Nightlife in South Korea: A Proper Night Out, Korean Style

Seoul is a vibrant city – even more so when the sun has set and its population is eager to go out and have fun. In fact, South Koreans truly know how to have fun, as the local nightlife culture has developed a “station system” with a restaurant for dinner being the first station followed by bars, pubs, karaoke rooms, and more food and drinks as subsequent “stations.”

Usually, a night out on the town involves two or three rounds, but a special occasion such as a birthday or holiday can take merry-makers all the way into a fifth. Each round generally takes place at a specific kind of establishment. Bars and clubs in Seoul open, close and change names often, so check a venue’s current hours (on Naver Map or Kakao Map, or its social media) before heading out.

First Round - Gogi jib

A gogi jib is a barbeque restaurant that serves fatty slabs of samgyeopsal (pork belly) which makes a filling start to the night and pairs beautifully with somaek, a widely-consumed cocktail of soju and maekju (beer). There are so many gogi-jip choices in Seoul. So, how do you know which restaurants have the best Seoul barbecue? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Maple Tree House

Maple Tree House is a very foreigner-friendly restaurant. But, it’s also super popular with the locals (you’ll usually find a 50-50 split of locals and foreigners there). It combines traditional Korean BBQ techniques with a clean, modern setting, and it’s great for big groups. When you’re in Seoul, you’ll need to order hanwoo (local cuts of beef). It’s the highest-quality beef out there! Maple Tree House masterfully crafts a perfectly aged, thinly cut, tenderly cooked hanwoo.

WooSung Galbi

If you’re a fan of pork, stop at WooSung Galbi. You’ll find it smack in the middle of Yaksu Market (make sure to leave time to take in other aspects of the market experience). It’s definitely a no-frills BBQ spot, you’ll sit in plastic chairs, in a dining room with little to no decor. But this simplicity is super effective. The menu only has 2 choices, but they’re both amazing. You’ll pick from the pork galbi (galbi refers to any barbecued short ribs, not just beef ribs) or the pork rinds.

Palsaek Samgyeopsal

Palsaek Samgyeopsal specializes in 8 types of local seasoned pork belly (samgyeopsal means pork belly in Korean). You’ll get to watch the servers prepare your pork. Then, you’ll wrap it up in a leaf and eat it in the traditional way, with garlic and kimchi. The 8 signature flavors of pork at Palsaek Samgyeopsal are ginger, wine, ginseng, pine leaves, herbs, curry, soybean paste, and hot pepper paste.

Second Round - Bars

Seoul is a huge city with a diverse range of bars to choose from. Whether you’re a cocktail connoisseur, craft beer enthusiast, live music junkie or want to get buzzed on a budget, Seoul’s got a bar for you. A Korean favorite is the ‘self bar’, where you can grab your own beer from one of the many refrigerators and pay when you leave.

Korea Beer Exchange

If you’re a craft beer lover who isn’t content with the staple Korean beers, then this is the place for you. A wide selection of beverages is readily available, both on tap and bottled, and the staff is extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about the drinks being served. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and there is a good choice of food to boot.

Third Round - Clubs and lounges

There are plenty of big, flashy clubs throughout the city, with different types of music and atmospheres to please just about any preference. The big club areas are Gangnam, Hongdae and Itaewon. Many clubs charge a cover fee, some require you to reserve a table, and most check ID at the door (bring your passport), so be sure to do your research ahead of time. On big nights such as Halloween, Itaewon’s narrow alleys get extremely crowded; since the 2022 crowd crush there, the city puts crowd-control measures in place, so follow staff and police instructions and avoid packed slopes.

Cakeshop

Cakeshop, just across from Noksapyeong Station, is a fixture of Itaewon’s club scene. Open late on weekends, it books some of the best acts in town, whether you’re looking for hip-hop or electronic music. Well-known artists have been known to play sets here, like Nosaj Thing, Étienne de Crécy, and Shlomo. Very popular with the younger crowd, Cakeshop is one of Seoul’s longest-running underground clubs and is usually packed on weekends.

Fourth Round - Noraebang

No night out in Korea is complete without a session of noraebang, or karaoke. Hugely popular among Koreans of all ages, these private singing rooms are practically ubiquitous in Seoul and make for the perfect spot to round off a long evening out.

Sweiri Noraebang

This one is all about themes. Each of the rooms you can rent has a different theme like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Ancient Egypt and many more. When you show up you can see what is available and what theme you want. Most of the rooms also have beds so if you get tired you can have a lay down if you have been singing for hours.

Prince Edward Su Noraebang

A popular karaoke place in the middle of Hongdae. A really cool place, famous for its rooftop terrace with a giant patio where you can enjoy amazing views of all of Hongik University area and surrounding areas!

Coin Noraebangs

This is actually a new type of noraebang which has become very popular near the universities. You pay per song with coins or small notes, so it costs only a little to sing a few songs. You do not need to rent a room by the hour the way you do in the other ones which means you can pretty much leave whenever you want without losing any money.

Want a local to take you around Seoul after dark? Find a guide on MyProGuide or browse our Korea tours.

Cover photo: Ken Eckert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons