Expat theater takes center stage

Change is afoot within the Seoul theater scene. While contemporary Korean productions have thrived in the city for decades, recent years have seen a dramatic increase in both the quality and quantity of works emerging from the local expat community.

Humble beginnings

The seeds of this current creative climate stretch back over fifteen years, when a group of foreign English teachers of varying theatrical backgrounds sought to put on a play. Initially, their shows were small in scope and predominantly performed in bars. Even back in the early 2000s, Seoul had already amassed a healthy population of foreigners, most of who were ESL teachers or stationed with the U.S. military. For them, English theatre was a rare treat.

As the scale of their productions grew, this original group banded together under the moniker of Seoul Players, an expat-run theater company that is still going strong today. Their current slate entails a minimum of three productions per year, all of which are performed in theaters to professional industry standards.

While their main stage show took place early in the spring, they still have two upcoming events set to open in 2018. The first is the “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which goes up in late October. This shadow-cast performance is widely regarded as one of the best Halloween parties in town. The second is their annual Ten Minute Play Festival, which this year received a staggering 380 submissions, a new record for the company. These have been whittled down to the best sixteen scripts, all of which will be performed over a series of nights mid-November. Both shows have upcoming auditions that are open to the general public.

All the world’s a stage

In the wake of Seoul Players, countless other expat-led companies have taken shape within the city. The influx of these groups has been a direct, if not unexpected, side effect of the growing ESL industry. For most English teaching jobs in Korea, the required prerequisite is a bachelor’s degree. However, it is rarely stipulated that this qualification need be based in education. While those in more “professional”-oriented degrees (law, medicine, etc.) tend to secure employment back home, the allure of steady work and the chance to live abroad has become an exceedingly popular option for students graduating from the arts. The result has birthed an expat community rich with actors, dancers and musicians, all with a reliable income and time to spare on creative pursuits. This is a talent pool comprised of artists from all around the world, eager to come together and contribute towards culturally diverse, high-end production companies.

One such group is Starlight Productions. Providing a unique hybrid of theater and burlesque, their creative output (along with their crowds) has seen a steady increase since they stormed their way onto the scene with their first show in 2015. Through locally sourced scripts and an abundance of non-binary queer characters, they challenge their audience’s notions of sexuality and herald body positivity on high. Their upcoming show, “Drop Drag Gorgeous,” is set to open this November.

Another company on the rise is The Collective. With a firm focus on diversity, they provide underrepresented artists with a means to collaborate, grow and foster new bonds within the local creative community. Going up this November, their production of “Romeo and Juliet” is already set to be unlike any you’ve seen before. The script has been flipped, with the show now set in a matriarchy and the two titular characters being portrayed as lesbian lovers. They also happen to be hosting their annual fundraiser this September, an epic party at Emu Artspace that promises to showcase some of the best musical talent in Seoul.

With each new batch of ESL teachers comes fresh creative blood. While the current expat theater companies will only continue to thrive here, the scene is ripe for the unexpected, ready to be defined by the next wave of foreign artists seeking to stake a claim upon the stage. Buckle up, sit back and enjoy the show.

Seoul Players

Website: www.seoulplayers.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SeoulPlayers/

Instagram: @seoulplayers

Starlight Productions/House of Tease

Website: www.starlightburlesque.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/1215749935219287/

Instagram: @houseoftease.com

The Collective

Website: www.discoverthecollective.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/discoverthecollective/

Instagram: @discover_thecollective

Written by S. C. Clarke
Photographed by Robert Michael Evans

For the wine curious, the best moments are often chance encounters: stumbling into a small wine shop in a remote corner of Seoul or coming across a restaurant with a list of wines one has never heard of. Such opportunities are few and far between in Seoul, where the culture of wine is still developing. A small number of dedicated importers and passionate amateurs are on a mission to change this though, and it is not impossible to find wines made in unexpected regions or with unheard of grapes as a result. We walk you to four of these wine-curious’ lairs; from nerdy wine clubs to glamorous restaurants, they will expand your wine palate.

