If you're looking for flavors of old Korea you can visit some of the temples and palaces that dot the huge metropolitan sprawl, as well as the arts and crafts neighborhood of Insadong with its galleries, street vendors hawking traditional foods, and old Korean buildings turned into restaurants and inns.

Itaewon, an international enclave, was, until recently, firmly rooted in 1950s America with its GI Joe (and Jane) US military presence and old time "juicy girl" bars (a nickname that sprang from overpriced juice drinks that one had to buy bar hostesses). These days the funky old shops and residential streets are being quickly replaced with trend-setting designer boutiques and world-class cafés and restaurants (especially the flashy new east side of Itaewon). Itaewon has an active gay scene and dozens of restaurants owned by local gay entrepeneurs. There are also more than a hundred small bars located in the center of Seoul in the Nagwon Dong neighborhood to the north and east of Topkol Park (Independence Park) which is on Jongno Avenue. Other areas with some gay life are Apkujong, Kangnam, Myongdong, and Shinchon.

But, while Seoul wears thoroughly modern make-up and South Korea has some of the strongest legal protections for equal rights, underneath, Korean society is still very much tied to conservative "Father Knows Best" values of a bygone American era along with the spread of the kookiest sorts of intolerant Christian cults. All this is changing fast, of course, and Korea's capital city is on a bullet train to the hip-hop future. Catch a ride soon, as the vestiges Seoul's past are quick becoming Disneyfied (those terribly fake looking beards and mustaches on the Gyeongbokgung Palace "guards" for example).

The population of Seoul is over 10 million and almost half a million Utopians live here. Most of them meet online through the usual cruising websites and you'll find quite a number of foreigners from around the world, including young and hot US soldiers, looking for encounters with you.

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• Cinemas
  There are at least several gay DVD theaters open in the Jongno 3-Ga area. If you are looking for older men, with the odd young businessman type, there's one just a short walk north on the street east of the little plaza off the small alley next to the (usually closed) east gate of Topkol Park. Take the street (not the alley) north, cross the next street, and continue on just down the little street to the east of the musical instrument market (turn right at the two telephone booths at the foot of the long stairs going up to entrance and then back down). Just where the long stairs come down on the north side, turn right down the small street and walk down a block or so to the DVD sign. Take the steps to B/F. This has a younger crowd and has much better gay flicks as well as some private and semi-private rooms for more intense action. The towelettes, condoms, lubricant and water are all free. While they all vary in popularity, videos displayed on the screens, size, facilities, supplies and age groups, the types of action going on in all of the theaters is quite similar. First, some petting, kissing and even more goes on in the seats, but usually the action is taken to more private areas as it heats up. Secondly, there is a lot of cruising and touching in the back of the theaters, aisles and hallways. More goes on in these darker areas, but for even hotter action, there are dark rooms that are semi-private, usually with curtains to provide a measure of privacy. Then, for the shy or those who want even more privacy, there are usually private rooms with a locking door and either a bunk or a couch and enough light to get a good look at your partner. You don't have to lock the door (some 3 and 4-way romps may spontaneously occur). And if you don't like the videos that are running, you can sometimes ask the attendant for your favorite genre (words like 'young twinks,' 'young Japanese,' 'elder Japanese men' or 'muscle men' are understood). The videos are all on computer and can be easily selected if the attendant is in a cooperative mood.
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• Jung-Ang DVD
  B/F Daewon Bld, Gosan-Dong 543-3, Ansan-city, Kungi-Do

  Subway Line 4 (from Seoul), Jungang Station. Gay cruising cinema. Underground level acess through staircase and/or garage.
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• "Lesbian Park"
  Shinchon, behind Hyundai department store across from the entrance to its car park. Yes, the rather severely paved triangular park, on one side of which is located Seoul's Erotic Art Museum and Gallery. Lesbians said to meet up here on Sun afternoons.
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ITAEWON

The trendy and bustling restaurant lane behind the Hamilton Hotel is packed with late night eateries that, as one local restaurateur estimated, are nearly 50% gay-owned. The spillover from the gay bars means that the venues and alleyways here are also prime cruising spots.

• Buddha's Belly (Thai) UTOPIA VERIFIED OCT 2020
  Noksapyeong-daero 40-gil, Itaewon 1-dong, Yongsan-Gu
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• OKitchen (modern Italian) UTOPIAN VERIFIED APR 2013, UTOPIA VISITED APR 2012
  Utopia Map
  02-797-6420

  Fourth alley on the right walking west from Itaewon Subway Station Exit 1. Fantastic modern Italian cuisine made with the freshest ingredients. Inventive juxtapositions, flavor-intensive preparations, well-portioned so as not to overpower. Order a few dishes and share with friends.
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• Restaurant Lane UTOPIAN VERIFIED APR 2013, UTOPIA VISITED APR 2012
  Utopia Map

  This small street running behind the Hamiltion Hotel is packed with popular eateries and lots of gay patrons as well.
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• Tartine Bakery & Café UTOPIA VERIFIED APR 2016, UTOPIA VISITED APR 2012
  Utopia Map
  3785-3400

  Second alley on the right walking west from Itaewon Subway Station Exit 1. They are halfway up the alley on the right. Homemade pies, cookies, New York Cheesecake, and fresh baked bread. Open daily 10am-10:30pm.
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