The population of Seoul is over 10 million (almost half a million Utopians live here).

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• Tapgol Park
  Utopia Map. Gone with the wind! This once-lovely little public park with garden nooks and crannies that attracted all sorts of happy locals, as well as gay cruisers, has been hideously paved over into a windswept plaza of overblown historical dioramas that you'd expect to see in North Korea, not South. The intricate, carved stone stupa that gave "Pagoda Park" its fairytale nickname, has now been entombed in a grey steel and glass coffin forcing worshippers who come to give offerings to pray as if outside an office building. Why use unobtrusive large pieces of non-glare glass when you can further obscure this national treasure with a checkerboard of small reflective panes held together by a clutter of metal trussing? Shame on the city planners that got it so completely wrong and ruined this pretty little oasis. New nickname: Eyesore Park.

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• Cinemas
  • Jong Gak Cinema
    Jong-no Gu, 070-7715-2335, 010-2309-2335. Gay movies and meeting place. Free coffee and tea. Open daily 11am-midnight.

    Comments from Utopians:

    "Jong-gak is a gay DVD bang. At Jong-gak station, go through underground shopping and out of exit 12. Walk straight for about 15m and you'll find McDonalds. Just two buildings after is the ShoeMarker. The entrance would be on your right to that establishment, where the basement advertises some fortune telling. Go 7 flights upstairs, open the door where you'll be met by a curtained counter. The fee is W$5,000. Lube, condoms and mouth wash are on a tray and are free. Coffee and water is there for you to take. All the other refreshments in the fridge cost W$1,000. There's a curtained room with a large TV and it is a smoking area. There's a PC room with some of them playing gay videos. The theater not big enough to call a cinema, but large enough to occupy 24 people comfortably. Open from 11am-midnight." -- PJack, Aug 15, 2010

  • 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.

    Comments from Utopians:

    "There are at least three more gay DVD theaters now open in the Chongno 3-Ga area. There is one just up the stairs just to the right of the entrance to the KFC. Look for the black sign in Korean and climb up to 3/F. This one has quite a mix of ages and sizes. There is another, if you are looking for older men, with the odd young businessman type, just a block north on 'Mary's Alley,' off the narrow street (closed to cars on Sun) just east of Topkol Park. For those who don't know where the old, very cruisy, Pagoda theater was, the little plaza where this gay theater is located is just east of the park. The former East Gate of the park, now closed for several years, opens right into the plaza. Now it's occupied by old men with their wares laid out on blankets, food vending stalls and fortune teller booths. The one theater is on the north side of that plaza (look for the black X on the glass door and climb up to 2/F. W$4,880.), but the better one requires a short walk north on the street, just east of this little plaza - continue 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 coffee is really the best I've found in a vending machine, long with the liquid yogurt drink. The little moist towelettes, condoms, and lubricant and water are all free." -- JasonBrill , Aug 22, 2010

    "Bada Theater was closed since May, and I just went to Kuk-Dong Cinema yesterday and it is closed. I tried to ask around about it but to no avail." -- PJack, Aug 15, 2010

• Parks
  • Namsan Park
    Utopia Map. Top of the hill behind Itaewon, between the Hilton and the Hyatt. After dark. Not exclusively gay, so be discreet as plenty of straight people come for a walk with their dogs or friends, even at late hours in the evening.

ITAEWON & "HOMO HILL"

• Buddha's Belly (Thai)
  673 Itaewong-2-Dong, Yongsan-Gu, 793-2173. Not far from Itaewon main drag. Gay-owned.
• Our Place
  Itaewon, Utopia Map. Restaurant and gay hang-out on the top two floors of building. From Itaewon subway take exit #3. Walk straight ahead to the first intersection, turn right and immediately enter the building to take the elevator up to the top floor. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a left, then follow the same directions. This place is owned by the famous Korean gay actor, Hong Suk-Chun, whose public drama coming out of the closet and then being fired from his job woke Korean society up from its former denial that gays existed here. It also brought him the support of international human rights organizations and helped stimulate GLBT anti-discrimination protections. He's a hero and he's often here.
• Jule's Kitchen
  225-94 Kyung-ri-dan, Itaewon-dong, Utopia Map, 02-749-9903. From Noksapyeong Station - the one just before Itaewon - take Exit 2 and walk down till you come to an underpass. Go through the underpass and take the exit on you left. When you come out you will see Istanbul (a Turkish restaurant) and Buddha's Belly (the Thai restaurant) - both of which are gay-owned. Walk past these and take the first right. Jule's Kitchen is about a five minute walk up this hill, on your left hand side just after the intersection. Popular with gays (Korean and foreigners). The owner (a straight female) speaks fluent English and some French also. She went to culinary school in the US and now sells her homemade cakes (carrot cake, double chocolate cake, apple pie, cookies, etc). She also has brunch with coffee and juice, waffles, pancakes, eggs and a variety of fresh sandwiches. It's a nice place to hang out and grab a coffee and enjoy the eye candy. Weekends are busiest, especially brunch. Closed Tue.

  
  OTHER AREAS

  Sanchon (Korean temple cooking) 14 Kwanhoon-Dong Chongro-Gu, 735-0312. Extraordinary traditional Korean vegetarian temple feast served in dozens of small bowls in the charming environment of an old courtyard home. All sorts of unusual grasses, herbs, fermented soy soups, kimchee, rice noodles, tubers, roots, seaweed, vegetable pancakes, garlic paste, and on and on. End it all with your choice of delicious teas and light rice puff sweets. Come a bit early for dinner if you want to avoid the more expensive seating with traditional dance show.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Sanchon was great! Thanks for the tip." -- Melo, Jan 13, 2010

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