Cabo da Roca

With the notable exception of fortified wines such as port, which have been around for much longer, dry wines from Portugal are just being discovered in Korea. Bottle store and education center Cabo da Roca is nurturing that discovery with program that looks into Portugal’s wine culture and shows the pairing potential of its wines with Asian food. Occasional master classes by Portuguese sommeliers allow for fascinating exploration of lesser known regions or grapes (Alicante Bouschet anyone?), and regular wine tastings focus on Portuguese wine’s spairing potential with Korean cuisine among others. A chat about Portuguese wines with friendly shop owner Oh Seung Kim should get you nicely started on the topic. Ask him when the next tasting event is.

Gangnam-daero 107-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul | www.facebook.com/cascawine

Moselwein Ring

Moselwein Ring can translate from the German as “The Gang of the Mosel Wines,” which fits the mob-leader fervor Sung-chan Yang displays when talking about his passion. “If I had to choose one last glass of wine before dying, it would be a Riesling from Mosel,” the bespectacled thirty-something half-jokingly declares. Yang set up the Ring with two friends — one of whom is based in Germany’s most famous wine region — to share his passion for Mosel wines in his home country. Wines have been produced in the Mosel Valley since Roman times, where the cool climate and slate soils give them unique and much sought-after characteristics. White wines made from Riesling grapes from the region have cult status with their famous combination of silky texture, floral notes and neverending acidity. The Moselwein Ring organizes various tastings based on specific sub-regions or vintages, which they host at monthly events at different restaurants and wine bars across the city. Their tastings often boast wines that are otherwise impossible to find in Korea. Needless to say, pre-booking is essential.

Address: variable; usually announced 15 days prior to the event through their Facebook page | www.facebook.com/MoselweinRing

Buenos Aires

Diners at Buenos Aires are treated with alluring tango shows by professional dancers. The restaurant’s harnessing of the Argentinian capital’s appeal does not stop there though, and the fascination endures on the plate — their steaks routinely receive rave reviewss. Of course, there’s the wine. Located on the foothills of the Andes mountain range, Argentina’s grape-growing regions are among the highest in the world. Mostly made from Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentinian reds are often described as opulent with fruit-forward characteristics — think ripe plum for example — with touches of spice and mild tannin. Buenos Aires stocks a wide selection of these and other Argentinian wines in a cellar next to the restaurant. Its manager, Esteban Bae, will be happy to help you chose a bottle that best fits your taste and your budget.

Bongcheon-ro 62-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul | www.buenosaires.co.kr

Wine Cave at Gwangmyeong Cave

Although still relatively unknown, Korean wines — not to be confused with sweet fruit wines that are not made from grapes, but other fruit — have been around since the 1990s. Korean wineries are mostly located in the Yeongdong region, in the middle of the country, where grape varieties you’ve probably never heard of are used to make wine. Wine Korea’s Chateau Mani — yes, the brand also behind the natural cosmetics line — is the largest producer of Korean dry wines, although several smaller wineries are also of interest. A good place to get started with Korean dry wines in Seoul is the Wine Cave at the gigantic theme park Gwangmyeong Cave, located south of the city. The old gold mine-turned-theme park has a large section dedicated to all sorts of local wines. The ideal way to sample different wines there is to have lunch at the restaurant.

142 Gahak-ro 85beon-gil, Hagon-dong, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do | 070-4277-8902 | cavern.gm.go.kr

Written by Hadrien Diez
Photographed by Anuj Madan

Seoul has always been a night city in my eyes. There are shopping centers that are open 24 hours a day, people heading out for drinks with coworkers, families out enjoying dinner at their favorite restaurants, and there are lights everywhere. Night is the best time to see the city at its liveliest, but also at its most beautiful.

It’s easy to get lost in the crowd of people, especially in the streets of Seoul, but sometimes you just need to step back and find a nice rooftop bar with a view like this one in the middle of Jongro. There you can watch people go about their evening, having a laugh with friends, commuting to the next bar, or simply hanging outside a convenience store having a drink with friends.

The jumbled and crowded stores with criss-crossing cables may not be appealing to most people’s eyes, but it is part of the city and is beautiful in its own way. Sometimes while walking down these old alleys, you come across beautiful views that you will not find in more polished areas.

Seoul is a busy city with Jongro being the epicentre of activity during the evening. Jongro is one of the areas I enjoy shooting due to all the neon and LED lights all around. There are many people who head there after work for dinner or a drink with friends. Despite there being so many people, it’s not difficult to find intimate moments like this: a couple walking home after a night of socializing.

