South Korea bar district offers a safe haven for gay servicemembers | Stars and Strip

Contents:

• THE BT GAY BARS SEOUL
• GAY DISTRICTS SEOUL : ITAEWON, JONGNO, AND MORE!
• A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.
• WHAT ARE THE BT BARS AND PUBS IN ITAEWON 2023TRAVELLGSOUTHKOREAAUGT 24, 2022DRK LOOKG FOR THE BT BARS ITAEWON? ITAEWON IS LOTED APPROXIMATELY 4KM OM SEOUL, BUT IF YOU’RE HEADG OUT FOR A DRK AND HAVE NO TERT MOVG TOO FAR, N HELP TO KNOW WHERE THE BT BARS ARE WH WALKG DISTANCE! IN THE G YEARS, WILL BE HARD FOR ANYONE TO IGNORE THE CY OF ITAEWON. KNOWN FOR S VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE AND LIC FOOD, THE CY IS QUICKLY BEG A FAVOURE STATN FOR TOURISTS, EXPATS AND LOLS ALIKE. ITAEWON, WHICH IS NEXT TO THE SIZABLE YONGSAN AMERIN GARRISON, WAS ONCE SPISED BY RINTS AS A FILTHY, RED-LIGHT NEIGHBOURHOOD. BUT RECENT YEARS, ITAEWON AND S NEIGHBOURG SUBURBS, CLUDG KYUNGLIDAN AND HAEBANGCHONG, HAVE UNRGONE A SIGNIFINT REBIRTH TO FAST BEE ONE OF SEOUL’S TRENDIT NEIGHBOURHOODS. ALONG WH OL LOUNGE BARS AND SOME OF SEOUL’S TOP PARTY VENU, THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD IS HOME TO SEVERAL CHIC TERNATNAL RTRANTS. ITAEWON EMERG AS ONE OF SEOUL’S PREMIER PARTY DISTRICTS AFTER DARK. THE DIENCE IS AN TRIGUG PATCHWORK OF ALL INTI AND BACKGROUNDS, WH A SMALL BUT VIBRANT MLIM MUNY (FOCED AROUND KOREA’S ONLY MOSQUE), THE LGBT MUNY (WH A NUMBER OF WELL-KNOWN BARS AND CLUBS), AND A DIVERSE ARRAY OF NATNALI AND CULTUR DISPERSED THROUGHOUT. THE LEM SAMSUNG MM OF ART, ONE OF KOREA’S TOP ART MMS, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF MID-RANGE TO UPMARKET RTRANTS AND F N BE FOUND HANNAM-DONG, WHICH IS TOWARD THE EASTERN END. A HISTORY OF ITAEWON ITAEWON IS THE EPICENTRE OF KOREAN CULTURE. DPE THE RECENT RELOTN OF AMERIN TROOPS TO PYEONGTAEK, THE AREA NEVERTHELS RETAS S SMOPOLAN HISTORY. THE ARY STALLATN, HAEBANGCHEON (HBC) VILLAGE, NIGHTCLUB DISTRICT, AND THE SURROUNDG AFFLUENT HANNAM-DONG STREET ARE ITAEWON’S MOST WELL-KNOWN ATTRACTNS. ALL OF THE SPECIAL LOTNS ARE LOTED AT THE FOOT OF NAMSAN MOUNTA, SDG DOWNHILL TO THE STUNNG, SPARKLG HAN RIVER. IT IS HARDLY SURPRISG, EVEN BY GEOGRAPHIL STANDARDS, THAT BOTH LOLS AND VISORS ADORE THE REGN. ITAEWON VELOPED TO A RETAIL AREA 20 YEARS AFTER THE KOREAN WAR (1950–1953). INTERNATNAL GROCERY MARKETS, BARGA CLOTHG STOR, FOREIGN RTRANTS, AND WDG ALLEYWAYS AND ALLEYS WERE ALL HOME TO THE TABLISHMENTS. PARTICULARLY THE 1990S, A HUGE FLOW OF PEOPLE OM THE MIDDLE EAST AND AI WAS OBSERVED, BRGG WH THEM THEIR SCMPT CULARY TRADNS. THE EATERI QUICKLY GAED A REPUTATN FOR SERVG SOME OF THE CY’S BT CUISE. MANY OF THE BS STILL REMA TODAY, ALONG WH ITAEWON ANTIQUE STREET, WHICH PRIMARILY SELLS PRODUCTS OM EUROPE AND THE UNED STAT. THE PRIC ITAEWON ARE WELL-KNOWN FOR BEG HIGH, SPE THE FACT THAT IS ONE OF SEOUL’S OLR NEIGHBOURHOODS WH MANY TERRATG FAS. ITAEWON NTUED TO HAVE A PREDOMATELY FOREIGN CULTURE UNTIL THE LATE 2010S. THGS STARTED TO CHANGE, THOUGH, WHEN THE US ARY BASE ANNOUNCED THAT WOULD MOVE TO PYEONGTAEK, DISPLACG MOST OF THE FOREIGN RINTS AND THEIR LATE-NIGHT ROUT. NUMERO STOR, EATERI, AND FFEE SHOPS THE REGN WERE FORCED TO CLOSE 2020 AS A RULT OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK. ITAEWON, WHICH