Jon Dunbar is a copy editor at The Korea Times, as well as editor of the Foreign Community page and curator of the Korea Times Archive. If you have suggestions for possible articles, or wish to contribute articles yourself, contact jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr.
Celebrating St. Paddy's Day in Seoul
A previous St. Patrick's Day celebration in D-Cube Plaza at Sindorim Station / Courtesy of Irish Association of Korea
By Jon Dunbar
It's #PaddyNotPatty season again, as March 17 approaches and we gear up for various celebrations of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Although often shortened as St. Patty's Day, almost every Irish person will tell you the correct form is St. Paddy's Day, as the Irish form of Patrick is Padraig.
Now that that's out of the way, let's look at the various events in Korea to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The
Irish Association of Korea (IAK)
has been hosting events since 2001, but many others are jumping on board to celebrate the inclusivity and diversity of Irishness.
Outdoor festival
The IAK will host its usual
outdoor event in D-Cube Plaza at Sindorim Station
on Seoul Metro lines 1 and 2. The free event offers music and dance, face-painting and much more. Also offered are fancy dress prizes and a raffle grand prize of airline tickets to Ireland. The festival runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, March 16, the day before St. Paddy's Day.
Hooley concert
The IAK also has a
concert planned for Saturday night
at Club FF and Gogo's in the Hongik University area in western Seoul. For just 10,000 won, one can enjoy up to nine bands starting at 6:30 p.m. The bands include Irish punk act DaddyORadio, traditional Irish act Ceoltoiri Korea and R&B acts
and Sotto Gamba.
A previous St. Patrick's Day celebration in D-Cube Plaza at Sindorim Station / Courtesy of Irish Association of Korea
HBC concert
The Alley Bunker in HBC has its own
, with live music from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday night. The act is Dog Band, an Irish band from Wonju, Gyeonggi Province.
Restaurant special events
A number of great restaurants are having their own St. Paddy's Day events, each on different days.
First,
California Kitchen & Craft Pub
in Itaewon starts its
on Friday, March 15; details are pending.
Then
in Seocho-gu offers
a few subway stations away from the IAK festival, hoping to attract people before and after the festival. It offers an extensive menu of food and drinks, including unlimited beer and wine options.
And
in the Daehangno area is offering a
corned beef and cabbage dinner
, along with special one-time-only cocktails for the occasion. Visit fb.com/calikitch, fb.com/winkkitchenandtaphouse and fb.com/mixmalt for more information.
Fat Albert's Beer Hall and Eatery
in Itaewon claims to offer the biggest party on the actual day of St. Patrick's Day, with a 5,000 won cover giving way to drink specials and 8,000 won helpings of Irish stew.
Drinking parties
While all of the above are highly likely to involve plenty of booze, several parties are planned for the occasion, all on March 16.
In Itaewon,
offers several gifts for its participants, including a limited run of green “I.Soju.U” shirts and a “Jameson Whiskey Shower” at Wolfhound.
In Hongdae,
has a rooftop party at Playground Rooftop Cafe & Bar, promising green drinks and a night of Irish music.
And in Gangnam,
has a party at Gangnam Terrace in Nonhyeon-dong with acoustic music and DJs.