Gangnam has become synonymous with Seoul thanks to the hit song “Gangnam Style.” The Coex is located right outside Samseong Station, and its glitz and glamour are hard to miss. SM town, the cultural hub of SM Entertainment, is located directly behind it, so once people are done shopping, they hope to catch a glance of their famous K-pop artists.

When most people think of Dongdaemun, they think of the newly built spaceship-looking building. But Dongdaemun is actually an extremely large area that also caters to the locals. There was a man walking. Lured by the hof hosts, he took a look and decided it was the place for him.

Motorcycle delivery is a staple of Seoul life. Restaurants have their own deliveryman or may be associated with a food delivery system allowing Seoulites to order anything they would like. In this shot, I came across this incredibly lit motorcycle delivery man. It seems almost cinematic on this rainy evening.

Just a short walk outside of Jongro exit 5 you will come across the maze of alleys surrounding Gwangjang Market. It is much less sleek and dark than the neighboring areas. The alleys are quintessentially Korean and something you find less and less as new areas are developed. Getting lost in these pathways is something most tourists never experience, but they should.

Photography and captions by Noe Alonzo

With spring in full swing, there’s no better time to get out and explore the city.

While Seoul has its fair share of reliable hotspots, there’s an undeniable charm in discovering something new. Enter Geumho-dong, a small up and coming burb between Oksu and Yaksu stations. Lit by lanterns spilling out from the local temple, its narrow streets are an eclectic mix of both the traditional and the new. Throw in the recently installed Darak Oksu gardens framing the paths beneath the railway tracks, and you have yourself a suburb with a decidedly different urban flair.

Be it a date, or an intimate night out with friends, the following are a series of certifiable selections for squeezing the most out of your Geumho experience.

Pre-dinner drinks at Chuck’s Tap House

Any respectable evening out always begins with a beer. Located mere meters from Exit 1 of Oksu Station, Chuck’s Tap House is your one-stop destination for those seeking some fancy brews.

There are a total of twenty craft beers on tap to choose from, nine of which come straight from the Whasoo Brewery in Ulsan. Should you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with all the options, the Yuzu Pale Ale is a safe bet for any palate.

Chuck’s outdoor seating provides the perfect place to take a load off, knock back a few well-crafted cold ones and enjoy some company in the warmth of the setting sun. Finger food such as chicken and fried samgyeopsal are available, but for now, keep it low key if you can. The food at our next stop is absolutely worth the wait.

FYI> 377-5 Seongdon-gu, Oksu-dong, Seoul | 02-2281-3943 | Open 1PM to 2AM

Dinner at Mokhwa Dabang

By now you should be buzzing from the craft beers downed at Chuck’s, but all that socialising you’ve been doing has likely left you with an appetite. Thankfully, there’s a stellar fine wine and dining restaurant just a short, ten-minute walk away. Prepare thy tastebuds for the criminally underrated Mokhwa Dabang.

Mokhwa Dabang is a small, stylish venue that bears a distinctively retro vibe. The checkerboard flooring, green leather seats and ambient track lighting instil a homey, yet upper class atmosphere. High quality service by the waitstaff ensures that your every need is taken care of from the moment you walk through the door. A private, curtained off table is also available for those that might be after a more intimate affair.

Head chef and manager Um Sun-young will make sure anything ordered is special, but if you feel like spoiling yourself look no further than the Hanwoo steak. These perfectly seasoned and tender cuts come with a side of shitake mushrooms and a spicy whole grain mustard. For those who fancy their red meat, this is an elegantly prepared dish that you’ll be reminiscing about until your next visit. To watch the magic unfold, you can even watch Um at work from the bar that surrounds his open kitchen. An extensive wine and cocktail menu has been constructed to compliment the food should you wish to keep the booze flowing freely.

FYI> 1288 Seoungdong-gu, Geumho-dong, Seoul | 070-8841-4888 | 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily except Sundays

Winding down by the riverside

With bellies full of food, craft beer, and fine wine, you might be tempted to call it a night and start making your way back home. But let’s not be hasty! The warmer weather provides one of the area’s best options for capping off your evening — a relaxing riverside stroll. It also doesn’t hurt to get a little light exercise in after putting away all that steak.