HAD FORMERLY BEEN UNR WATER, HAD NEARLY SERTED S STREETS BY EARLY 2021. ANOTHER TRAGEDY ED BY COVID-19 WAS THE HEARTBREAKG, LONG-STANDG STORY OF GENTRIFITN. THE MAJORY OF PREMIS WERE BOUGHT BY GREEDY LANDLORDS WHO NVERTED POPULAR KEBAB STANDS TO UPSLE BARS THAT WERE EXCLIVELY ACCSIBLE TO THE WEALTHY. EVEN THE CENTRE OF ITAEWON’S CLUB DISTRICT, THERE IS A SELF-SERVICE PHOTO STUD! ADDNALLY, THE COVID-19 OUTBREAKS ITAEWON STOKED WISPREAD XENOPHOBIA AND ANTI-LGBTQ+ PREJUDICE AMONG KOREANS. PEOPLE HAVE NTUED TO SWARM TO ITAEWON SPE ALL OF S CHANG OVER TIME. ITAEWON FREEDOM, A HIP-HOP SONG BY KOREAN MICIANS YOO SE-YOON AND JYP, WAS FIRST RELEASED 2011. THE ITAEWON STRETCH ONE OF THE MOST WELL-LIKED AREAS FOR FOREIGNERS IS ITAEWON. WH S OBSIDIAN-BLACK FA, THE GRAND HYATT TOWERS OVER THE CY, AND STALWARTS LIKE THE HATON HOTEL HOST SOME OF THE GREATT POOL PARTI THERE ARE. MANY OF THE SHOPS ON THE MA STREET SELL TOURISTIC EMS AT NEGOTIABLE PRIC. WHILE ITAEWON HAD HAD A REPUTATN FOR S FAKE WAR, GENTRIFITN HAS ALL BUT ELIMATED THE VENDORS. HOWEVER, ITAEWON IS ONE OF THE FEW OPTNS SEOUL IF YOU’RE LOOKG FOR GENUE IMPORTS, TERNATNAL CUISE AND CRAFT BEERS. THE PARTYG DISTRICT AND HOMO HILL, SEOUL’S GAY HAMLET, ARE LOTED ON THE MA STREETS DIRECTLY OUTSI ITAEWON STATN. THE 2020 NETFLIX BLOCKBTER SERI ITAEWON CLASS IS A FANTASTIC ILLTRATN OF THE VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE. WHEN THE US ARY WAS ACTIVE THE 1960S AND 1970S, ITAEWON VELOPED A REPUTATN AS A POPULAR ENTERTAMENT DISTRICT. YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THE “TEXAS VILLAGE” AND SIZABLE SHOE AND CLOTHG STOR THAT STILL THERE TODAY IF YOU HAD VISED DURG THIS TIME. IT WAS SO WELG TO FOREIGNERS THAT SOME BARS EVEN FORBA KOREANS OM ENTERG, AND JAZZ CLUBS SHOT TO POPULARY. ITAEWON WASN’T ALL ROS AND SUNSHE. IN FACT, KOREAN WOMEN TENTNALLY AVOID THE AREA AS BEME MORE UNSAFE AND NNECTED WH MYSOGONY. AS THE 1970S PROGRSED, MORE EMBASSI RELOTED HERE, THE HATON HOTEL BUILT 1973, AND UPSLE RINC BI HOG FOR FOREIGNERS ONLY QUICKLY PROLIFERATED. THE SEOUL CENTRAL MOSQUE WAS NSTCTED 1976 THANKS TO LLABORATN AMONGST SEVERAL ISLAMIC NATNS. THE 1990S RECSN SLOWED ITAEWON’S EXPANSN AND LED TO A CRACKDOWN ON ADULT-ORIENTED ENTERPRIS ON HOOKER HILL. DPE THE ERNMENT MAKG PROSTUTN ILLEGAL 1961, BROTHELS HAD BEEN PREVALENT THE AREA SCE THE 1960S. DUE TO THE RSIAN ENOMIC DOWNTURN 1998, THE REGN WAS OVERN WH RSIAN PROSTUT WHO ALSO HAD GANGSTER TENNCI. A TERRORIAL DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO RSIAN EMPLOYE RULTED A STABBG FATALY 1999. HOWEVER, THIS DIDN’T TER LABOURERS, AND HOOKER HILL REMAED WELL-KNOWN UNTIL QUE RECENTLY. DUE TO THE HAZARDO STREETS, OTHER NEIGHBOURHOODS LIKE GANGNAM AND HONGDAE ATTRACTED THE ATTENTN OF FOREIGN TOURISTS. HOMO HILL BEGAN THE MIDDLE OF THE 1990S AS WELL, WH THE FIRST BAR OPENG BETWEEN 1995 AND 1996. BT BARS IN ITAEWON
• KINGSEOULMENUHOTELS · LUXURYHOTELS · MID-RANGE + BUDGETHOTEL DISUNTSBARSDANCE CLUBSMASSAGECISE CLUBSSNASTOURSCY GUIGAY MAPKING
• ALMAZSEOULMENUHOTELS · LUXURYHOTELS · MID-RANGE + BUDGETHOTEL DISUNTSBARSDANCE CLUBSMASSAGECISE CLUBSSNASTOURSCY GUIGAY MAPALMAZ
• SOUTH KOREA BAR DISTRICT OFFERS A SAFE HAVEN FOR GAY SERVICEMEMBERS

