Introduction to Seoul's Nightlife--Itaewon

Along the main street in Itaewon.

Upon entering Itaewon Saturday night, I felt like Dorothy as she arrived in Oz. I didn't think I was in Korea anymore. Every voice I heard was that of a loud and proud American. Hairstyles were either buzzcuts on the men or bleached-out perms on the women. And the clothing styles were a mixture of East L.A. and the Midwest. What should have felt like a comfort zone instead seemed so, very wrong.

Itaewon is well-known for being the seedy area of Seoul. This is due in part to the fact that the American army base is located mere minutes from the heart of Itaewon. Since the soldiers have a midnight curfew, this area is the perfect place for their evening escapades. Along with the teenage Army cadets comes a slew of Russian prostitutes and Korean girls looking for either an American husband or money to feed the kids...or both. Up one of the streets is "Hooker Hill," and as the name implies it is Itaewon's red light district. To say the least, it is not the kind of place I like to consider my stomping grounds.

Unforunately, I didn't wasn't well-versed on Itaewon's reputation beforehand. I was meeting up with my friend Kelly; seeing as she's only been in Korea for a month, she didn't know much about Itaewon, either. We met for dinner at Pancho's, a Mexican restaurant, because I was lusting for enchiladas...let's just say Mexican food in Korea is a bad idea!

After leaving Pancho's, we went to Gecko's, a place teeming with Army boys, English teachers, and wistful Korean girls. We met a few people, played darts, and once we had the security of Kelly's large and intimidating Australian co-worker, we went to another place called Polly's Kettle. Yes, the place is as dodgy as it sounds, but we were in the mood for dancing so it sufficed. We later ended up taking a taxi back to Kelly's place since the subways here close at 11:30 pm. I must say, Itaewon wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I also can't say I'll never, ever go back...I'm probably going Thursday night for Thanksgiving dinner!

Sunday morning Kelly and I got up and...you guessed it...went shoppping. We first visited Dongdaemun, an outdoor shopping area known for great bargains. I thought it resembled Pic-N-Save. We then headed back to Insadong for some souvenirs to send home, but spent our time watching ethnic street performers instead. I did purchase a pair of "Two Stars" (Korea's $10 version of Converse All-Stars) for my aching feet before finally succumbing to my exhaustion and going home.

Street Performers in Insadong.