Seoul gay district
As a visitor, you are extremely unlikely to experience any outright discrimination but be aware, many queer locals lead double lives and succumb to the overwhelming societal pressure to keep their sexuality private. There is so much to do here — but we found our favorite memories were wandering through getting lost on back-streets, visiting all the weird cafes, hitting up Lotte World and wandering through design studios!
Gay travel guide to : Queer-centric information
South Korea as a whole has a far less accepting view of its LGBTQ community than most of the rest of Asia — and while the strength of conservatives and Christian fundamentalists wanes slowly, things are still not where they need to be. Get restaurants recommendation and reservations on the fly, public transport instructions up to the minute, bar opening hours, and, if it is your thing — access to gay hook-up apps to find out more about the local scene.
The gay scene in Seoul is mainly based in the Itaewon and Jongno districts. Beyond the gay bars, this is a city that packs a punch when it comes to delicious food (kimchi and Korean BBQ anyone?), impressive palaces, and a unique day trip to one of the world’s most fortified areas, the DMZ by the border with North Korea.
One of the best tips we can seoul you for exploring Gay Seoul is to pre-order a travel SIM card for easy airport pickup and activation the moment you arrive so you will not pay a fortune in international roaming charges. Skyscrapers overshadow elegant hanbok traditional wooden homesgreen spaces and cycle routes soften industrial hard edges, and K-Pop can be heard blaring on almost every street corner.
Not many tourists ever venture to Gay Jongno but know if you do that in the bars and clubs, you will always be welcomed with a smile. Still, with over 10 million people, Seoul is one of the biggest cities on Earth and has something for absolutely everyone.
South Korea is undoubtedly one of the more conservative countries in Asia, but even here, it is technically illegal to be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation. Traditional Korean Bathhouse. We hope this changes in the future and have some tips that might help, but in this respect, the gay scene in Seoul still very much has some growing up to do.
Still — it helps to have some idea of what is going on, so here are the best things to do in Seoul, according to us! Naturally, being gay districts not define which attractions most of us will want to see in gay city, and most queer travelers will simply want to check out the top things to see in Seoul during the day!
Better known for Samsung and political tensions with North Korea, there is a thriving queer scene here hidden right in plain sight — you just need to know where to look!
Not into the gay sauna? Find the best gay bars, clubs, saunas, massage spas, and gay-friendly hotels in Seoul, South Korea. Fast-paced and utterly obsessed with fashion and technology, the dynamic city of Seoul is also profoundly traditional, with peaceful palaces, temples and mountain trails.
Many in Korea believe they have never met a gay person, and it is a topic not often talked about, with political parties avoiding discussion of LGBT rights and many people burying their heads in the sand. LGBT acceptance has, however, rapidly grown in the past decade, especially in the younger generations, thanks to international influences, more queer events, and a louder presence of the local LGBT community, including —rather famously — celebrity Hong Seok-cheoncoming out in public.
Still, many members of the LGBT community still face difficulties at home and work, meaning Gay Korea has a long way to go still to catch up with its more progressive neighbors — Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and increasingly Vietnam.
Food, design, culture, history and wild nightlife — this sprawling metropolis has it all! So why wait? Updated LGBTQ+ area guide for nightlife, cruising, and local culture. We wish the society at large would be more accepting…. Pre-order the best local SIM card now to have it waiting for you when you arrive.
Check reviews, photos, and more on Synonymous with skyscrapers, the bustle of Insadong and street barbecues, there is actually a hidden-in-plain-sight gay scene here with more bars, karaoke joints, gay saunas and cafes than we could count.
The gay scene in Seoul, however, is growing every year and has plenty of fabulous queer fun to offer. Discover Seoul's top gay-friendly neighborhoods including Itaewon, Jongno, and Gangnam. Mobile data is fast, cheap and available almost everywhere in Asia, so it is no wonder most travelers choose to stay connected and get off the beaten track without ever worrying about getting lost.