THE BT GAY BARS SEOUL

Lookg for Gay Districts Seoul?

Seoul has emerged as a hub Asia for LGBTQ+ culture and nightlife, wh several gay districts that offer a variety of venu and activi.

GAY DISTRICTS SEOUL : ITAEWON, JONGNO, AND MORE!

Let’s check out gay district Seoul, and have a ia where to vis and have fun ? ContentsSeoul Gay District 01: Itaewon Nightlife hub for bars, clubs, and ternatnal dgHomo HillUsadanro-14-gilSeoul Gay District 02: Jongno Historic and most popular gay district for KoreanSeoul Gay District 04: Gangnam Upsle district of Seoul, and where gay cise clubs are clteredGay District 04: SillimOther Gay VenuConcln Seoul Gay District 01: ItaewonNightlife hub for bars, clubs, and ternatnal dgItaewon is the most well-known gay district Seoul. Itaewon is also home to several gay snas, which are popular among lols and tourists HillHomo Hill is a small hillsi street Itaewon that is led wh gay bars and clubs.

The name is a play on the word “homophile, ” which was ed the past to refer to gay people. Dpe s small size, Homo Hill is a popular statn for those lookg for a night out Seoul’s gay scene.

A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

Please check out curated rmatn of each plac on Homo Seoul 퀸: Lounge Club wh no ver ItaewonSOHO 소호: K-Pop Lounge Club wh no ver at ItaewonTRANCE 트랜스: Bt Drag Queen show ItaewonUsadanro-14-gilWh velopment projects near Homo Hill, Usadanro-14-gil is beg a home for many gay bars.

Suated the behd of Lululemon Itaewon flagship store, there a que some of some number of gay bs outlets as Heaven 더티헤븐: Gay social venue ItaewonNOT TEAHOPO Seoul Gay District 02: JongnoHistoric and most popular gay district for KoreanJongno is another gay district Seoul that is loted the central part of the cy.

WHAT ARE THE BT BARS AND PUBS IN ITAEWON 2023TRAVELLGSOUTHKOREAAUGT 24, 2022DRK LOOKG FOR THE BT BARS ITAEWON? ITAEWON IS LOTED APPROXIMATELY 4KM OM SEOUL, BUT IF YOU’RE HEADG OUT FOR A DRK AND HAVE NO TERT MOVG TOO FAR, N HELP TO KNOW WHERE THE BT BARS ARE WH WALKG DISTANCE! IN THE G YEARS, WILL BE HARD FOR ANYONE TO IGNORE THE CY OF ITAEWON. KNOWN FOR S VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE AND LIC FOOD, THE CY IS QUICKLY BEG A FAVOURE STATN FOR TOURISTS, EXPATS AND LOLS ALIKE. ITAEWON, WHICH IS NEXT TO THE SIZABLE YONGSAN AMERIN GARRISON, WAS ONCE SPISED BY RINTS AS A FILTHY, RED-LIGHT NEIGHBOURHOOD. BUT RECENT YEARS, ITAEWON AND S NEIGHBOURG SUBURBS, CLUDG KYUNGLIDAN AND HAEBANGCHONG, HAVE UNRGONE A SIGNIFINT REBIRTH TO FAST BEE ONE OF SEOUL’S TRENDIT NEIGHBOURHOODS. ALONG WH OL LOUNGE BARS AND SOME OF SEOUL’S TOP PARTY VENU, THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD IS HOME TO SEVERAL CHIC TERNATNAL RTRANTS. ITAEWON EMERG AS ONE OF SEOUL’S PREMIER PARTY DISTRICTS AFTER DARK. THE DIENCE IS AN TRIGUG PATCHWORK OF ALL INTI AND BACKGROUNDS, WH A SMALL BUT VIBRANT MLIM MUNY (FOCED AROUND KOREA’S ONLY MOSQUE), THE LGBT MUNY (WH A NUMBER OF WELL-KNOWN BARS AND CLUBS), AND A DIVERSE ARRAY OF NATNALI AND CULTUR DISPERSED THROUGHOUT. THE LEM SAMSUNG MM OF ART, ONE OF KOREA’S TOP ART MMS, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF MID-RANGE TO UPMARKET RTRANTS AND F N BE FOUND HANNAM-DONG, WHICH IS TOWARD THE EASTERN END. A HISTORY OF ITAEWON ITAEWON IS THE EPICENTRE OF KOREAN CULTURE. DPE THE RECENT RELOTN OF AMERIN TROOPS TO PYEONGTAEK, THE AREA NEVERTHELS RETAS S SMOPOLAN HISTORY. THE ARY STALLATN, HAEBANGCHEON (HBC) VILLAGE, NIGHTCLUB DISTRICT, AND THE SURROUNDG AFFLUENT HANNAM-DONG STREET ARE ITAEWON’S MOST WELL-KNOWN ATTRACTNS. ALL OF THE SPECIAL LOTNS ARE LOTED AT THE FOOT OF NAMSAN MOUNTA, SDG DOWNHILL TO THE STUNNG, SPARKLG HAN RIVER. IT IS HARDLY SURPRISG, EVEN BY GEOGRAPHIL STANDARDS, THAT BOTH LOLS AND VISORS ADORE THE REGN. ITAEWON VELOPED TO A RETAIL AREA 20 YEARS AFTER THE KOREAN WAR (1950–1953). INTERNATNAL GROCERY MARKETS, BARGA CLOTHG STOR, FOREIGN RTRANTS, AND WDG ALLEYWAYS AND ALLEYS WERE ALL HOME TO THE TABLISHMENTS. PARTICULARLY THE 1990S, A HUGE FLOW OF PEOPLE OM THE MIDDLE EAST AND AI WAS OBSERVED, BRGG WH THEM THEIR SCMPT CULARY TRADNS. THE EATERI QUICKLY GAED A REPUTATN FOR SERVG SOME OF THE CY’S BT CUISE. MANY OF THE BS STILL REMA TODAY, ALONG WH ITAEWON ANTIQUE STREET, WHICH PRIMARILY SELLS PRODUCTS OM EUROPE AND THE UNED STAT. THE PRIC ITAEWON ARE WELL-KNOWN FOR BEG HIGH, SPE THE FACT THAT IS ONE OF SEOUL’S OLR NEIGHBOURHOODS WH MANY TERRATG FAS. ITAEWON NTUED TO HAVE A PREDOMATELY FOREIGN CULTURE UNTIL THE LATE 2010S. THGS STARTED TO CHANGE, THOUGH, WHEN THE US ARY BASE ANNOUNCED THAT WOULD MOVE TO PYEONGTAEK, DISPLACG MOST OF THE FOREIGN RINTS AND THEIR LATE-NIGHT ROUT. NUMERO STOR, EATERI, AND FFEE SHOPS THE REGN WERE FORCED TO CLOSE 2020 AS A