[Cityscapes] Finding clarity on top of The Korea Times

A rooftopper admires the night view from a rooftop in downtown Seoul in this October 2016 photo. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun

By Ron Bandun

I stopped by The Korea Times office recently to visit my editor. In the elevator, I found two foreign guys carrying big bags obviously holding camera gear. On the way down we made small talk about rooftopping in Seoul. They were obviously there for the roof.

On another visit later the same week, I ran into another pair boarding the elevator as I got off downstairs. I stayed a moment to confirm that, yes, they went to the top floor. More rooftoppers.

It left me curious how they found it, and if they were in communication with the others. I considered going up to talk to them, but decided my presence could alarm them or ruin their fun. So I stayed downstairs while they had their vertical adventure.

The roof itself is easily accessible, with no explicit rules against it. It has benches, ashtrays and a small park. The lobby has workers, but they are more for hospitality than security and have no monitors to watch surveillance camera feeds.

The Korea Times roof offers spectacular views in all four directions, with great overhead views of Namdaemun and Seoul Station in particular.

Seoul Station and Seoullo 7017 are seen from a rooftop in downtown Seoul, in October 2017. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun

In September 2017, the Canadian hip-hop artist K-Riz, here for Zandari Festa, was so inspired by the view he started composing on the spot, coming up with the song "You Should Be Here" which actually namedrops The Korea Times.

"Currently chilling under Korean skies, thinking the many places music will take you, found clarity on top of The Korea Times."

In October 2018, the Canadian punk musician Jenny Woo filmed an Instagram video here of herself dressed up in a hanbok high above the city streets.

"It's a reminder to all of us that no matter how many problems we have in life, sometimes if you just change your perspective, you can find a whole new beauty," she said, glancing over her shoulder at Namdaemun Gate.

Canadian punk musician Jenny Woo wears a hanbok for a photo shoot on a rooftop in downtown Seoul, October 2018. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

The same rooftop also made a split-second appearance in local punk band Machines' music video for the song "Everything's Fine."

This activity has a name, rooftopping, and a corresponding set of values and ethics shared or sometimes ignored among a vast international network. It emerged out of the urban exploration movement, but in the visual-based Instagram era has outgrown its roots. Contrary to popular belief, rooftoppers are not wild daredevils; on the contrary, many of us have a healthy fear of heights.

The "Seoul Rooftopping" group on Facebook has over 1,000 members, although activity has dropped to nearly inactive. Its founder once told me he just wanted to find good low-key spaces to enjoy cigars. He later added a couple more skilled rooftopping photographers to help him as admins.

I think rooftopping peaked a few years ago, both here and internationally, due partly to saturation, changing trends, personal growth and the breakdown of trust-based networks.

In the bid to outdo each other, several rooftoppers developed ridiculous personas and outlandish gimmicks that took the focus off the activity and placed it on themselves. As social media rewards risk-taking, the focus shifted further out onto the ledge over the abyss.

Money also infiltrated rooftopping, with corporate sponsors sending young people around the world and offering incentives. In early 2016, two of the world's most famous rooftoppers ― Vitaliy Raskalov and Vadim Makhorov ― visited Korea to conquer the still-incomplete Lotte World Tower; their trip was sponsored by a Russian travel company. The two rose to rockstar-level fame with their infiltrations videos posted on their online channel "On The Roofs." They're very good at what they do, but I've referred to them as "the last rooftoppers to visit every roof they go to," as sites are locked down after their videos go viral and bring too much attention to a particular building.

This hobby has taken lives too. On Nov. 8, 2017, Wu Yongning fell to his death while livestreaming himself doing chin-ups off the side of a roof in Changsha, China. A company had reportedly offered him 100,000 yuan (16.49 million won) for the stunt.

As incidents like these make global headlines, more people here are being alerted to it. Having a high profile does not suit a hobby as sensitive as rooftopping.

We lost access to The Korea Times roof some years ago for a few months, affecting all workers in the building. While I'm not positive it was due to rooftoppers, it's important for all rooftoppers to act with discretion, respect and safety, and not ruin the roof for others. Being the last to visit a rooftop is not an honor but a great shame. Fortunately the roof was opened up once again.

There are a lot of great rooftops across the city that are worth a visit, and it's up to the local rooftopping community and visitors to keep it that way. I appreciate the professionality of the rooftoppers I've caught going up to the roof, whoever they were.

Ron Bandun is a self-described "anarchaeologist."