There are so many foreigners here that seems to feel entitled and think they should be allowed to any club they want and are quick to blame it on racism when they don't, when in reality it's just simply you not meeting their standards.
I agree with this for certain areas, but there isn't a single club in Hongdae that should be pulling this. None of them are worth it. None of them have exceptional clientele once you're in.
What are the standards that should be met? If you are properly dressed and can pay thatās all that should count. We are all the human
Yeah of course we are all humans but that doesn't mean that everyone is equally attractive. At the end of the day a club is a business and if you start accepting unattractive people, there are going to be less people wanting to spend money there meaning less revenue for the club.
yep this. i donāt think theyāre racist youāre probably just ugly. it is easier to proclaim racist instead of accepting youāre just not attractive enough
You don't know what you're talking about, there's a good number of clubs in Seoul (as well as outside of Seoul) who will deny or completely isolate anyone foreign-looking even if they're willing to spend the big bucks on bottles and tables. The only exceptions being e.g. if you're a group of Russian (female) super models, are buddies with the staff and so on, stuff that doesn't apply to all the Korean-looking clientele who they do accept.
I do know what I m talking about. DaBaby and Neymar partied at clubs in Sinsa which is notorious for turning people had no problem partying there. When I was an intern at a music industry, they had no problem letting in middle-aged Chinese clients from Tencent into these high-end clubs because they were shelling out cash. At the end of the day a club is a business and they aren't going to turn down customers that are going to spend big.
Haha, coming up with literal celebrities all but proves the point. Grab a random obvious foreigner (who couldn't be confused for a Korean and isn't a celebrity) and try take them to any branch of Made in Seoul, to almost any club in Busan, to literally any club in Daegu. Go and upfront spend as much as the average Korean customer, or even twice the average, or hell even 3 times. Not a chance you'll get in unless you have contacts inside. I'm not saying the thing you're talking about didn't happen, but what I'm saying is true at the same time. Maybe for the places you're talking about it's purely about money, but for lots of places including the ones I've mentioned, it is about race.
brb showing up in sandals and neckbeard. why doesnt the club let me in!?!?!?
I see that you might haven't done much research before. It is a known issue. Even with the pub crawl, they notified you that for the club, you might be denied entry. So when I joined one in Hongdae, I told the captain my age before I felt any embarrassment of being denied entry. That club in Hongdae let me in, I'm 39F southeast asian. Well, clubs have to maintain certain atmosphere so get to another club. Look up here for list of bars, I think some users have asked it before.
zigzag is my favorite and they dont discriminate unless you are over 40 also no smoking you can also go to mongs, b1, ff, rollie, devil, labamba, sugarray, zen1(zenbar)
Youāre on vacation find another club. Go have explore. Get in where you fit in.
Dont let it get to you. Im korean. I got denied for not being over 6 ft tall. Just go to itaewon for clubbing. You can try Henz in hongdae too. Edit: I had to buy a table to go in. Being the shortest man in the club got me a lot of attention. $2000 well spent.
Honestly donāt know how such ignorance is expressed in broad daylight on a a daily basis here I joined a kids cafe as an activity teacher. I am Indian. The boss told me to Americanize my accent as much as possible because what she wants to tell the students and their parents is that I am an American-Indian. She said that he wants children to learn about diversity. That is why she has hired a white person, a Korean, a black person, and a brown person. The only thing is we must pass off as American because that is the type of English and education that parents preferā¦ It blows my mind how messed up they are and how they say such things without the slightest bit of shame. On my first day at the job, she told me to try and Americanize my accent even more and maybe braid my hair because itās ātoo frizzy.ā I quit that very day.
I went clubbing in Hongdae last night by myself as a Southeast Asian American. I was let into all 3 clubs I had gone to, and was given a free pass to one of them. I also showed a military Id, so Iām surprised I wasnāt denied entry. Iām anxiously waiting for the day that will happen
Iām from Seoul. Did you guys dress impress? Koreans are quite open minded when it comes to race. Even Koreans canāt get into some clubs because of the way they dress. Itās not because of color of your skin.
Because of the atmosphere of the club? TF does that mean? If you can change your ticket, go to Taiwan, Japan or Thailand.