RULT OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK. ITAEWON, WHICH HAD FORMERLY BEEN UNR WATER, HAD NEARLY SERTED S STREETS BY EARLY 2021. ANOTHER TRAGEDY ED BY COVID-19 WAS THE HEARTBREAKG, LONG-STANDG STORY OF GENTRIFITN. THE MAJORY OF PREMIS WERE BOUGHT BY GREEDY LANDLORDS WHO NVERTED POPULAR KEBAB STANDS TO UPSLE BARS THAT WERE EXCLIVELY ACCSIBLE TO THE WEALTHY. EVEN THE CENTRE OF ITAEWON’S CLUB DISTRICT, THERE IS A SELF-SERVICE PHOTO STUD! ADDNALLY, THE COVID-19 OUTBREAKS ITAEWON STOKED WISPREAD XENOPHOBIA AND ANTI-LGBTQ+ PREJUDICE AMONG KOREANS. PEOPLE HAVE NTUED TO SWARM TO ITAEWON SPE ALL OF S CHANG OVER TIME. ITAEWON FREEDOM, A HIP-HOP SONG BY KOREAN MICIANS YOO SE-YOON AND JYP, WAS FIRST RELEASED 2011. THE ITAEWON STRETCH ONE OF THE MOST WELL-LIKED AREAS FOR FOREIGNERS IS ITAEWON. WH S OBSIDIAN-BLACK FA, THE GRAND HYATT TOWERS OVER THE CY, AND STALWARTS LIKE THE HATON HOTEL HOST SOME OF THE GREATT POOL PARTI THERE ARE. MANY OF THE SHOPS ON THE MA STREET SELL TOURISTIC EMS AT NEGOTIABLE PRIC. WHILE ITAEWON HAD HAD A REPUTATN FOR S FAKE WAR, GENTRIFITN HAS ALL BUT ELIMATED THE VENDORS. HOWEVER, ITAEWON IS ONE OF THE FEW OPTNS SEOUL IF YOU’RE LOOKG FOR GENUE IMPORTS, TERNATNAL CUISE AND CRAFT BEERS. THE PARTYG DISTRICT AND HOMO HILL, SEOUL’S GAY HAMLET, ARE LOTED ON THE MA STREETS DIRECTLY OUTSI ITAEWON STATN. THE 2020 NETFLIX BLOCKBTER SERI ITAEWON CLASS IS A FANTASTIC ILLTRATN OF THE VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE. WHEN THE US ARY WAS ACTIVE THE 1960S AND 1970S, ITAEWON VELOPED A REPUTATN AS A POPULAR ENTERTAMENT DISTRICT. YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THE “TEXAS VILLAGE” AND SIZABLE SHOE AND CLOTHG STOR THAT STILL THERE TODAY IF YOU HAD VISED DURG THIS TIME. IT WAS SO WELG TO FOREIGNERS THAT SOME BARS EVEN FORBA KOREANS OM ENTERG, AND JAZZ CLUBS SHOT TO POPULARY. ITAEWON WASN’T ALL ROS AND SUNSHE. IN FACT, KOREAN WOMEN TENTNALLY AVOID THE AREA AS BEME MORE UNSAFE AND NNECTED WH MYSOGONY. AS THE 1970S PROGRSED, MORE EMBASSI RELOTED HERE, THE HATON HOTEL BUILT 1973, AND UPSLE RINC BI HOG FOR FOREIGNERS ONLY QUICKLY PROLIFERATED. THE SEOUL CENTRAL MOSQUE WAS NSTCTED 1976 THANKS TO LLABORATN AMONGST SEVERAL ISLAMIC NATNS. THE 1990S RECSN SLOWED ITAEWON’S EXPANSN AND LED TO A CRACKDOWN ON ADULT-ORIENTED ENTERPRIS ON HOOKER HILL. DPE THE ERNMENT MAKG PROSTUTN ILLEGAL 1961, BROTHELS HAD BEEN PREVALENT THE AREA SCE THE 1960S. DUE TO THE RSIAN ENOMIC DOWNTURN 1998, THE REGN WAS OVERN WH RSIAN PROSTUT WHO ALSO HAD GANGSTER TENNCI. A TERRORIAL DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO RSIAN EMPLOYE RULTED A STABBG FATALY 1999. HOWEVER, THIS DIDN’T TER LABOURERS, AND HOOKER HILL REMAED WELL-KNOWN UNTIL QUE RECENTLY. DUE TO THE HAZARDO STREETS, OTHER NEIGHBOURHOODS LIKE GANGNAM AND HONGDAE ATTRACTED THE ATTENTN OF FOREIGN TOURISTS. HOMO HILL BEGAN THE MIDDLE OF THE 1990S AS WELL, WH THE FIRST BAR OPENG BETWEEN 1995 AND 1996. BT BARS IN ITAEWON

