Underlounge Seoul
Hongdae or Hongik University Area
This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that also has a branch in Shanghai. Located in the famous clubbing area, Hongdae, it’s all flashy with loud music and lights. Spacious, with a supersized crystal ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you can hang out at the bar or classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik Univ. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr.
Club M2
Hongdae
M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor and the DJ are in the center of the club, which attracts a trendy crowd along with models and celebrities. Packed on the weekends. Visit www.ohoo.net.
Club Volume
Itaewon
Located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong subway station Club Volume offers the finest venue for specially themed weekly events and talented international DJs for unforgetable nights of dancing and debauchery. Reborn after extensive renovations to maintain its reputation of a quality club with a superior sound system, luxurious setting and stylish people Club Volume was listed by TIME magazine among the 10 things to do in 24 hours in Seoul. Call 1544-2635 for more information.
Le Nuit Blanche
Cheongdam-dong
Formerly Club Answer, Le Nuit Blanche is as a posh restaurant, theater and club. Located in front of Hotel Prima in Cheongdam-dong, Le Nuit Blanche offers Cirque du Soleil-type performances at its theater restaurant. World class DJs from all over the world are invited to perform at the club. Call (02) 514-4311 or visit www.lenuitblanche.com.
Cafe Mou
Sinsa-dong
This cafe has a rich ethnic interior that mixes inspirations that its owner got from travels to such places as Morocco and France. Its menu is limited, but features desserts. It’s located at the edge of Dosan Park. 650-9 Park View Building, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, near the Cine City Theater in Apgujeongdong. Call (02) 3444-6069.
UNA
This medium-sized wine bar in the alley behind the Hamilton Hotel is one of Itaewon’s swankiest hangouts. The candlelight, tiled indoor pond and the designs on the door seem Moorish. Located at 19-25 Itaewon-dong 22-ho. Call (02) 749-0717 for more information.
Once in a Blue Moon
Apgujeong-dong
Once in a Blue Moon is one of the best known jazz clubs in the city. It features live jazz sets from two different bands every night usually starting at 7: 30 p.m. The place exudes an elegant, sophisticated atmosphere that is perfect for a romantic date. It is located on the street between the Hakdong intersection and the Galleria intersection in Apgujeong-dong. Call (02) 549-5490 or visit www.onceinabluemoon.co.kr for more information.
The Spot
If you like punk or alternative music, then you should hit The Spot. It is a live music venue located next to the playground near Hongik University. The Spot is a small basement bar, and it is a mainly standing room-only place. Visit www.clubspot.co.kr or call (02) 322-5956, (02) 3141-6876 for more information.
Platoon Kunsthalle
Platoon Kunsthalle is a cultural space where visitors can enjoy various facilities, including an event hall, library lounge, art studios and a bar and restaurant. Open from Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. DJ nights on Thursday and Friday from 10 p.m. Located near exit 10 of Hakdong Station on subway line 7. Visit www.kunsthalle.com or www.platoon.org.
Naos Nova
A wine bar and restaurant with a design so stunning that it was featured in several interior design magazines before its doors even opened to the public. Its location across from Namsan Park gives it a wonderful, cool atmosphere. Visit www.naosnova.com (448-120 Huam-dong Yongsan-gu, Seoul) or call (02) 754-2202.
Gachi
Salsa music enthusiasts can dance the night away here. To go to Gachi, get off at Apgujeong Line 3 and go out exit 5. After walking past six streets, look for Matilda Club and Bar on the seventh street, turn left and look for Gachi’s red and white sign. Gachi is open from Mondays to Fridays 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 12 a.m. Call (02) 540-7087.
St.102
This hip-hop club often has special parties and performances. There are many Korean homies here with do-rags, dreads and baseball caps turned sideways. Visit st102.cyworld.com. 360-18 Seogyo-dong, Hongdae or call (02) 335-7166.
Moonyang Bar
This place is an Asian-inspired lounge on the third floor of a building on Parking Lot street in the Hongdae area. The stone walls feature photographs and rusted steel plates cover the windows. For more information call (02) 338-1523.
Rocky Mountain Tavern
With a spacious, woody bar, the tavern is spread out over two floors. Find it on Itaewon’s main drag across from the International Clinic. Located near exit 5 of Itaewon Station on subway line 6.
