“Seoul Social Club”: On Feb/27, Cross Over to the Dark Side

You will be walking down Sinsa’s trendy “tree-lined” promenade Garosu-gil, when a white neon sign will catch your eye. “Are you bored?” it asks. Perhaps not, but now you will be curious.

Painted on the concrete below the open door, is a sign that says ‘YES”. If you start descending the numbered concrete stairs, a countdown will begin…23…17….12…You can’t help but feel you will “blast off” when you reach the bottom. You will end up in a narrow concrete hallway in which three white doors will present themselves: “Toilet”, “Staff Only” and a door that says:

Just what are you about to get yourself into? Turn the handle and find out. Or keep reading and I’ll tell you.

When I first opened the door to the “Social Club”, I expected to be enveloped in the bright lights of a white room, but instead my eyes dilated to adjust to the darkness. It is like walking into a black hole: even the black picture frames are sucked dry of their images, instead, they frame the empty wall.

I felt like I’d fallen down the rabbit hole and was about to do shots with the mad hatter himself. Our mad hatter took the form of an enthusiastic bartender, who was rocking out behind the bar, jumping over chairs, and even making us custom cocktails. It was incredibly cool.

Whoever thought up that sleek decor is a genius (did I mention the wallpaper? You have to walk in-between the legs of a larger-than-life underwear model to access the bathroom). And the music was awesome. The DJ was weaving intricate dance grooves, classic rock and even Michael Jackson into the play list.

The owner, Seung-soo Kim (“You can just call me Mr.Kim” he says) opened Social Club last September. “I opened this club in Sinsa because Garosu-gil is one of my favourite streets. It has a relaxed, natural and European feel to it, and that’s something we try to emulate at Social Club. Other clubs in Seoul cater to the professional, but we cater to everyone.” he says. “We call Social Club the ‘Adult Playground’. It’s a place that artists and business people can come to recover after a long day. It’s a great place to chill. We welcome people from all cultures”. Depending on who is working that particular night, Social Club boasts a staff that can speak English, Japanese, and of course, Korean. “We like open-minded people who appreciate various cultures, so everyone – from Koreans to foreigners – will be welcomed.” Just watch out if you are a red wine drinker: “We only like to serve drinks that make you feel excited, like champagne, vodka, tequila and specialty cocktails. We don’t have red wine, because it makes you feel too relaxed, and we want people to feel high!” laughs Mr.Kim. Social Club is known for its parties: “At Social Club, every night is a party, so we try to add something extra special on actual party nights.” Last Halloween, the club was fully decorated with cobwebs and monsters, and on Christmas, Santa stopped by to give everyone a present – a free drink ticket. “We’ve also had an ‘all you can eat mussel party’, and we’re planning to follow that up with a Sushi Party, an Oyster Party, and a party to introduce some of our brand new cocktails.” If you want in on this not-so-small secret then go to their next party, which will be held on Saturday February 27th. “You’re gonna love it.” smiles Mr.Kim. “I guarantee.”

To get to the Social Club, take subway line 3 to Sinsa Station (신사) and go out the #8 exit. Walk down the Garosu-gil promenade (formally known as 도산대로 북 5길) until you see a sign querying your boredom. www.seoulsocialclub.com



Popularity: 4% [?]