The CBT reporters visited Itaewon for this 181st newspaper issue. They arrived at Itaewon Station about 10 minutes after taking a taxi from Gangnam Express Terminal. When reporters came to the station, there were lots of foreigners. One reporter said, ‘Is there another place where foreign culture has developed so well in Korea?’ Many foreigners who live in Korea visit Itaewon because there are plenty of nice bars and cafes rather than ordinary restaurants. If readers would like to taste various foods that are famous in their own countries, they should visit Itaewon right away.

Gyeongridan Street



  The first place that readers should go is Gyeongridan Street. It is named after a former finance center, named Gyeongridan in Korean (It is currently The Armed Forces Financial Management Corps). With the AFFMC being the center, a business district has formed along an uphill road toward Noksapyeong Station. If visitors keep following the upward path, they will reach Namsan Park.
  The Namsan Tower in Namsan Park is famous for its scenic beauty. If people go up the hillside of Gyeongridan Road, they can see many diplomatic embassies including Argentina’s, the Philippines’, and the Kenyan Embassies. Also, people can enjoy various exotic foods from different cultures when they are going up the hill. Gyeongridan Road could be as ordinary as any other neighborhood, but the Global Village Festival is held every mid-October.
  The Itaewon Global Festival was first held in 2002 to combine Korea’s traditional culture with the foreign cultures of Itaewon. It has now become a significant festival in Seoul that is held every fall with various attractions. Various events, like food and folk instruments from around the world, a parade with more than 800 people participating, concerts by K-POP singers, and a place to experience cultures of the world, are held there. This year, it will be held from October 13th to 14th.

Itaewon Market



  Visitors can find the Itaewon Market by walking from the Itaewon Station to Noksapyeong Station. There are many attractions on the way to Noksapyeong Station before reaching the market. They can often see citizens talking to foreigners and walking down the street in an array of fashions.
  On Halloween, visitors can see people enjoying Halloween with all kinds of strange costumes on the streets. In Itaewon markets, visitors can see larger clothes that are usually not worn in Korea. Since many foreigners are typically bigger than Korean, there are many clothes in bigger sizes.
  Also, there is the graffiti artwork drawn in each neighborhood. The word ‘graffiti’ comes from the Italian word ‘graffito,’ which means ‘scrape’ or ‘scratch.’ It stands for a letter or a picture drawn by spraying paint on a wall. So much graffiti can be seen in the streets of Itaewon. Each graffiti has a different meaning, and each artist expresses their personality, so it’s exciting to watch them. Visitors can take an interesting photo with graffiti in the background.

Itaewon Eateries

  If readers go to Itaewon, they should visit some of the restaurants there. In Itaewon, representative foods from all over the world are the most popular. Turkey is famous for kebabs, while Germany is famous for beer and sausages. There are many eateries which show their unique identities. Linus BBQ, an eatery which has much unique graffiti on the wall, is very different from the other eateries. The interior has modern bright lights. The atmosphere is filled with American culture. The menu has a variety of dishes, but the barbecue platter attracts the most attention. It is said to be the most popular cuisine in this restaurant. With the meal served, the clerk comes and explains how to eat it. Customers can dine with pickled vegetables, sauces, and barbecue meat. The taste is similar to Western food in the states.



  CBT reporters went to Itaewon to experience the culture of this town. The village felt foreign because there were many foreigners. Reporters placed an order in English at a foreign-run store and exchanged greetings with foreigners walking down the street. Reporters realized that not all foreigners were hard to approach. CBT has one piece of advice: Itaewon may not be a problem during the daytime, but visitors should be more careful at night. In any culture, people enjoy drinking at night, so drunk people are often seen at night and must be avoided. Also, dark streets are dangerous everywhere, so it is essential to be more careful, especially in Itaewon. Try not to go to places that seem dangerous. If readers visit Itaewon in the future, reporters hope this article will be helpful for them to enjoy touring Itaewon.

By Nam Min-woo | mw38@cbnu.ac.kr
By Park Ju-hyeon | jh38@cbnu.ac.kr