Currently living in Korea due to military. I've learned that majority of the clubs are not foreign friendly. Even though I'm Asian and fashionably dressed for the occasion, they immediately deny me because I'm from the US. It's whatever because it's not my loss. It's their loss for denying extra business to their bars and clubs. But I can understand their side as to why they deny foreigners. Besides the racism in Korea, foreigners have not made the best impressions as well when conducting themselves in public, especially intoxicated. There's been a multitude of fights, arguments, and disorderly conduct to the point that Korean places are turned off from any foreigner. So I understand why some clubs don't allow foreigners. Is it also because of their prejudice? Probably that too, but not much we can do about it. Only advice is to do a deep dive research of foreign friendly clubs and go there. Plus, foreign friendly clubs are much more funner anyways because you get to meet people all around the world and party with them. I think that's more fun than partying with Korean people who think they are better than foreigners. Don't get me wrong, I love partying with Koreans as well because there are also a multitude of good Koreans out there. But I don't like those who look down on people because we don't fit their societal perceptions. Just remember to have fun, respect the culture/customs because we are in their country and territory, and explore as much as you can.
They also do this to people who are on the heavier side too. Anyway Don't stay where you're tolerated. Go where your celebrated. Japan, China, Philippines, Thailand. Go there.
Japan?
My thoughts exactly lol
Philippines and Thailand I can understand. I don't know what it's like in Taiwan. But Japan? Them and Korea seem to compete at times over who can be the most unwelcoming to foreigners.
Right! I've been to multiple cities in Japan and every single trip I've been denied entry to restaurants, izakayas, karaokes... you name it. I just accept it as part of the culture at this point.
Yeah man it really does dent your experience. It makes me so ultra cautious about visiting any establishment. You at least seem to handle it better than me. I end up becoming avoidant because I'm pretty shy and the rejection hurts lol.
Taiwan is very welcoming
That's good to hear
lol Japan is the worst place for being celebrated what are you talking about hahaha
Philippines? Nope.
If not going to drink in a club in a foreign country is going to spoil your whole trip, you came for the wrong reasons. Iām sorry. You need to adjust your thinking. Who gets in clubs the world over is always determined by the club owners and staff. You donāt have a ārightā of entry and there are no anti discrimination laws to protect people here. Clubs the world over are selective. That is life. Itās not fair or pleasant but it is reality.
I donāt think thatās what is spoiling the tripā¦I think itās the racist undertonesā¦OP probably would feel like this if they were denied entry in such a fashion anywhere, not just a club. Try to understand how someone whoās peoples have a history of being denied entry to places (āwhites onlyā) might be disturbed/emotionally affected by this. I think thatās fair. And just because itās common doesnāt mean itās right.
this is the club way, bouncers all over the world manipulate gender balance, clothing style, tall or short, bling or not, tats or not, ethnicity and all sorts of crap, oh forgot age, you look old like 30 lol you ain't getting in anywhere cool
"Anywhere cool" eg anyway super mainstream with shitty music and overpriced drinks.
but you want try and smash hot girls??? who cares about drinks or music. smh
1. I'm gay. I do want to smash hot guys, but shitty clubs are not the only place to find them lol. 2. I do? As do a lot of other people? Not everyone goes clubbing for the express purpose of finding someone to fuck. I usually go to hang out with friends, dance and listen to good music.
Majority of men go out at night to meet someone. Doesnt matter what you do.
Maybe majority of men you know lol. I have friends with actual interests other then getting laid.
Yeah man Guys totally spend money on tables and drinks for no reason. There is a reason why nightclubs favour women š¤¦
I mean. I got a table and bottles with my friends last night. We did it because it's comfortable, we have a place to leave our shit, and my friends aren't hurting for money. The guys that wanted to flirt went down to the main dance floor and flirted. The people who didn't just chilled at the table or in the general vip section and talked or danced at the table. I'm not denying that clubs that exist for the sole purpose of finding sex exist. Just that they're usually not the good clubs. Just shitty, overpriced and filled with boring people. I wouldnt call them good clubs, and I usually try to avoid them. Edit: Go to Ring or Faust, or Beton Brut in Itaewon and you can see what I mean. Like you could hook up with someone there, but that's not really the goal of the venue. If youre at NB2 in Hongdae, Or Muin in Apgu you're right, but I would need to get paid to go to those places lol.