Entry down to the river can be found by Exit 3 of Oksu station. Bicycles can be rented on the cheap, with designated paths for both pedestrians and cyclists alike. The neon lights of the Dongho Bridge shimmer and sparkle across the Hangang, providing the perfect backdrop for a romantic stroll, or perhaps just a pleasant ambience for snuggling up on a park bench and gazing out across the water.

FYI> Oksu-dong, Seongdon-gu, Seoul | Open all night

Written by S. C. Clarke

Photographed by Robert Michael Evans

Bar Oriole

Experience the energy of one of Seoul’s grittier neighborhoods

Extending across a ridge close to the top of Namsan and sloping downwards towards Seoul Station and Sookmyoung Women’s University, Huam-dong is dotted with entertaining nightlife spots within a very much undeveloped area of the city. Anyone tired of the commercial boom coursing through the main Haebangchon strip can take a village bus to the roundabout and explore the several restaurants and cafés along the alley going west with spectacular, sweeping views of Seoul. For those living outside of Seoul it’s a great location with great nighscapes to check out before hopping on that last train out. Far enough from neighboring Haebangchon to merit a separate visit but close enough to share some of the energy, Huam-dong offers fun venues for a memorable evening out.

Bar Oriole

Open now for roughly two years, this second-floor cocktail lounge boasts impressive views of the city while seated at the bar or on the bench along the exterior of the building. With a broad selection of whiskies and spirits and an attentive bartender, the drinks menu won’t leave you wanting. Inside, the café is tiny and it can get rather busy on the weekends, but they do take reservations. Although both spaces share the same name as the Baltimore baseball team’s bird, the first-floor café serves the rooftop and operates independently from the bar. The building is noteworthy for how it’s been remodeled to take advantage of the panoramic views — especially at night.
43, Sinheung-ro 20-gil, Yongsan-gu | 02-6406-5252
| Open daily, 6 p.m.–1 a.m.

Makgeolli Dahm

Outlasting the test of time this whimsical and earnest makgeolli bar has been in business for 15 years. The venue provides an artsy, kitsch setting to enjoy traditional Korean plates that accompany traditional Korean alcohol. A compact menu includes the typical fare with signature plating and their own secret recipe green sauce. In particular, the generous portion of ddeokgalbi is served like a meatloaf rather than shaped like a patty and pairs nicely with any of the specially selected drink options. Mood lighting and jazz tunes complete the picture-perfect date night.
11-10, Hangang-dae-ro 88-gil, Yongsan-gu | 02-798-6104
| 6 p.m.–3 a.m. daily except Sundays.

Huamdong Side

The owner’s dog roams freely in this quaint second-floor bar that’s super cheap and super friendly. The choices might be limited but they cover all the bases with a basic wine and beer menu alongside simple snacks. Seats by the window have a view of the neighborhood, and at KRW 4,000 for a glass of wine, the prices are affordable.
Huamdong, 257-8, 2nd floor | 070-4139-9291
| 7 p.m.–1 a.m. daily except Sundays

Anarchy Bros Cafe & Pub

Free wifi and a clubhouse feel distinguishes this hip neighborhood place hidden in the alley behind the main street. Open all day until late, there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks to choose from as well. There is a cozy attic for semi-private seating along with cubby holes where you can take off your shoes and a mini enclosed outdoor area convenient for smokers. The atmosphere is laid back with a younger clientele and a relaxing place to spend a Sunday evening after dinner.
36, Duteopbawi-ro 1gil, Yongsan-gu | 070-4069-6356
| 12 p.m.–12 a.m. daily

Gil Bar Dak

Located inside Shin Heung Art Market, this attractive watering hole is the answer for the moody solo drinker looking for camaraderie in a retro atmosphere. Whiskey, cocktails, beer and wine are all available for imbibing until the wee hours so your evening can last until dawn. This bar just opened last September and is located inside a market on the main road. Stroll down or get on the village bus that will take you through the rest of Huamdong.
26-18, Sowol-ro 20gil, Yongsan-gu | 0507-1404-1166
| 7 p.m.–5 a.m. daily

Written by Agnes Yu
Photographed by Robert Michael Evans

You don’t have to search long for a good cup of joe in Gangneung, Korea’s coffee capital

At the entrance of Amnok Beach is a sculpture of a giant coffee cup, a cup into which three coffee beans are descending from the sky. “Coffee that embraced the sea, Gangneung,” the sculpture reads in big green letters on the cup.

