Forty-four per cent of respondents chose Itaewon as their preferred destination. Twenty-eight per cent said they go out less than once a month. Both numbers tell you something real about who the Seoul scene is actually serving.
In late 2024, thedj-diaries.com ran a survey on Seoul nightlife distributed through club social media channels and word of mouth in the English-Korean bilingual community that overlaps with the city’s club scene. Three hundred and forty-three people responded. The sample is self-selecting, so the data should be read as a profile of the active club-going community rather than a census of all Seoulites who occasionally go out.
Forty-four percent of respondents chose Itaewon as their preferred destination, followed by twenty-three percent for Haebangchon, nineteen percent for Hongdae, nine percent for Gangnam, and five percent for Euljiro. The concentration of preference in Itaewon is significant relative to the scene’s actual distribution of venues. Most young Seoulites who go clubbing are going to Hongdae or Gangnam, not Itaewon.
Twenty-eight percent of respondents reported going out less than once a month. Forty-one percent once a month. Twenty-two percent two to three times a month. Nine percent weekly or more. Average spending per night ranged from £40 to £80, combining entry fees, drinks, and transport.
The top three requests were: more local Korean artist bookings (47%), better sound systems outside Itaewon (38%), and earlier starting times for events (33%). The first finding: the scene is more dependent on the expat and international visitor population than local industry insiders usually acknowledge publicly. The second: survey responses that mention the 2022 tragedy as a factor in reduced clubbing frequency outnumber responses citing any other single issue. The third: the demand for deeper music programming outside Itaewon is genuine and not being fully served by current venue programming.
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