Itaewon's Lit Lounge shines beacon through dark times over 4 years

By Jon Dunbar

• Published Oct 26, 2026 5:40 AM KST

Lit Lounge opened the doors of its Itaewon location just about four years ago in late October 2022. Following a soft opening on Oct. 27 and 28, its grand opening was held on Saturday, Oct. 29, a day that would go down in infamy, after 159 people died in a crowd disaster in a narrow alley a little less than 400 meters away.

"Lit Lounge's early existence was shaped by one of the most devastating tragedies in recent Korean history: The Itaewon Halloween crowd crush," said Jason Waller, owner of Lit Lounge. "For many of us operating businesses in Itaewon, the aftermath of this tragedy was even more devastating than the COVID-19 pandemic."

It would have been understandable, maybe even advisable, if he just quit. But Waller, also known as Pinnacle TheHustler, decided to keep going.

"I think the biggest reason I refused to close Lit Lounge was because I didn't want to look in the mirror and see someone who had given up. But for me, as long as I still believed in what I was building and I could still see a path forward, I wasn't ready to quit," he said.

"And now, Lit Lounge, which started in 2022 is still alive, still growing and still getting better. Perseverance is a part of the foundation that makes me who I am."

That may sound a bit boastful, but also in character for a former rapper who also calls himself Pinnacle TheHustler.

"When I was a kid in about 7th or 8th grade, we came across the word 'pinnacle' in our vocabulary books. For some reason, I was just infatuated with this word, so I started putting it in a lot of my rhymes," the former rapper explained.

"At that young age, I believed that whatever you wanted to do or be, you should strive to be the 'pinnacle' of that. If you wanna repair cars, then you should be the pinnacle of car repairs. If you're gonna be a baker, you better be the best baker around."

When he was in high school, some other students were teasing him for using the word in so many of his rhymes, calling him "The Pinnacle," and he said it just stuck.

"All my classmates started calling me 'Pinnacle," so I just rolled with it," he said.

The second part came later, when he was getting ready to move to Korea after graduating college.

"People knew me on campus as a hustler because of my strong work ethic," he said. "So when I announced my plans to go overseas, my friends were saying things like, 'oh, so you're going to be hustling on the other side of the world now? Pinnacle TheHustler!' So then the moniker 'Pinnacle TheHustler' was established and here I am, hustling on the other side of the world."

Over here, he founded Planet Hustle Korea, an entertainment and consulting company, in 2015, that served as the parent company for all his physical business establishments in Seoul.

This began with Club Hustle in August 2016. After it closed in January 2017, he brought the concept to Hustle Rooftop Lounge in May 2018. That one kept going, surviving through the pandemic until closing in July 2022.

Also in 2022, he opened Lit Lounge in its first location, south of the river in affluent Apgujeong, where he said he faced significant challenges stemming from discriminatory attitudes due to the club's foreign ownership and customers.

That led him to relocate Lit Lounge in October that same year.

"Itaewon has always been known for its vibrant nightlife, but I wanted to create something a little different from the traditional nightlife experience," he said.

He settled in Alley Market, a small maze of canopied alleyways just south of Itaewon-ro's western end.

"When I first saw that alley, tucked away just off Itaewon's main street, I knew this was where I wanted to build," he said. "I wanted an area slightly removed from the chaos of the main strip, where I could focus on providing a more intentional experience for our guests."

Lit Lounge's focus is on clean facilities, quality drinks, good music, attentive service and an environment where people can genuinely enjoy themselves.

"I wanted to create a place where people could enjoy the best parts of nightlife without sacrificing comfort, quality or hospitality," he said. "Sometimes, we need the chaos of a fully packed, hot, sticky, sweaty club. And sometimes, we need the refinement of a clean lounge where your shoes still look nice at the end of your visit."

In May 2025, with business going well, he acquired the neighboring space, where he opened Billion Bar. Both bars continue to operate next door to each other, offering two distinct nightlife experiences built around the same philosophy of hospitality, inclusivity and community.

"What I love about having both establishments side by side is that we're able to offer two completely different nightlife experiences without compromising the principles that make them special," he said. "Even though Billion Bar and Lit Lounge have two completely different personalities, atmospheres, music and general concepts, the business ethic comes from the same roots: Be a safe place for everyone, do not discriminate, take care of your guests as if they're visitors in your home, provide a stand out product and build the community."

Lit Lounge is where people come to dance, laugh, enjoy hip-hop, R&B and Afrobeats music and meet new people. Billion Bar offers a more intimate environment where people can enjoy well-made cocktails, have conversations and participate in activities like karaoke and trivia.

"Itaewon brings together people from all over the world, and I think that's what makes this neighborhood special," he said. "People come here for different reasons, but everyone wants to feel like they belong somewhere. If someone walks into one of my establishments alone and leaves having made a new friend, shared a laugh or experienced something memorable, then I feel like we've accomplished something meaningful. At the end of the day, I want our businesses to contribute something positive to the community that supports us."

Although Alley Market has certainly seen better days, today it is home to a diverse collection of businesses. This includes restaurants like Linus BBQ and Nekkid Wings, nightlife establishments like Lit Lounge, Billion Bar and the newly reopened Phillies, and vintage shops like Paisley Cat and Hyso.

"I believe we're witnessing the beginning of a new chapter," Waller said. "What was once a place where people gathered to buy and sell goods is becoming a place where people gather to eat, drink, socialize and experience different cultures. We are the new Alley Market, and together, we're bringing renewed energy and identity to this little corner of Itaewon."

This Oct. 31, Lit Lounge is celebrating its fourth anniversary and Halloween on the same day. The celebration is branded "Comicalloween," and guests are encouraged to dress up as characters from movies and TV shows, from superheroes, villains and horror icons to animated favorites and cult classics. Entry costs 20,000 won and gets you into both venues. Visit planethustle.com for more information.