Why Seoul Is The World's Best Club Destination Right Now
They say competition only makes you stronger, and that's definitely the case when it comes to club life in Seoul's Itaewon. If a DJ isn't getting the crowd revved up, or a venue hasn't got the vibe right, punters will just move on to the next place. There's no tolerance for mediocrity here.
Around fifteen years ago, music tourism to South Korea wasn't widely practiced. Internationally, there wasn't much interest, recognition, or consciousness around South Korean music and culture. Outside of 'Gangnam Style', much South Korea exports was barely registered on the global, mainstream scene.
Since that time, South Korea has emerged as a powerhouse of world-admired talent. From K-pop to sporting stars, the country has provided household names across industries, becoming informal ambassadors that piqued curiosities in S Korean culture world over, resulting in an explosion of international travel to the country.
More than 16 million travellers visited the country in 2024, and the government aims to attract 30 million tourists a year by 2027 - with fashion, food and film playing a key role in their strategy.
Over four million international travellers coming to South Korea are under the age of 30, many who list culture - K-pop idols, Netflix K-dramas - among their main motivations for going. This youthful, international influx, combined with government backing for culture sector, has had a knock-on effect on the underground club scenes. with more clubs - meaning more DJs and producers - active in Seoul than ever before.
Simultaneously, the sounds of K-pop have been shifting from hip hop beats to electronic dance rhythms. Major K-pop label SM Entertainment signed UK garage producers LDN Noise in 2015, inviting them to shape a new era of K-pop with decisively UK breaks. As underground electronic producers entered the scene, K-pop began both absorbing and contributing to the experimental energy of club culture.
You can hear this materialise in K-pop songs, with house tracks like 'View' by Shineee '4 walls' by (fx). Meanwhile bands Twice and I.O.I tapped into drum and bass singles ('Cheer Up', 'Very Very Very'), or more recent additions like Aespa releasing heavy dance tracks like mind-numbing 'Drama' and 'Spicy'.
"The evidence for the trend is that leading K-pop artists such as Aespa and New Jeans have started to adopt the amen-break (the fast breakbeat drum sound foundation of many UK flavoured rave music genres)," says Rich SCR of Seoul Community Radio, listing the work of local Korean producers like Mar Vista, Coziest, H4rdy, Co.kr and international names.
The muscle of the K-pop industry is feeding into to the energy of Itaewon club scene, where DJs battle it out to deliver the best K-pop remix, fastest: "There's a Korean saying, balli balli, which means do whatever you do, fast, work like crazy," says DJ 7ip7o3 (Tiptoe) at a recent SXSW panel 'Enter the K-Bass', hosted by Seoul Community Radio on how UK electronic is powering the next phase of K-pop. "When idols make a song, you have to remix the original track as fast as possible."
Rich notes that these bassy breaks are still relatively novel to local audiences, infusing the club scene with unprecedented energy. "There is something familiar to sing along to but added with the outrageous frequencies and dynamic sound typified by genres such as UKG, Jungle DNB, amapiano and dubstep."
The frantic energy of the DJ sets capture a spirit of competition, responding to the high standards of the crowds who are championing their output. Another element is the geography of the city itself.
"So many clubs compete in a small place. If you play one or two tracks bad, people will leave for another club."
"Back in the 90s when the city was rapidly growing they divided the city: this is where you sleep, this is where you spend money," said Jun Kim, A&R at SM Entertainment's dance label ScreaM Records during the panel. "Itaewon which has all the clubs and fashion inside, so many clubs compete in a small place. If you play one or two tracks bad, people will leave for another club only a five min walk away,"
The Seoul club scene is both extremely homegrown, yet very internationally-leaning, attracting international DJs and producers while cultivating homegrown talent . As pictured in this article, Itaewon establishments including Cakeshop, Bolero, ACS kr and bars like Rosso are all within walking distance, while Modeci in Hongdae, Times in Apgujeong and The Edge in Eulji-ro 3 are also notable mentions to check out the breadth of the city's club scene, leaning on hard-fast techno to bassy beats and avant-garde experimentalism. And the odd bit of k-pop, of course.
"Korea clubbing is a lot about keeping the energy high. Often lot of venue-hopping occurs meaning that DJs need to keep the dancefloors moving," adds Rich. "This doesn’t mean just playing obvious tracks - its more about the vibe, mixing styles, tine selection and making moments."
To prep for a night out in Seoul, check out guides by locals recommending where to go and how best to experience the city's nightlife: dj & model XINGXING' talks record bars and queer clubs, producer 250 points out historic venues and lounge joints, while DJ and radio host Paola Laf points out cosy whiskey bars and punk-spirited venues. Find more guides and tips for Seoul, here.