What it should really read is “Beware of caffeine overdose,” because if there’s something you’ll be doing a lot in Gangneung, it’s drinking coffee.

No town in Korea takes its coffee as seriously as Gangneung. In 2016, the coastal city of then 220,000 had new fewer than 360 cafés, some small, some big, some very big — so big, in fact, that they’ve expanded nationally. Coffee is even bringing the young and creative to previously neglected neighborhoods, these new residents and visitors reviving old alleyways with the arts, crafts and good cups of java.

Amnok Beach’s Coffee Street

Gangneung’s best known coffee destination is the so-called “Coffee Street” that lines Amnok Beach. Over 20 cafés, big and small, line the scenic stretch of white sand near Gangneung’s harbor. Enjoy your coffee with views of whitecaps crashing in turquoise seas.

Just 30 years ago, the beach was little more than a small seaside village connected to downtown Gangneung by just three buses a day. The isolation — and the ocean views, of course — made it a popular date spot, though, not unlike nearby Jeongdongjin. Proper cafés were lacking, so locals installed instant coffee machines. These proved so popular with visitors that there were soon about 50 machines up and down the beach.

The vending machines’ days of preeminence were finite, however. In 1998, baristas opened up Amnok Beach’s first two cafés. More cafés soon followed. In 2009, a popular Korean variety show introduced the beach’s coffee scene to a national audience, and that was all she wrote.

Though national coffeehouse chains have entered the mix, independent establishments still account for most of the beach’s cafés. One of the most popular is Bossa Nova (T. 033-653-0038), a stylish concrete structure boasting a roof terrace with ocean views. Pour-over brews are the house specialty.

Local legends: Bohemian Roasters and Terarosa

To many coffee aficionados, Bohemian Roasters and Terarosa are synonymous with Gangneung coffee.

Park Yi-choo founded Bohemian in Seoul’s Hyehwa-dong district in 1988. The Japan-born barista, one of Korea’s first trained coffee specialists, helped popularize pour-over brewing in a country hitherto forced to make do with instant brews. In 2000, Park moved to Gangneung, where the mountains, sea and seclusion allowed him to refocus on coffee. In the nearly two decades since, he’s contributed mightily to Gangneung’s coffee scene, organizing the city’s annual coffee festival, training countless baristas and opening a grand café-cum-coffee factory (T. 033-642-6688) overlooking the sea in Sacheon-myeon, a village on the road to Jumunjin. Several new cafés have opened up nearby.

Kim Yong-deok, a former bank manager, founded the coffee roasting company Haksan in Gangneung in 2002. Haksan’s beans proved a hit nationwide, so much so that Kim opened the café Terarosa in 2012. Terarosa now has branches nationwide. The flagshop store (T. 033-648-2760), located in Gangneung’s Gujeong-myeon, is a city onto itself, an imposing fortress of brick and concrete with a cavernous, almost cathedral-like two-story space where the main café is located.

Old Is new again

Coffee is rejuvenating Gangneung’s historical spaces, too.

BonBon Roastery (T. 070-8237-1155), a colonial-era mill-turned-coffeehouse in Gangneung’s old downtown, the Myeongju-dong district, pulls together vintage warmth and the creatively hip. Run by four former movie people, the imminently Instagrammable space has helped turned Myeongju-dong into one of Gangneung’s hottest destinations.

Nearby is Gangneung Coffee Workshop (T. 070-8842-6991), a brick building built by the Japanese army in the 1920s as an armory.

In Chodang, a seaside village best known for its bean curd, another old mill has been converted into a coffeehouse. Chodang Keopi Jeongmiso (T. 033-653-2313) — “Chodang Coffee Mill” — is perfectly at peace with its small-town surroundings. For something different, try its pound cakes made from puréed soybeans, or kongbiji. Another Chodang café is Kaffe Kiwa (T. 033-652-9898), an old Hanok mansion with a stunning vintage interior where the coffee, brewed from beans roasted by local roasters Hue Bean, comes in beautiful ceramic cups.

