South Korea - The Korea Times

KOREA ENCOUNTERS Blaming victims of 1974 go-go club fire

Daewang Corner fire, published in The Korea Times Nov. 5, 1974. / Korea Times ArchiveBy Matt VanVolkenburgOn Aug. 5, 1972, a fire swept through the Daewang Corner building near northeastern Seoul's Cheongnyangni Station, killing six people and injuring over 80 more. The eight-story building housed “a department store, several restaurants, a bank branch, offices, apartments, a hotel, a private educational institute and a theater,” so when the fire broke out on the first floor, some 3,000 people were left in danger.Firefighters rescued 356 people using ladders, while others escaped via ropes or by jumping, which led to injuries. In an editorial, The Korea Times criticized the fact that the firefighting operation took five hours, despite the arrival of 80 fire trucks, and wondered if “the recent transfer in the jurisdiction of firefighting from the national police to the metropolitan administration is the cause of such inefficiency.”"Propane Again" editorial cartoon, published in The Korea Times Aug. 8, 1972. / Korea Times ArchiveIt also noted that the fire was f

Jun 16, 2023By Jon Dunbar

[KOREA ENCOUNTERS] Blaming victims of 1974 go-go club fire

French, Kiwi rugby champs to visit Seoul for charity dinner

From left, Rod McCall (Australian 1991 RWC winner), Joel Stransky (South African 1995 RWC winner), Israel Dagg (New Zealand 2011 RWC winner) and Grant Beuzeval (MC Asia Rugby Lead Commentator) appear at the Seoul Charity Rugby Dinner in 2019. / Courtesy of Australian Chamber of Commerce in KoreaBy Jon DunbarThe Seoul Charity Rugby Dinner is back in time for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The charity event, held once every four years, lands on June 16, a few months ahead of this year's hotly contested rugby tournament, which takes place in France from Sept. 8 to Oct. 28.Held at The Ambassador Seoul hotel, the event will offer guests an evening of fine dining, world-class beverages, champion speakers and a chance to support some local charities.The event will welcome two iconic players of the game, representing both the Northern and Southern hemispheres and also two countries who are among the top seeds for the 2023 event. From France comes the 2-meter-tall David Auradou, who represented his country in 41 matches between 1999 and 2004. Also, a guest of honor is New Zealand's Stephen Donald,

Jun 13, 2023By Jon Dunbar

French, Kiwi rugby champs to visit Seoul for charity dinner

Octopoulpe returns to Korea's shores

Octopoulpe performs at GBN Live House in southern Seoul's Mullae-dong, Jan. 21, 2017. / Korea Times photo by Jon DunbarBy Jon DunbarAfter years of wandering the earth, the hideous beast known as Octopoulpe returns to the shores of Korea, the land where it was conceived. “Even though I'm French and I live in Mexico, I keep saying that Octopoulpe is a Korean project,” said JP, the one member of Octopoulpe who lived in Korea for several years in the 2010s. In 2014 he created the one-man band Octopoulpe playing music like math rock and hardcore punk. A computer whiz, he came up with a unique interface enabling drum input to guide a computer program, resulting in interactive performances. Audiences can see JP himself playing drums, while clad only in an octopus mask and his underwear, accompanied by a screen playing prerecorded videos. Although he's a one-man act, this system lets him play multiple instruments all at once simply by playing different drum sequences. He can also control the video and the lighting. “There's another very new thing I started for the first tim

Jun 13, 2023By Jon Dunbar

Steve Gallas helps lift local stand-up comedy scene 'Above the Line'

Stand-up comedian Steve Gallas / Courtesy of Kipuem OhBy Rory Kelly“I make jokes all the time,” Steve Gallas told The Korea Times. “Sometimes it could be said that I make jokes to a fault.” Relatively new to stand-up comedy, Gallas, in his own words, fell into the hobby by accident. A friend of a friend was involved in the stand-up scene and, after they hung out for a couple of hours, he suggested Gallas give it a try.Gallas had been interested in comedy for a long time, but the opportunity had never presented itself. An open mic seemed like the answer. “When presented to me in this sort of low-stakes fashion, I figured 'Why not?'” And he has no regrets. “I love doing comedy, so I'm glad I gave it a shot,” he said.In addition to performing, Gallas is stepping into producing. He is collaborating with D. Hall to produce a comedy showcase in western Seoul near Hongik University, titled “Above the Line.” Although he hadn't done comedy before, he comes from a creative background and has written fiction and satire. This influences

Jun 12, 2023

Steve Gallas helps lift local stand-up comedy scene 'Above the Line'

PINNACLE'S ITAEWON Dark De Gary hosts open night, Casa Amigo throws gig

Becky T and Tracy Scott perform at Casa Amigo in central Seoul's Itaewon, June 8. / Korea Times photo by Jon DunbarBy Pinnacle TheHustlerMexican restaurant hosts musical performanceCasa Amigo, located above Taco Amigo in Itaewon's Gyeongnidan area, is hosting its weekly night of live music this Thursday. Guests can enjoy the restaurant's Mexican food and drinks while being serenaded by Becky T on vocals and Tracy Scott on the keyboard. The live music event runs from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and as a special treat to further fulfill one's appetite for entertainment, customers can enjoy a 50 percent discount on all margaritas until closing. Additionally, the bar is offering fajita burritos at a 30 percent discounted price of 8,000 won. The kitchen will close at 10:30 p.m., but the bar will remain open until 1 a.m., giving everyone ample opportunity to bask in the afterglow of the evening's musical performances.Follow Casa Amigo on Instagram @tacoamigo_ for more information.An open stage event / Courtesy of FernandoStand-up community offers weekly open micStand Up Seoul, now known as DD