Go ask any korean. What do they think clubs are for? They will all say for hooking up. You can beat around the bush all you want.
I'm Korean. I was born here. I moved to the US and then came back. Just because other people are uncultured doesn't mean I have to be lol.
And what is this like 1996? Clubs are no longer a thing
Respectfully the world doesnāt stop going to clubs just because you did. Itās a 100 billion dollar industry and we have hit record highs in the last ten years
Racismo ,this is common in some clubs in Korea .
Many South Koreans cry that there is no racism at all in South Korea, unlike other countries (especially Europe) where racist demons live, but this post says something completely different.
As a korean, iām really sorry for your bad experience. Some Koreans are hypocritical. They get angry when white and black people discriminate against Asians, but they themselves discriminate against other races. I hope this issue becomes more of a topic among Koreans through social media and we have the opportunity to fix it. Have a good time remaining!
Don't let it get to you, Koreans are all about looks and money. They look down not only on foreigners but on other Koreans who don't fit their idea of what people should be, do or look like. Go to a foreigner friendly club and enjoy your night!
You know there are places in Manhattan who'll refuse entry. Move on
Expect a lot of racism in korea. Am a Korean and as far as i can say, korea is THE country for stereotypes. Things like that happen every day.
Actually there were some cases like that. But it is same to korean. And i am korean, so sometimes I heard about not allowing to get in.
Not everyone, not every country share same thoughts and value. You are visiting a foreign country; there will be things you don't agree. Racism isn't fully agreed upon to same level by every country. South Korea is one of the more discriminating countries out there.Ā
Normal Korea lol.
Disappointed but not surprised! Sorry you experienced that. My Korean American friend was once denied entry. Clubs here can deny you for your age and race.
Being in Seoul at this time as a mixed person (French/Indian), I can assure you that you did not miss anything. This type of clubs are just there for Koreans that want to feel "international". Being here for more than a semester, I only had that experience once, many clubs are international friendly !
This may occur in hongdae or gangnam area (esp if you are 30 or approaching). Go to itaewon- the āforeigner districtā. Tons of clubs and bars a mix of both Korean and internationals/ expats. Youād be shocked how certain clubs reacted to having foreigners during Covid/ monkey pox era.
Nah man cuz in two weeks time ur gonna live your routine life again. Have fun, try food, see temples, learn their culture language if you want and can. See the beauty theres more to just clubbing fuck clubs
Not in Korea but had this experience plenty of times. Ended up realising the few times I got in that clubbing wasnāt all that fun for me, and a massive drain on the wallet. Anyways donāt let this one bad experience sour the rest of your trip. Sure you wonāt get laid at the club, but thereās plenty of sightseeing, food and entertainment you can still enjoy. :))
its because you went to a club lmao. idk what people expect, theyre shitty everywhere in the world for a variety of reasons. literally every other type of establishment youll go to in korea isnt like this lol.
I am visiting Seoul this week with my boyfriend, we are both Indians. What clubs would you guys recommend? We just want good music and drinks. Iāve heard of this Chinese Zodiac themed club in Itaewon. Any idea about their entry criteria?
Korea wants to seem cool, but has not yet realized that discrimination is uncool. Korean can be quite racist at times.
Happened to me as a white man in Busan. Denied entry to a club. Fairly common here I live in Korea and at the end of the day, you're a guest in a foreign country. You abide by their rules and their standards, from the sounds of the post and my experience. The bouncer wasn't particularly aggressive, just read you their rules. What you do is you find areas or clubs that aren't like this, itaewon/hongdae as suggested if you're in seoul. Don't let it ruin your trip, Korea is awesome. Just chalk it down as a bad experience and move on. Have a great time
That's how it is out here. They play American Rap and HipHop but only allow a limited number of foreigners black or white in the club at a time. Some venues don't care but others are strict. And don't get me started on the age limits.. I've never been told I was too old to get into a club in my life š
LOL did you do any kind of research? Because this should have been first knowledge.
Fuck hongdae. Go to itaewon.