Written and photographed by Robert Koehler

In the middle of winter, no matter how warm your ondol floor heating is, it can still feel like Seoul’s cold is seeping straight into your bones. The dirty city snow, overcast skies and gray landscape might even start to make you feel like you’ve wandered into some post-apocalyptic Ice Age … but before seasonal affective disorder overtakes you, grab your favorite shampoo and head out the door, because there’s one surefire way to feel better in winter: the jjimjilbang!

Public bath houses, or jjimjilbang, are a staple of both “must-do” Korea travel itineraries and regular old Seoul cold-weather life. We’ve collected the city’s top three best and most international-friendly jjimjilbangs below, as well as a few tips to help you get the most out of your experience.

How to Enjoy the Jjimjilbang

What to Bring  A plastic bath basket filled with your favorite hair and skincare items, as well as a scrubbing towel, a razor, and anything else you might use in the shower. Jjimjilbangs offer shampoo and bar soap for free, but it’s nicer to have your own stuff.

Getting Inside  First, take off your shoes and put them in a shoe locker. Take the key and head into the main locker room, where you’ll find a clothes locker that matches the number on your shoe locker key. There, store your personal belongings – including your clothes – and head for the showers. Remember to bring a towel.

Bathing  Everyone is required to shower before entering the baths. Once you’re showered and clean, head to the baths and soak as long as you’d like – but if you have long hair, wrap it in a towel or ponytail first. If you’d like, you can then undertake a thorough exfoliation of that dry winter skin back at the showers. Use a scrub towel or mitt, or pay extra to have a professional scrub you down. Be warned – it’ll sting!

Communal Areas  Once you’re done at the baths, you can put on your cotton pajamas (provided at entry) and head to the unisex communal areas. There, you can try out hot rooms, massage chairs, and quintessential jjimjilbang snacks like boiled eggs and sikhye (a cold, sweet rice drink).

Where to Go

Dragon Hill Spa 드래곤 힐 스파
The queen of the city’s jjimjilbangs, Dragon Hill Spa is smack-dab in the center of Seoul at Yongsan Station. It was one of the first in the city to cater to international crowds, and remains one of the easiest-to-navigate jjimjilbangs in the country.

Dragon Hill’s highlights include hot rooms constructed with different wellness-promoting materials – charcoal, pine, red clay and salt, to name a few – as well as its picturesque, secluded outdoor baths. Walking outside in the buff in the middle of winter is well-worth the reward of soaking in these hot pools. Meanwhile, the communal areas have family-friendly attractions like an arcade, cinema, yoga classes and a full-sized outdoor swimming pool.

40-712, Hangangno 3ga, Yongsan-gu | www.dragonhillspa.com |  010-4223-0001 (English) | Admission KRW 12,000 on weekdays, KRW 14,000 on weekends

• For those who enjoy Dragon Hill’s hospitality, it’s also worth checking out Sejong Club (www.sejongclub.com), a rentable event venue run by the same company, offering themed restaurants on every floor. Further details are available online.

Spa Lei 스파 레이
Sorry, boys – this one is for the ladies. Spa Lei is a women-only jjimjilbang and spa in glitzy Gangnam, located right next to the shopping-and-café paradise of Garosu-gil. While it’s smaller than Dragon Hill, Lei offers its patrons a luxurious version of the essentials: relaxing hot rooms and beautiful baths, including a sea water bath with water shipped straight from the coast.

Being a women’s spa, Lei offers treatments that target women’s health and beauty concerns (in particular, we recommend the exfoliating facials at the third floor spa). In the spring, they open a rooftop terrace – though we wouldn’t recommend it in freezing January.

5, Gangnam-daero 107-gil, Seocho-gu | 02-545-4002 | Admission starts at KRW 14,000

Siloam Bulgama Sauna 실로암사우나찜질방
Bulgama means “fire pot,” in reference to the stove-like clay huts that serve as hot rooms at many jjimjilbangs. Siloam has these in spades, as well as heated salt rooms, ice rooms, mineral rooms, infrared light rooms, charcoal cold rooms and much more. In fact, the unassuming ground-level entrance hides five full floors of jjimjilbang entertainment. They’ve also got pressure-jet showers that massage away knots and sore muscles.

