Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chronicpride]

I was there tonight and went outside for some fresh air.

It's amazing the crap that you see out in front of that place. I feel like I'm in front of Mos Eisley Cantina.

A pack of Hawaiian guys trying so hard to be black, and trying to swear in Korean, at the passing police cars. Then chatting up passing Korean girls and saying 'You be on welfare, yo!" to impress their fellow clowns.

A Korean guy walking past a Canadian minding his business and the Korean guy saying in english, 'what the *beep* are you looking at?', and the Canadian retorting in full-on Korean, 'I didn't even look at you. Are you drunk?' Major kudos, to the expat, if he sees this. He looked to be a teacher.

The packs of gay Indians or Indonesians or whatever they were. But definitely gay and trying to vamp every guy on the dance floor.

I think that pudgy white guy who speaks Korean really well, on that English study TV program was there.

Never seen him, other than his website, but I could've sworn that Tiger Beer walked into the place. I don't know if he's over here now.

My confidence in the human race was restored, after I left the front of LimeLight and had a great conversation with the taxi driver on the way back to Gangnam. Sometimes, I think that I need to see that side of Korea, to appreciate the stuff that I take for granted.

[cellphone]

I was in the area tonight, but I decided not to go into Limelight. (getting so sick of these places soaking up your money.)

I was also over by the 7-eleven near hooker hill around 3 am 'ish and there were 3 older Korean men who were instigating a gang fight with 3+ black males right outside the Club XO entrance. Actually it really was the Korean guys' fault, they were semi-homeless and real idiots. Anyways it got really out of hand, the entire area was watching, "we're gonna kill you" and such phrases were hollared numerous times. It looked like alot of other people were going to jump in had it gotten any worse (people pushed to ground, shoved and the like, but no full face punches). Actually some local idiot Korean guys who worked nearby or something jumped in to tell the black guys "PLEASE CALM DOWN", of which didn't work.

Also just before that, about 7 or 8 Korean guys got into a major scuffle and REALLY were chucking beer bottles out into the street at their adverseries, also Korean. Did anyone see that? Also right in front of 7-eleven near "RIO" club or whatever. It was a miracle no bystanders were hit with the many bottles that were tossed from the nearby trashcan, easily 10 to 12 bottles. I am quite sure the Korean guys were all gay and must have come down the hill from that homosexual area, because several of the guys were bending their wrists when they were arguing.

Saw another situation a large group of Korean guys were chasing 3 foreigners that appeared to be of some sort of Euro or Middle eastern mix race, down the street. I think the 3 guys took some shots at some Korean guys, and then out of nowhere a whole bunch of K guys just assembled and chased after them.

I was followed for several minutes by a lone black male, right around the time when I was waiting for the subway to start up. He also purposely tried to walk right into me at first. His face was quite angry and rather hostile looking. I finally hung out by the police station after having crossed streets and did several turns to try and shake him. He waited around for like 10+ minutes, staring over at me.

Itaewon seems to be very, very lawless. Has it always been like that? The police seem to be far worse/lazy than the donut eaters the American cops are stereotyped as.

I'm really amazed at how so many people seem to basically just be begging for trouble in Itaewon. I mean it's just like you said, some people just go around screaming and hollaring, pushing in to people they don't know, anger often ensues.... Hard, long stares from out of nowhere. What gives? Does anyone know?

Thankfully it's not always like that. But the stuff isn't a rarity either. And it's all so sudden when and if it does happen. Strange how in some of these situations, some people will be walking by and won't even notice.

[Mashimaro]

itaewon = shite

[osangrl]

wow reading these stories... boy do I ever miss Itaewon! Always an adventure, its like going to mars.

I haven't been there since last summer. But by choice i guess.

[chiaa]

You know what is funny? EVERY time I have gone past the club XO king club area at the wee hours of the morning, I have seen some kind of altercation. Korean-Korean, Korean-white etc. This is the amazing part, if there were cops just standing there, instead of hanging out in their little building by the subway station, I would guess at least half the fights would not take place. Thus, less work for the cops later and dealing with the BS that goes along with trying to straighten it out.

[dulouz]

I pretty much live here for the white girls and I never go to Slimelight but I go to the stalls on the hill's alley for dinner and to people watch. The foibles and very amusing.

[lastat06513]

That was nothing, you should seen what was going on around Sookmyung W. Univ. station Saturday night;

1. A big brawl between 2 rival middle school softball teams broke out near some restuarants in the area. A few windows got smashed in.

2. There was another brawl right in front of the subway stop between two people who got into an accident a few minutes earlier.

3. And a couple of drunk homeless guys tried to climb the rock-climbing wall, only to fall down (on soft tarp, of course)

I don't think much of Itaewon since I have lived in the area for about 3 years and have been going there to hang out since 1997.
I think it got quite tame, compared to the " hey days" of Itaewon right up to the eve of the 9/11 attacks (literally, right after that incident, the army put a curfew on the soldiers and it was quiet for about 3 to 4 months until the curfew was lifted. Only to be slapped on again right after the invasion of Iraq)

Back around the first few times I went there, it was the wild-west; a fight every 2 minutes between GI-GI, GI-korean, GI-teacher, teacher-korean, etc. You could have just sit for hours and watch the madness unfold.
One of the memorable events was right after the superbowl in 1999, when a group of soldiers were rampaging through Itaewon, a whole company of MPs' came out to stop them. They grabbed anyone who looked like a GI. People were running everywhere to escape the madness.
It was awsome because there were tons of people who would hang out everywhere from sunset to sunrise. Almost every bar stayed open to 8 or 9 am and there was a coffee shop across the street from the fire station where you can crash until you are able to get up and walk home or when the buses start running.
Itaewon is not what it used to be and most of the "strangeness" now is done by mostly other foreigners or teachers.
I think once Yongsan leaves, that would be the end of
"good ol' Itaewon"
I think it will turn into something like Myong Dong or Dongdaemun

[chronicpride]

Yeah, it'll certainly be toned down a fair bit. Still will get a lot of DDD workers and teachers, but I would expect that there will be some migration to Hongdae for many.

Any ideas where the juicy bars will migrate to? Pyongtaek and Osan already have a lot, so it'll be interesting if they will follow the GIs down and in on that territory. Either way, it'll be nice if Itaewon cleans up and gets the shit out.

[ZUL]

absolutly, itaewon is the armpit of korea for sure, but limelight sure is fun to dance and...

as far as the drunk koreans outside talking smack i saw them!! that was some seriously funny stuff! they were trying to be og's for sure!

the gay indians, messed up to say the least! i left the bar that night strictly because of them, chronicpride you saw! those dudes were on a mission and i sure as spit wasn't going to be their objective! so to avoid a fight i bailed.

anyway itaewon is good for laughs, and the occasional wild night. but for real fun it's all about hongdae!

[tomwaits]

Yes those first 2 posts make me want to come back to Corea.HEHEHHEH!

Really though Hollywood upstairs always seemed OK--not like thatc meat market downstairs.

Anyway watch your step---esp around the 7/11 at 5 in the morning.