Club FF
This live music venue features all kinds of music. Depending on the night, they feature funk, punk, rock or pop. Club FF attracts an eclectic mix of people. Walk down to the alley with Club Tool on the corner and turn right. Visit clubff.cyworld.com.
Folk Performances
Korea House
Open run
Korea House regularly holds a series of traditional performances featuring dance, “pansori” (Korean opera) and more. Tickets cost 50,000 won. The venue offers various hands-on activities such as making kimchi. For more information, visit www.koreahouse.or.kr or call (02) 2266-9101. Located near exit 3 of Chungmuro Station, subway lines 3 and 4.
2011 Gong Min-seon Dance ‘Hero’
Hanjeon Art Center
June 24
This performance features the historical hero Yi Sun-shin with traditional dance and music. Dancer Gong Min-seon will mix hope with infinity, conflict and contradiction of life through Korean style dance. Tickets cost 10,000 to 50,000 won. Located near exit 1 and 2 at Yangjae station on subway line 3. For more information call (02) 2263-4680.
The Hall of Masters
Museum of Traditional Music, National Gugak Center
The National Gugak Center is holding the exhibition “The Hall of Masters” to present the “gugak” (traditional Korean music) spirit of ancestral cultural assets. More than 30 relics, including traditional Korean instruments and costumes, are on display along with photos of 78 gugak masters, donated by their descendants and pupils. Call (02) 580-3130 for more information.
Jami
Ilhwadang, Samcheonggak
Through June 29
Samcheonggak is now presenting a premium lunch concert, titled “Jami,” which means both “healthy food” and “fun” in the Jeju dialect. Monday through Wednesday, Korean food and traditional tea are served after fusion music, dance and singing performances. It costs 50,000 won. For more information call (02) 765-3208~9 or visit www.samcheonggak.or.kr.
Francois Morellet: Senile Lines
Gallery Hyundai
Through June 26
Gallery Hyundai holds an exhibition of contemporary French painter, sculptor and light artist Francois Morellet. Renowned for his prefigured minimal and conceptual art, he has played an important role in geometrical abstraction over the past half century. Located near exit 5 at Gyeongbok Palace Station on subway line 3. Call (02) 2287-3500 for more information.
Folding
KCDF Gallery
Through June 27
Folding-inspired design works and supplies are exhibited at the KCDF Gallery. It’s a new trial of cultural exchange between Korea and the Netherlands. Dutch designer Richard Hutten and Daniel Schipper present their artworks. Admission is free. Located near exit 6 of Anguk station on subway line 3. For more information call (02)-732-9383~4.
Old Seoul Through Foreign Eyes
Cheong Gye Cheon Museum
This exhibition displays various photos and installations showing the old capital of Gyeongseong in the 1930s. It is the first of its kind to showcase the old images of Seoul. The exhibition features a video comparing the old and present capital and also a map of the Gyeongseong district which had about 3,000 stores. Admission is free. Located near exit 2 of Sangwangsimni Station on subway line 2. For more information call (02) 2286-3410.
Korean Picture, Drawing Photograph
Gallery Hyundai (Gyeongbok Palace)
Through July 3
This exhibition features Korean pictures that reflect special Korean characteristics. The exhibition aims to observe artistic beauty and thinking in the essence of Korean images. Admission is free. Located near exit 5 of Gyeongbok Palace Station on subway line 3. Call (02) 722-3503 for more information.
The American Art
National Museum of Contemporary Art
Through Sept 25
For the first time in Asia, 87 artworks by 47 artists owned by Whitney Museum of American Art are on display. By looking at American contemporary art, people can understand American culture and society. There are special programs such as a lecture, seminar and conversation with a curator. Tickets cost 12,000 won. Located near exit 4 at Seoul Grand Park Station on subway line 4. For more information call (02) 2188-6069, 6070.
Aggregation 2007-2011
Through June 30
Artist Jun Gwang-young holds an exhibition that displays his art world by using “hanji” (Korean traditional paper). From 1995, Jun has created thousands of triangle-shaped Styrofoam pieces with hanji. For this exhibition, he shows the “Aggregation”series from 2007 to 2011. Located near exit 5 at Gyeongbok Palace Station on subway line 3. Call (02) 734-6111-3 for more information.