49, Jungnim-ro, Jung-gu | 02-364-3944 | Admission starts at 10,000 for a daytime bath+sauna pass

Written by Seoul Staff
Photographs by Robert Michael Evans

Geumho-dong’s Setakso Yeopjip isn’t your average neighborhood bottle shop

Beer, beer and more beer bottles line the walls of Setakso Yeopjip (“Next to the Laundry Shop”), along with colorful handmade signs, a chalkboard with the names of local DJs, a disco ball and a projector screen. Industrial and filled with the handmade art of its owners, the tiny store is an unexpectedly hip neighbor in an area still filled with old neighborhood businesses and towering apartment complexes, not to mention the dry cleaner next door that helped give the store its name. Even the sign above the bottle shop is a gentle, loving parody, featuring a smiling cartoon woman that visually nods to the signboard of the chain laundry beside it.

The owners, Kyung Min Kim and Yoonmin Cho, smile almost as much as their winsome logo, both filled with an infectious enthusiasm for their new venture. While both have day jobs working in the tech and venture capital industry, a love of beer and a superior sense of fun brought them together to create their own side jobs operating a bottle shop in the evenings.

These “beer supermarkets” have been popping up all over Seoul, turning small spaces into miniature specialty beer vendors selling collections of bottled beers from both domestic craft breweries and interesting imports. Minimalist and sometimes quirky, they’ve spread all over Seoul, but few of them display the kind of verve that Setakso Yeopjip does.

A serious obsession for a side job

According to Kim, “At the beginning, we thought we’d do it just at night as a side job. I like working creatively and using that energy to do things. My day job is helping start ups, so I wanted to do something simple and build a community.”

The two have long been aficionados of beer, but Korea’s beer scene has only recently taken off, and for years the women struggled to get the beers they wanted: “We both like sour beer a lot, but we couldn’t find any here. I found a website that had a kind I liked, but it was in Denmark. I had it shipped over here,” says Cho.

Although Setakso Yeopjip has only been open a few months, it’s already turning into a wildly charming neighborhood landmark. Work colleagues, curious locals and residents from the forest of apartments across the street are constantly popping inside to take a look and have a chat.

“Lots of our partners in our other work live around here, but they’re married and maybe have kids and families and babies,”explains Cho. “There’s nowhere to drink or hang out. This way, all the folks around here can swing by our little beer supermarket and get something to take home. It’s a great way for people around here to have some fun. It’s mostly just these big apartments, so there’s not much nightlife otherwise. We like to think of ourselves as the pioneers of ‘Geumlidan Road,’” riffing on the name of Gyeonglidan, a nearby hotspot.

More than just a bottle shop

To make the shop more interesting, Kim and Cho have turned the bottle shop into a mini event space, with tastings, dancing, classes and parties. A chalkboard bears the names of amature DJs who played at a recent party, while another one by the register lets patrons request new beers.

“We select our beers based on what we like. We really like good design, so if it has a cool label we love to check it out, but of course its taste also has to be good. Because of our small size, we can’t compete with department stores or other major importers on price, but instead we concentrate on getting unique beers that you won’t find other places. When we’re confident in what we drink, we sell it,” says Kim.

“If you come into our store, we won’t start off by asking you about styles of beer but with what kind of flavors you like,” Cho says, elaborating on their process of helping people find beer. “Maybe you want to start off with something sweet, or you need a good story. If you like Hoegarden but want to expand into something new, we’ll find you a wheat beer you’ve never tried before or a Belgian ale. If you’re matching it with food, we might steer you towards a Spanish beer. It’s very personal service. We’ve tried every beer here, from the barrel aged beers to artisan ales from small breweries to limited editions.”
The true meaning of beer

Kim expanded, “For us, the best thing is that everyone can try the beers and express themselves. It’s so interesting to see how different people drink and think, so we love to hear the opinions of our customers. It creates a community, a relationship.”

They laugh some more, and add, “For us, this is ‘maekmong’ – beer (maek) meditation (mong).  We should meditate a lot!”

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Setakso Yeopjip 세탁소 옆집
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Written by Jennifer Flinn
Photographed by Romain John

Hit the slopes after dark

The Pyeongchang Olympics are now a mere two months away, and Korea is due to get more attention than ever as a winter sports destination. But as any local skier or snowboarder knows, the biggest challenge at the nation’s slopes is avoiding the crowds. Want to get in on the action, but dodge the masses? The best way may be to hit the slopes at night.