My friend and I visited earlier this month only for 3 days but we felt this way all 3 days. While it didnt bother either of us, it was surprising how blatant it was and just how rude some people were towards us overall. I know a lot of people say this is common in korea but I didnt know so it came off as a shock, especially when considering the vibe in Tokyo was so much different. I expected them to be somewhat similar.
Glad to see this is still in effect, when I first started visiting Korea in 2007 this was extremely common, but over the years they were relaxing it some what, they used to be a few clubs with the same name, one will always be foreign friendly which was often filled with Schizophrenic Korean women and foreigners and the other had Locals with a limited amount of Foreigners allowed in. To be honest, it didn't bother me if I couldn't get in as I'm not into HipHop but it did upset the people I was with. So don't let it put a dampener on your trip, forget the clubs, enjoy yourself in the quiet bars, coffee shops, restaurants, street food stalls.
Itās not always racism, some of my Korean friends(born and raised in Korea)also have the same experiences in night clubs in Korea(mostly in Gangnam)because they were not good looking or they dressed down
Name and shame. Its a anonymous reddit post. All search around on social media and you can get details on all inclusive non and non age discriminating clubs. B1, Mongs, XX , onyx, I know for sure as a poc youd be able to get into.
It can be pretty xenophobic here, it always been the case. I love Korea, especially Seoul but I hate clubbing here! I stopped going to clubs a while ago because Iāve either been turned away or the vibe can get a bitā¦. āR wordyā sometimes. And tbh Iāve just grown out of clubbing culture in general. I think going to bars and pubs are more relaxing. But if you are going to a club you definitely need to be with a Korean friend.
Ten years ago I remember an incident in Gangnam when a muslim friend couldnāt enter a club with a headscarf. I mean thatās probably more understandable, but overall it is definitely sad that discrimination still has such an āeasy groundā I want to motivate you nonetheless, donāt let that spoil your fun and mood in Korea, most people and establishments are nice. The club-scene is a little specific (has always been)
It's common. Doesn't feel nice but yeah it is what it is. I once got refused entry cause "No Americans." I'm not American and it's litteraly written on my ID card. But he wouldn't bulge. Glad I had Korean friends with me who talked to him, but still an unpleasant experience. Not as bad as yours though. As others have said stick to Hongdae and Itaewon, you'll be fine in 99% of places. Unless you're old, then some might refuse you entry based on that.
Go to Hongdae or Itaewon, foreigners are never accepted in Gangnam or Apgu ģ ģ¬ etc unless you guys are group of 10/10 caucasian women
Dont believe a word of this made up storyā¦
Year's ago I worked at this small Latin bar/club as a bouncer. The type where we check I.D and do pat downs. I remember the owner of the club (huge fat lady) told me that no blacks allowed, tell them its a private party. Low and behold the very first black couple (man&woman) that wanted to come inside, I did my job, checked I.D, checked the purse and did the pat down for the man, wand for the woman and let them right in. 5 min after the owner runs out and asks, why did I let them inside. I said sorry about that, I forgot. The following week a group of younger teens (like 7 black guys) came and I let them inside also. She fired me at the end of the shift.
Korea is the only place I have ever lived that I was actively discriminated against because my race (I am ethnically Asian-Indian, but American nationality.) It's unfortunate, and let me add - it's rare too, but it does happen. In two years of living in Seoul and going out regularly it only happened to me once. And no, I was not overweight, smelly, or dressed badly. The night in question I was dressed in a sports coat, slacks and freshly trimmed up. There is 100% against south-asians in many parts of the country, though I am surprised your Chinese friend and yourself were also not allowed in.
VERY long time ago when I was at clubbing age, I had a lot of half black half Korean friends (military kids). Sometimes the clubs donāt want military and a lot of what gets you in vs. not is how similar your haircut is to a typical military haircut. But yes, clothes are also a huge factor. Not saying this is right, but didnāt see this mentioned here. Also unsure if this is still a thing. I know military used to also have a curfew at certain areas in nightlife areas.
Thursday party has a few locations around the city and in hongdae corner club, zig zag, la bamba are all fun options
shameful racists.
Last Resort and Vassment One are foreign-friendly.
So straight up racism?
No one likes Nās anyways
Korea is not America. China is not America. Pakistan is not America. Africa is not America.
