Tag: Itaewon

It is pretty amazing how many people that one person infected with the coronavirus was able to spread through clubs in Itaewon:

 Coronavirus cases linked to clubs and bars in Seoul’s multicultural district of Itaewon have jumped to 54, an official said Sunday, as South Korea struggles to stop the cluster infection from spreading further.

The hike deepened fears that Itaewon-related infections could get out of control and lead to a nationwide transmission after the country had successfully brought the virus outbreak under control with zero local infections reported on many days in recent weeks.

The Itaewon infections began when a 29-year-old man tested positive on May 6 after visiting five clubs, including King Club, Trunk Club and Club Queen, between the night of May 1 and wee hours of May 2. More than 1,500 people were believed to have visited those clubs and bars on that night.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Any place with people packed into it is a risk to spread this virus, so the nightclubs and bars will likely be closed for a quite a while:

The Seoul city government on Saturday effectively suspended business at clubs and bars in the city after recent infections in the city’s popular multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon put health authorities on alert over a possibly bigger outbreak.

Under an administrative order that has gone into effect immediately, all clubs, bars, “room salons” and other nightlife establishments across the capital will be banned from hosting crowds of people, virtually suspending businesses at such venues.

“Such facilities have to suspend business immediately and will face strict punishment if they breach (the order),” Mayor Park Won-soon said in a press briefing, adding the order will remain in effect under further notice.

“Carelessness can lead to an explosion in infections — we clearly realized this through the group infections seen in the Itaewon club case,” Park said, urging businesses and the public to closely abide by quarantine measures.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Via a reader tip comes this news that Itaewon is experiencing major economic problems in the aftermath of the relocation of Yongsan Garrison:

Retail businesses in Itaewon area are struggling due to soaring rent and the economic slowdown. Youngsters and foreigners still visit the area for drinks and partying at night, but activity is completely different during the daytime. 

“A tenant store owner asked for the rent to be lowered several months ago. He said his brunch store was losing customers so he couldn’t pay the current rent,” said a Gyeongnidan building landlord surnamed Lee. Gyeongnidan is one of Itaewon’s neighborhoods, known for its cafes, bakeries and restaurants.

“He and I agreed to keep the rent at the current level for now. However, he is likely to shut down his business soon if it fails to attract more customers.”

According to the Korea Appraisal Board, the vacancy rate of medium- and large-sized stores in Itaewon area stood at 26.5 percent as of the second quarter of this year. 

Medium- and large-sized stores here refer to business venues with a gross floor area larger than 330 square meters, and the vacancy rate in Itaewon is the highest among Seoul’s major business districts.

Experts said the Yongsan Relocation Plan to redeploy U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) personnel south to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, was another reason behind the soaring vacancies in the area.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but first of all USFK has nothing to do with the poor economic conditions overall in South Korea. Additionally the way I look at this is that the local government and shop owners in Itaewon have known for years the relocation was coming. If they did not adjust their business models and practices to prepare for that day that is their problem, not USFK’s.

The Stars & Stripes has provided more details about what happened recently in Itaewon between a taxi driver and a USFK soldier:

An American soldier was detained after he reportedly scuffled with police and tried to steal a taxi after a night out drinking in Seoul over the weekend.

The incident occurred more than a month after U.S. Forces Korea, the main command for the 28,500 servicemembers stationed in the South, temporarily lifted a 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. off-installation curfew that had been in place for years.

The 21-year-old soldier, who is assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division, was angered when a taxi driver refused to let him into the car at about 5:30 a.m. Saturday in the trendy neighborhood of Itaewon, the Korea Broadcasting System reported.

The incident remained under investigation and the soldier was in the custody of his chain of command, the 2nd ID said Thursday, declining to provide more details due to the ongoing investigation.

According to the KBS report, the soldier hit the driver, then tried to drive away in the taxi after the driver got out to talk to police, but the taxi crashed into a fire hydrant.

The soldier scuffled with police and tried to run away, but the officers subdued him with a stun gun, according to the report. He was detained on suspicion of assault and property damage but was released to American military authorities in accordance with the status of forces agreement between the allies.An American soldier was detained after he reportedly scuffled with police and tried to steal a taxi after a night out drinking in Seoul over the weekend.

The incident occurred more than a month after U.S. Forces Korea, the main command for the 28,500 servicemembers stationed in the South, temporarily lifted a 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. off-installation curfew that had been in place for years.

The 21-year-old soldier, who is assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division, was angered when a taxi driver refused to let him into the car at about 5:30 a.m. Saturday in the trendy neighborhood of Itaewon, the Korea Broadcasting System reported.

The incident remained under investigation and the soldier was in the custody of his chain of command, the 2nd ID said Thursday, declining to provide more details due to the ongoing investigation.

According to the KBS report, the soldier hit the driver, then tried to drive away in the taxi after the driver got out to talk to police, but the taxi crashed into a fire hydrant.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

It looks like someone got really stupid in Itaewon this weekend and caused yet another Taxi Cab Related Incident. Via U.S. Army WTF Moments:

Here is what the USFK commander General Abrams had to say about this incident:

Being a good battlebuddy includes being with your battle buddy and not letting them wander off.

We are guests here. We are also Ambassadors who represent our country on and off duty. Below is an example of not being a good Ambassador. https://t.co/Dw4FVkxMAd

— Robert Abrams (@DogFaceSoldier) July 21, 2019

As I have always said every time the curfew has been lifted, is that just the large number of U.S. troops in Korea means that eventually a stupid or criminal incident will happen. If the command is not willing to absorb blowback from incidents like this, then why the lift the curfew in the first place?

I guess we will see if the curfew returns or not.

That is the question a KBS World Radio host asked random foreigners recently in Itaewon:

For military personnel, what I recommend is to get to know the KATUSA personnel in your unit.  This will often lead to invites to go out or even visits their homes on the weekend.

Anyone have any tips on making Korean friends to share?

Cho Joong-pil, the mother of a college student who was stabbed to death at a Burger King in the popular international district of Itaewon in 1997, leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on July 26, 2018. The court ordered the state to pay 360 million won (US$321,113) in compensation to the family of the student who was killed by two Americans. (Yonhap)