Jun 12, 2023

Punk festival finally returns to Incheon's Hanagae Beach

Hanagae Beach is the site of IT'S A FEST!, a three-day punk rock festival happening this weekend. Korea Times photo by Jon DunbarBy Jon DunbarAfter four long years, the punk music festival IT'S A FEST! (IAF) is finally returning to Hanagae Beach on Incheon's Muui Island, not far off from Incheon International Airport. “After the success of the first IAF in 2019, I never would have guessed that we'd have to wait four years to do it again,” Jeff Moses, co-organizer of the festival and lead singer of punk band …Whatever That Means, told The Korea Times. A follow-up festival planned for 2020 was canceled, and for 2021 plans were made again, but not announced, in the hope that the pandemic would ease. Since then, Moses and his wife Trash, the two main figures behind local punk label World Domination, Inc., have been biding their time. “Finally!” Moses said. “The festival will have the same vibe as last time: a fun-filled weekend with lots of great punk, ska, hardcore and other 'punk-adjacent' bands. We're planning to have some of Korea's best-known act

Jun 11, 2023By Jon Dunbar

Punk festival finally returns to Incheon's Hanagae Beach

Philippines Day celebrated in Gwangju

Members of the Gwangju and South Jeolla Province Philippine community hold a parade during the Gwangju Philippines Day event in Gwangju's Geullin Park, May 28. / Courtesy of Arlo MatiszBy Arlo MatiszDrizzling rain and a cloudy sky could not dampen spirits on Gwangju Philippines Day, organized by the Gwangju-Jeonnam Philippine Community (GJPC). Music, food and pageantry provided a festive atmosphere despite the inclement weather on May 28 in Unam-dong's Geullin Park. Members of the Gwangju and South Jeolla Province Philippine community march in a parade during the Gwangju Philippines Day event in Gwangju's Geullin Park, May 28. / Courtesy of Arlo MatiszBright colors and smiles abounded during the parade which opened the festivities and the cultural dance competition which came later in the morning. Several contingents also prepared decorated booths promoting different regions of the Philippines. The Cordillera performance included a banging gong and a clashing of shields in mock combat. They won first prize in the booth competition. Members of the Gwangju and South Jeolla Province Phi

Jun 10, 2023

LIFE'S OLLE TRAILS 2 Fighting agrarian anxiety attacks on Jeju's paths

A butterfly visits a flower, seen by one of Jeju's Olle Trails. Courtesy of Rachel StineBy Rachel StineIt was May 2021. Six months had passed since I moved to Jeju.Cut off from my friends in Seoul, the gravitas of the COVID-19 pandemic sank in. After the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots and the murder of George Floyd, it felt like the world was collapsing.Then my uncle died. Five days later, my 104-year-old grandmother ― the matriarch of the Stine family ― also died.This maelstrom of stress culminated in a relapse of the nameless anxiety disorder that had decimated my life in university. While the condition landed me in New York City emergency rooms twice, it evaded formal diagnosis for years. I was assured that I'd “make a great case study” because my symptoms were so irregular.Unfortunately, my brain internalized this as: “You're such an anxious puddle we don't even have words to describe it. Here's some medication, kiddo … good luck! Fighting!”But I certainly didn't feel like “fighting.”Having anxiety was like falling to the bottom of a deep wel

Jun 10, 2023By Jon Dunbar

[LIFE'S OLLE TRAILS 2] Fighting agrarian anxiety attacks on Jeju's paths

Punk band from Korea's most conservative city prepares for Pride Month tour

The three members of punk band Drinking Boys and Girls Choir raise their beers under the tracks of Daegu's monorail. / Courtesy of Drinking Boys and Girls ChoirBy Jon DunbarDaegu punk band Drinking Boys and Girls Choir (DBGC) is coming to Seoul this Saturday, the first date on their two-city Pride Month tour this month. There's something different about DBGC, following their latest lineup change. They've had members come and go before, but this is the first time the three-member band is all-female. But they brushed off the suggestion that they have now become a “Drinking Girls Choir.”“The name is just a name, not limited to gender or gender identity,” Kim Myeong-jin, the vocalist and drummer who also goes by MJ, told The Korea Times. “The name does not explicitly mean a mixed-gender band, and can be understood to encompass many people.” Meena sings during a Drinking Boys and Girls Choir show at The Studio HBC in Seoul, Aug. 20, 2022. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar“I think it works because the choir doesn't have to specifically refer to the

Jun 7, 2023By Jon Dunbar

Punk band from Korea's most conservative city prepares for Pride Month tour

Southside Parlor adds international twist to Seoul's cocktail scene

Southside Parlor / Courtesy of Robert Michael EvansBy Jamie FinnItaewon bar Southside Parlor has developed a reputation as one of Seoul's leading names in cocktail craft. But the team there are not content with serving delicious twists on classics to locals only. Instead, they've been touring Asia, spreading their unique recipes and bringing their bright energy with them. Here they talk to us about their passion for mixing and the current state of Seoul's bar scene.Seoul may not be the first city that comes to mind when one thinks of upscale cocktail establishments, but that perception is an unfair one. Or so claims Southside Parlor co-owner Bobby Kim.“The Korean bar scene is top-notch,” Bobby explains as Southside Parlor staff around us prepare for the busy night ahead. “It's very underrated, and it's been exploding over the last few years. The longstanding issue with the Korean bar community has always been the language barrier. It has often meant the scene here is overlooked. But since (the pandemic), many Korean bartenders that went abroad to study bartending ha