(reuters)The area around downtown Itaewon, one of the three major club areas in Seoul, becomes very noisy and crowded on weekend evenings.
It is fun because you can feel the unique exciting atmosphere of the entertainment district, but you should be careful because there are many drunk people and warm-hearted people due to the development of club culture.
In fact, it is also the place where the 1997 Itaewon murder, which is still talked about due to various questions, occurred.
In the past, the U.S. Forces Korea was quite visible, and because of that, the U.S. military police also traveled around, but now it is quite difficult to see U.S. soldiers in Itaewon as the U.S. military base moved from Yongsan-gu to Pyeongtaek-si.
Instead, native-speaking instructors and tourists living in Korea are taking over. Thanks to this, it is certain that among the busy streets of Seoul, there are the largest number of foreigners along with Myeong-dong even after the absence of U.S. troops.
If Myeong-dong is mainly for shopping tourists, Itaewon is a foreigner living in real life, but the purpose of drinking and dancing is relatively strong.
In addition, it is also a very rare place to see the opposite sex (mainly men) whistling and cat-calling while walking down the street, which is talked about in the virtual world.
This problem may lead to disputes between foreigners who made cat calls with their boyfriends or parties who were walking on the street together.
Rarely, there are also people who try cat calling for couples.Based on Itaewon Station and Hamilton Hotel, there is a gap between the rich and the poor in the neighborhood.
In the west and south, there are mainly houses for the common people and traditional markets, while in the east and north, it is one of the nation’s richest areas with large, high-end mansions the size of a playground.
The rich village formed on a ridge north of Itaewon-ro is famous for Beverly Hills in Seoul, where chaebol families live. Representatively, all three generations of Samsung Group, Lee Byung-chul, Lee Kun-hee, and Lee Jae-yong, live here, and Seung-won, which Chairman Lee Byung-chul used during his lifetime, is still known to be used by Samsung Group to greet VIPs or make important decisions.
Shinsegae Group Chairman Lee Myung-hee, the youngest daughter of Chairman Lee Byung-chul, Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin and Shinsegae Group President Chung Yoo-kyung also live near Lee Kun-hee’s home.
In addition, famous Korean celebrities such as BTS Jungkook, Yoo Ah-in, Park Myung-soo, and Song Joong-ki live here.
The southern part of Itaewon-ro is a commercial area and a residential area for the common people, with a high proportion of foreigners.
Although the residential environment is not good compared to the north, it is still expensive, and it has been designated as Hannam New Town, and the price has risen further as it has been ranked as the No. 1 redevelopment investment.
Hannam District 1 on the west side of Bogwang-ro is sluggish, and Hannam District 2 on the east side of Bogwang-ro almost ran aground, but recently, the project is being carried out rapidly.
Until the 2000s, it was a typical foreign village rather than a tourist destination, and there were quite a few clubs, but it was known as a place where sexual minorities and transgender people visited, not a place where Koreans from other regions said they were willing to visit.
However, in the 2010s, as famous restaurants and Gyeongridan-gil run by celebrities became popular as a downtown or tourist destination due to explosive demand.
However, as the area is limited, the main commercial district is not large compared to other downtown areas.
Since the U.S. military base left for Pyeongtaek, it has been said that the Itaewon commercial district may be stagnant, but the surrounding market has risen further for several years.
However, amid the prolonged aftermath of gentrification and the vacancy rate increased due to the closure of alley businesses, the number of businesses temporarily closed due to the aftermath of the 2020 coronavirus infection and the collective infection of local clubs was indeed in crisis.
Sales in the region in 2020 decreased by 64.7% compared to the previous year, 2019.
Currently, in Korea, online services such as SNS are called YouTubers and influencers, showing off their popularity, causing an accident in Itaewon, where Halloween Day is customized, floating, and crowded due to content and location.
It was an accident in which culture was not mature to be a country that claims to be a cultural advanced country due to K-pop and dramas, which are representative countries of culture.
In particular, it is a pity to see that most of the deaths and injuries are in their teens and 20s. Recently, Korea has been leading to collapse personnel accidents during apartment construction, personnel accidents at bakeries, and dense greetings on Halloween Day weekends.
KS CHOI
ASIA JOURNAL