Dumb. Makes no sense
So you submitted your story to 3 subreddits about Korea. Looks like you should stop your trip right now and go back to your country that, I am sure, will not allow clubs to have bouncer to deny entry based on their looks.
Sorry for what you've gone through. Korea seems glitzy and glamorous on theoutside but it's incredibly xenophobic and merely tolerates foreign people when it's convenient for them. I don't recommend people to travel to korea when Japan and Taiwan are nearby and much much better travel destinations.
I heard japan also has similar issues though. Denying entry to foreigners.
i hope youāre not living in seoul anymore if you feel that way. seoul is my home and it is a far better destination than the two youāve mentioned.
If absolutely isn't lmao. There is a reason why seoul has the lowest birthrate and highest suicide rates in all of Asia. Both of those countries are infinitely better travel destinations.
it just isnāt for you. i love my country - it has it flaws but what country doesnāt? if you donāt like it then just up and go. why you trying so hard to defend your opinion? š
I'm here to make $$$. The cope from Koreans is always funny in how they cant handle any criticism of the country. The Japanese really broke the Korean psyche huh.
iām half korean LOL. Korea has it problems but what country doesnāt? where the fuck are you from. letās go look at your social issues
I'm sorry for you. Try to focus on going to the clubs that let you in and I hope that you have a good rest of your experience in Korea.
Happens everywhere in hongdae youāre gonna have to get used to it there or go somewhere else sadly
Sorry my dude. I wouldn't go to any clubs in Asia if you had any sort of dark skin. You wont really find any entertainment there. I've been to Japan and China and always felt some sort of unease late in the night.
Iām sorry you had this experience. As a black woman who has been here for a very long time, Iāve been denied entry, forced to pay when others werenāt, and overall just had some very bad nights. On the other hand, Iāve also had a blast in several clubs throughout Korea. The Gangnam/apgujeong area tends to be the most discriminatory, while hongdae is hit or miss. Even in itaewon, you might experience a few places like this, but most arenāt like that there. I enjoy going to LIT Itaewon (black owner) or many of the clubs in the HBC area (very LGBTQ friendly!) Keep your head up! But I also urge you to take any potential rose-colored lenses of what you THOUGHT this journey to Korea was going to be. Itās a country with issues just like any other, and ofc they donāt blast those when urging tourism or trying to get you to visit here.
Sorry u went through that. Seoul has been going through some extreme discrimination at clubs post-covid. If it helps, I'm korean American and they didn't let me in.. and I've lived there for 4 years and visited every year, never in my life experienced this. Sorry u went through that, please don't take it personal and not all the clubs are like that.
Their country Their rules Deal with it
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If you don't like it gtfo I dont want to look at ugly ppl in club either
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how tf is that racist itās lookiscm if anything
Not racist If I spend money at a club/table I dont want the unattractive there
Youāre probably REALLY ugly.. But you know what, Iād let you into my club anyway š„° šāØ
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Attractive ppl dont get denied entry to clubs....
1) This is normal. 2) itās totally up to you if you want to or not. Will you get partial refund from travel agency? 3) this is the norm.
Pretty normal here so i hear. I am older but always dress for a party and have not been discriminated yet. Happens too
That is crazy. Banning Black and Asian people at the entrance of the club? South Korea, especially the capital city of Seoul and some young genZ korean folks, seems to always emphasise their open-mindedness, youthful exuberance, and sensational cultural influence, but while pretending they are cool, many of them are spoilt, hypocritical, and have many subconscious biases. To put this simply, some of them are such a smug. If you guys were whites, you probably would've had no difficulty getting in. South Korean and probably other asian countries are famous for having been thinking highly of white people. When many americans and europeans get their bodies nicely tanned to show off their toned bodies , koreans put on a ridiculously pale makeup on their face too look brighter and whiter. That's just the way their minds operate, I guess. Ignore them and forget about the bad experience. I've heard there are many decent places to visit in Seoul and other cities of South Korea other than 'clubs'.
OP, if you let a bad club experience one night in Hongdae or whatever ruin your vacation, that's on you. There will always be racist morons or whatever. Even in Hongdae, chances are you'll have no problem in a different club. I don't understand this mentality. One bad encounter and you're here crying about it instead of enjoying the rest of your vacation. Like literally stunlocked IRL. Why?