On a Friday evening, 29-year-old Choi Jae-hyuk changes his outfit before he gets off work. Dressed in an uncomfortable suit during the day, Choi enjoys the instant transformation achieved by changing his clothes. The marketing researcher now checks himself out in the mirror, wearing his favorite hip-hop jeans, and adding earrings and bracelets for the finishing touch. His colleagues might not easily recognize him now, or perhaps see him differently, but the thrilled Choi says, "I am ready to go to Hongdae."

He says that he feels an absolute release from a conformist society while hanging around Hongdae and throwing himself into the loud, funky music at a hip-hop club.

Choi, who calls himself a "Hongdae maniac," also notes that the place protects him from harsh criticisms of being a "crazy" person.

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Started as an art venue, influenced by Hongik University, or Hongdae, the nation`s number one art educational institution, the Hongik University area now symbolizes complete liberation. While walking on the street, you may meet people who might have been called "nuts" anywhere else: people sporting body piercing, Afro-reggae hair, men wearing heavy make-up, or openly gay couples.

"It`s an island of legitimacy," says Choi, "The only place where the freedom of being `crazy` is accepted and treated as `normal`."

Hongdae has long been lauded as a stylish spot full of diverse cultural activities, favored by a wide range of people. An energetic and diverse crowd of young professionals, artists, students, expats and even travelers coming out of the exit No. 6 at Hongdae Station, Subway Line No. 2 define the area of "youth" and "passion," an area where each person has a marked individuality with refined styles.

Choi says Hongdae is an area where they discover their individualities otherwise deeply buried in the the masses, a magical island where people can truly become themselves.

A college student who requested anonymity says, "I feel the different atmosphere when I come out of exit No.6 at Hongdae Subway Station. I become an inimitable self, a person who is very unique and distinctive. At the very moment, I feel I am alive."

To explain the different beat generated in Hongdae, one must begin with the area`s numerous clubs, and clubbers.

While the rest of Seoul sinks into slumber, the Hongdae area is still scintillating under street lights, and filled with people dressed in their very own styles. Insiders attribute the growing number of clubs to the outpouring of passion during the 2002 World Cup and the influence of the established clubbing cult at Itaewon.

The first Club Day at Hongdae kicked off in 2001 and since then, the monthly event has allowed clubbers to enter 13 area clubs and to experience a variety of music. The Association of Club Culture, a group of Hongdae club owners, estimates that about 100,000 people surge into Hongdae streets on the fourth Friday of every month. With just one bracelet, costing only 15,000 won, those explosive hotbloods are ready to unleash their energy on the dance floor.

Under the dazzling lights, the clubbers show off their dancing skills until their clothes are wringing wet with perspiration. However, clubs are no longer just places where dance or music fans enjoy themselves. Clubs are increasingly becoming sexualized.

"Undeniably, Hongdae adds more and more of a `sexual element` in its culture in order to instantly appeal to people, to the younger generation," said nineteen-year-old Kim Sun-hyung, one of the dynamic party-organizers in the Hongdae entertainment business.

Kim says that his "porno party" featuring porn-movie actresses and free condoms was a huge success. "The venue was filled with more than a thousand people and the party certainly created a sensation," he said.

Kim says that his company is planning a "bikini party" this summer to entice Hongdae clubbers. "We`ll have gorgeous, sexy ladies in bikinis and a stage decorated in a beach atmosphere," Kim says. "People will just love it."

However, Cho Ha-na, a public relations manager of Ohoo Entertainment, which owns M2, one of Hongdae`s biggest concept party clubs, says that people should consider clubbing a form of entertainment that allows anyone to enjoy music. In anticipation of the summer break, clubs are stacking up a heavy schedule to amuse the "Hongdae street people," bringing world-class disc jockeys to Hongdae.

M2, for example, is inviting French DJ, Dimitri, on July 16th. Since the 1980s, the legendary DJ has been very active on France`s most popular radio music station, NRJ.

"At least twice a month, we invite world famous DJs from France, England and the United States. Also, M2 is not only about the dancing; many of our customers just come to enjoy the music. This is how we keep attracting many clubbers," said Cho.

Following the appearances of star DJs Sasha and Paul Van Dyk, M2 will unleash DJ Darren Emerson, who is known for his groundbreaking work with electronic trio "Underworld," and is ready to blow away audiences` minds once again. M2`s summer events, called its Platinum Series are organized in conjunction with Sickboy Productions, which throws together parties for small and mid-sized clubs in Korea, also featuring world-famous DJs.

Hip-hop, rave or trance, a subgenre of electronic dance music, are definitely mainstream at Hongdae club music. However, clubs offer audiences a chance to enjoy a wide range of music rather than staying with the fixed, popular genres.

Emphasizing the variety in club music, Hongdae clubs set aside a day for a music fiesta called "Sound Day," on every second Friday of the month. Irrespective of age and music genres, this is the day when everybody can stand together and taste various music forms in nine participating clubs. For the event on July 8th, the club Soundholic is participating for the first time and some well-known musicians are planning to step up to the stages.



Street culture



At 2:45 a.m, when exhausted clubbers make an "early" departure, there are some unwritten rituals that slow them down before they leave the island of openness. Budget-conscious clubbers don`t throw away their money on a taxi. Rather, they stay in the area till they can catch the day`s first 5 a.m train at the subway station. The night`s partying continues right through then.

With only several thousand won left in your pocket, it`s not easy to find a place to get together. So, people find affordable pleasures at street eateries, or at spontaneous street performances.

Exhausted, sweaty people might need to have something to drink or a haejangkuk, a hot and spicy soup to chase a wicked headache and swirling stomach.

The Hongdae crowd, however, prefers to re-energize with tteokbokki, or spicy rice-cake, served from mid-sized trucks.

Even ladies who are dressed in extra small tank-tops, and who might be weight-conscious, dig in enthusiastically.

It is in the wee hours of the morning, when clubbers start to trickle out, that the cash registers of food vendors keep ringing. Asked how much his business makes, the owner hesitates before whispering, "20 million won a month," which equals a whopping 10,000 dishes of tteokbokki per month.

The area around the playground across Hongik University frequently becomes an instant stage for street performers who voluntarily show off their musical talents. The spontaneous shows probably are throwbacks to the past, when the area was originally filled with talented but poor artists and musicians.

This plain, but genuine artistic ground constrasts with the luxurious, loud clubs and bars. However, this little cultural scene reflects the originality of Hongdae culture. This extemporaneous event doesn`t require money or a sexy outfit to attend, but explains why Hongdae is a haven where people truly are freed from social bounds, a place where you can enjoy listening to music on the street while squatting on a piece of ragged newspaper.

(christory@heraldm.com)

(yoonhs@heraldm.com)







By Cho Chung-un, Yoon Hee-sang