From Where I am Standing
Gallery Golmok
June 25-July 3
This is the second solo exhibition ofItalian-Venezuelan photographer Jose Antonio Nigro presenting a compilation of selectedphotographs highlighting his evolution and style as an artist. Nigro has developed a strong passion and enthusiasm for documentaryphotography, striving to capture a preciseand unique moment in time. Admission is free and works will be on sale. Located near Noksapyoung or Itaewon station. Call (02) 792-2960 for more information.
Kim Young-jun Exhibition
Korean Art Center
Korean traditional nacre or mother of pearl artist Kim Young-jun exhibits his artworks until June 30 at the Korean Art Center. Artisan Kim has received numerous awards including the National Art Competition award and other befitting accolades. Located near exit 3 at Jong-gak station on subway line 1. For more information call (02) 2003-8392 or visit https://www.knacre.kr or https://www.gookbo.kr.
New Acquisitions 2010
“New Acquisitions 2010” exhibits 45 works from 24 representative artists. The collection includes the main products of Korean contemporary art with the characteristics of presenting changes in media. Offering new formats such as video art from artist Im Choong-sup, Park Hyeon-gi, and Jung Bo-won are featured. Located near exit 4 at Seoul Grand Park Station on subway line 4. For more information call (02) 2188-6239.
Dreams Come True
Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Arts Center*
Through Sept. 25
The Art of Disney’s classic fairy tales is exhibited at the Seoul Arts Center. The exhibition presents the great legacies of Walt Disney artists, including Mary Blair, Glen Keane and Eyvind Earle, and features over 600 artworks representing some of the most beloved animated films. Tickets cost 10,000 to 14,000 won. For more information call (02) 795-2011~2.
Touch Me
Daerim Contemporary Art Museum
Through July 31
The Daerim Contemporary Art Museum is holding Juergen Teller’s photography exhibition “Touch Me.” The exhibition features Teller’s personal story as well as photos of celebrities and models. His philosophy of photography makes life’s daily moments special and catches the ordinary lives of supermodels and celebrities. Tickets cost 2,000 to 5,000 won. Located near exit 4 at Gyeongbok Palace Station on subway line 3. For more information call (02) 720-0667.
2011 Musee d’Orsay — Reve et Realite
Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center*
This exhibition includes the masterpieces from Van Gogh’s “La Nuit Etoilee, Arles” which is being shown for the first time in Korea and other famous artworks from Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir and Pierre Bonnard from the Musee d’Orsay collection. Tickets cost 5,000 to 12,000 won. For more information (02) 325-1077.
Cecily Brown
Kukje Gallery
Through June 24
Cecily Brown, a British artist who works in New York, will hold an exhibition in Korea for the first time to present 13 paintings and 6 mono-type art works. Her abstract artworks present love and desire of human beings. Located near exit 1 at Anguk station on subway line 3. Call (02) 3210-9885, 9886 for more information.
Richard Gere ‘Pilgrim’ Photo Exhibition
V-Gallery, Seoul Arts Center*
Through July 24
Actor Richard Gere has for many years found spiritual solace and guidance in Tibetan Buddhism. The “Pilgrim” exhibition is composed of 64 photographs capturing Tibet, its people, and its community. For more information call (02) 355-4486.
Kim Chong-hak Retrospective
A retrospective exhibition of Kim Chong-hak is being held at the National Museum of Contemporary Art. This exhibition presents his major paintings from his early to his latest works which show his unique style that goes against the stream of abstract art. Tickets cost 3,000 won. Located near exit 4 at Seoul Grand Park Station on subway line 4. For more information call (02) 2188-6000.
Don Quixote
Theater Yong
Through Aug. 28
The family musical “Don Quixote,” based on the novel “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha” written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, is performed at Theater YONG. Tickets cost 30,000 to 50,000 won. Located near exit 2 at Ichon station on subway line 4. For more information call 1544-5955 or 1544-1555.
Baseball
Saturday-Sunday, June 25-26
Samsung Lions vs. Nexen Heroes
Daegu Baseball Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
SK Wyverns vs. LG Twins
Munhak Baseball Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
Lotte Giants vs. Hanwha Eagles
Daejeon Baseball Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
KIA Tigers vs. Doosan Bears
Jamsil Baseball Stadium at 5:00 p.m.