Itaewon (; IPA ) is multi-cultural commercial area located in Seoul, South Korea. it is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Seoul, known for its nightlife and trendy restaurants.
Etymology
The name Itaewon was originally derived from the name of an inn located there during the Joseon Dynasty. Today it's called Itaewon alluding to its abundance of pear trees (梨泰院). According to a folktale, the name was also written using different Hanja characters that alluded to foreign babies (異胎院). When the Japanese invaded Seoul (1592–1593) during the Imjin War a group of Japanese soldiers seized a Buddhist temple in what is now Itaewon where Buddhist nuns lived. The soldiers stayed at the temple for a while and raped the Buddhist nuns. When the soldiers left they burned down the Buddhist temple. The raped Buddhist nuns now homeless settled nearby and eventually gave birth to children. People from neighboring villages named the area where the children were raised Itaewon in a portmanteau of terms meaning different, foreign and fetus. During the Imjin War this was also where wounded and surrendered Japanese soldiers (이타인/異他人) were allowed to live.
History
Itaewon was originally a transportation hub where travelers could get horses during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Itaewon became more of a significant area as the new leaders relocated the country’s capital to Hanyang – modern-day Seoul. As foreigners began to enter Korea in the 1880s, embassies and inns began to pop up in the region. Apart from Incheon, Itaewon became one of the most prominent spots for foreigners and travelers heading in and out of the capital city. Itaewon housed the city's largest cemetery until 1937. The recent history of the Itaewons district of Seoul's Yongsan District is closely linked to the US military base Yongsan Garrison established in 1945. With the large number of bars and brothels, the area has been coded as a dangerous place for many Koreans. Here, security was not just a local matter but sometimes blew up into national or geopolitical crises. Under this system, there was an absence of full legal accountability in the face of frequent abuses committed by American GIs. Criminal liability was limited in many cases where GIs would attack of abuse women living in the camp villages. The Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and South Korean government stipulated that all crimes committed by U.S. military personnel fell exclusively under the jurisdiction of U.S military courts. A National Assembly report from that time compiled a list of 39,542 crimes committed by U.S. military personnel between 1967 and 1987, including murders, rapes, theft, arson, and smuggling, which went largely unpunished. Twenty years after the Korean War (1950–53), Itaewon became a shopping district. The district gradually became gentrified and, in 2013, the US military moved its base with 17,000 soldiers to southern Seoul. Itaewon also became something of a home for the LGBT movement and was considered to be as open to foreigners as it was to Koreans. However, while representative commercial buildings had been erected in Itaewon, the area's characteristic of narrow streets had remained.
Local attractions
As Seoul's International District, Itaewon is known for serving cuisine that are not widely available in Korea, such as those from Great Britain, Germany, France, India, Italy, Southeast Asia, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Mexico, United States of America and Canada. Essentially, it is known as the "International District" or sometimes as "Western Town," reminiscent of many Chinatowns in Western nations.
Itaewon, along with neighborhoods and attractions like Hongdae, Insadong and Seoul Tower, is one of the most popular places in Seoul for tourists. Major hotels such as the Grand Hyatt Seoul and local landmark Hamilton Hotel are here, as well as several smaller hotels and guesthouses. Dozens of shops are aimed at tourists and offer Western or traditional Korean souvenirs. High-quality leather products, retail or custom made and are sold at reasonable prices (though haggling is expected) as well.
Itaewon includes the area known as Homo Hill and is Seoul's gay village. Despite the taboo nature of homosexuality in South Korea, people can express themselves openly within the neighborhood.
Itaewon was long known as a hub for high quality counterfeit goods, but those products have largely disappeared. Some authentic goods that are only produced in Korea for the international market, as well as some authentic imports are also available. Itaewon is known for its clothes makers who produce custom-made shirts and suits.