Gangnam to create 'tourism-friendly' dance clubs

The district of Gangnam in southern Seoul will designate 10 dance clubs as tourist-friendly venues, a district official confirmed Monday.

Dubbed “Masterpiece Clubs,” the venues will aim to offer a luxurious atmosphere free from unsavory activities such as prostitution, said Kim Yong-man, who heads the district’s food and sanitation department.

The Gangnam District said in a release that the initiative will run through February and that the clubs will be listed in tourism brochures. The clubs include Ellui, Answer, Syndrome, Vanguard, The A, Octagon, Arena, Cubic and Juliana.

Kim said the main criteria for selecting the clubs were that they did not have a history of prostitution, and that they had open floors rather than private rooms.

“We will enforce strict laws on unsavory clubs, but will support if the clubs operate in a healthy way,” the district said in a release.

The Masterpiece Club initiative will kick off with an official ceremony on Wednesday.