Konjiam Resort 곤지암 리조트

Konjiam is a luxurious resort in Gyeonggi-do run by the venerable LG Group. It’s the closest ski facility to the Seoul city center. To cater to the evening crowd, the slopes are open until 4 a.m. every day of the week.

Konjiam’s low altitude means the snow can run a little thin, but the fact that a subway will get you there in forty minutes makes up for it. In addition, admission is capped at KRW 7,000, guaranteeing more room to play for those who make it inside. Plus, the flexible “Me-Time” pass allows visitors to choose 3, 4 or 6 hour intervals without any set start or end time. There are also 20- and 30-hour passes for those who plan to ski only a few days out of the season.

In addition to ski runs and a hotel, Konjiam also offers a “wellness spa” with lavish massages and skin treatments, a “family spa” with a heated indoor water park, and even a botanical garden.

www.konjiamresort.co.kr | 1661-8787 | Take the Gyeonggang subway line to Gonjiam Station and board the resort shuttle bus at the exit. | Starts at KRW 29,000 for a one-hour Me-Time pass.

Elysian Gangchon 엘리시안 강촌

Further from Seoul is Gangwon-do, whose Taebaek mountain range sees the country’s deepest snow. The combined golf-and-ski resort Elysian Gangchon lies – just barely – past the Gangwon border near the city of Chuncheon. Like Konjiam, it is subway – accessible.

The long, wide slopes are open ‘til 3 a.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. on weekends. Even low-level skiers and snowboarders can test their skills at eight out of ten of the runs, which are graded “intermediate” or below. The resort is also notably welcoming to foreigners, with ski instruction offered in English.

Elysian also has a lounge specifically for night skiers, even those who only hold a regular one-day ticket. Night skiers can use the lounge to rest or nap from the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

www.elysian.co.kr | 033-260-2000 | Take the Gyeongchun Line to Baegyangri Station | Starts at KRW 56,000 for a four-hour ticket, but there are discounts for everyone from government workers to couples, so check online to see what you can get.

Oak Valley Resort 오크밸리리조트

Like Elysian, Oak Valley is another resort that’s golf in summer, ski in winter. Located in the Gangwon city of Wonju, the resort is slightly under 1.5 hours from Seoul via train or bus. The wide runs, terrain park and relative lack of crowds make it popular among beginning to intermediate snowboarders. That, plus the fact that it’s open to 3 a.m. or later every day, means it’s perfect for after-dark snowboarding training.

Oak Valley is also home to the stunning Museum SAN, a contemporary art space designed by world-renowned architect Ando Tadao and featuring a large permanent installation by artist James Turrell. Stop by during the day if you need a cerebral break from the nonstop action.

www.oakvalley.co.kr | 1588-7676 | Take the aboveground train on the extended Jungang Line to Wonju Station, followed by the free shuttle bus. | Starts at KRW 59,000 for half-day passes and KRW 76,000 for night ski passes (6:30 p.m.–3 a.m. on weekdays, 4 a.m. on weekends)

High1 Resort and Kangwon Land 하이원리조트 / 강원랜드

High1 Resort has some of the best natural snow in Korea thanks to its elevation at 1,340 meters. On the flip side it’s a three-hour bus or train ride from the capital, and the slopes close at 10 p.m., meaning a day trip may be tough. But in addition to evening skiing, the resort is known for its other nightlife attraction: Kangwon Land, the country’s only casino open to Korean citizens as well as foreigners. This, plus the quality of its slopes, means High1 makes our nightlife list.

There are 18 ski runs ranging from a long and leisurely 4.2 slope for beginners to two slopes certified for the World Ski Championships. If you’re arriving late and staying only one day, passes for evening ski times plus the morning after offer the best value.

www.high1.com | 1588-7789 | The fastest route is an express bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Gohan. There’s also a shuttle bus operated in English with reservations at www.purpleskibus.com. A KTX route from Wonju to Gangneung is set to open in December, further shortening the trip. | Starts at KRW 62,000 for a partial day pass (evening pass hours from 6 p.m.–10 p.m.) – but foreigners are eligible for big discounts, so be sure to take your passport.

Written by SEOUL Staff