It is home to several gay bars and clubs, as well as gay snas and bathho. Jongno is also known for s street food stalls, which offer a variety of Korean Gay District 04: GangnamUpsle district of Seoul, and where gay cise clubs are clteredGangnam is a wealthy district southern Seoul that is known for s high-end shoppg and entertament venu.

It is also home to a growg gay scene, wh several gay cise clubs. Gay District 04: SillimSillim is a district where people om out of Seoul first choose to settle down Seoul bee of s affordable rent.

There are que some number of bars Sillim drawg young neighbourhood that Gay VenuAsi om the signated gay districts, there are several other LGBTQ+ venu throughout Seoul.

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The clu gay-iendly rtrants, f, as well as events and ftivals that celebrate the LGBTQ+ muny.

ConclnSeoul’s gay districts offer a vibrant and diverse scene for lols and visors alike.

The neighborhood also beme a queer haven that was as welg to foreigners as Koreans (unlike the queer spac Jongno, another neighborhood Seoul, which didn’t take a likg to non-Korean gays). Back 2005, when I worked briefly as a bartenr at a small gay bar behd the Itaewon fire statn, one of my s wanted to acpany me on a night out (whout knowg my sexual orientatn or where I was employed). In the early ghts, the famo edian Hong Seok-cheon (the first South Korean celebry to e out publicly as gay) laid the ground for gentrifitn by openg a seri of trendy rtrants specializg non-Korean cuis, and others soon followed.

ALMAZSEOULMENUHOTELS · LUXURYHOTELS · MID-RANGE + BUDGETHOTEL DISUNTSBARSDANCE CLUBSMASSAGECISE CLUBSSNASTOURSCY GUIGAY MAPALMAZ

In his early 20s, after leavg bs school to follow his ambn of beg an artist and performer, Heezy Yang was drawn to an out-of-the-way area of Seoul’s Itaewon district known as Homo Hill, a longtime haven for LGBTQ people South Korea. Nowadays, those lights are off, the bars and nightclubs are closed and the ually buzzg streets are uncharacteristilly quiet after a ronavis clter wh more than 130 s shed unwanted attentn on the neighborhood—sparkg a surge homophobia, activists say. “You nnot be pletely ee other areas, as ee as you n be on Homo Hill, ” Yang tells TIME.

SOUTH KOREA BAR DISTRICT OFFERS A SAFE HAVEN FOR GAY SERVICEMEMBERS

One newspaper, the Km Ilbo, garnered cricism for articl that ed language pictg gay men as promiscuo and prone to risky sexual behavr.

Activists argued that the newspaper unnecsarily highlighted that the ial subject of the outbreak vtigatn had vised a gay club an effort to stir up homophobia. Authori are now seekg a way to ntue such trackg while beg reful not to advertently disclose rmatn that uld lead to neighbors and lleagu learng an fected person vised a gay bar.

Homosexualy is not illegal South Korea, but openly gay public figur are rare. On Tuday, Hong Seok-chun, an actor and televisn personaly who is creded as beg South Korea’s first openly gay celebry, publicly weighed on the tensifyg suatn, postg a photo of Itaewon on Instagram and implorg anyone who has spent time the area of late to get tted. “Now the are the most famo clubs Korea, ” says Kim, a gay 30-year-old rint of Seoul, who asked that only his surname be ed bee he is not out to his fay or employer.