Itaewon

Infobox Korean name

|caption=Itaewon Station
hangul=이태원동
hanja=linktext|梨|泰|院|洞
rr=Itaewon-dong
mr=It'aewŏn-dong

Itaewon is a "dong", or city district, in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is served by Seoul Subway Line 6 via Itaewon, Noksapyeong and Hanganjin stations. About 22,000 people reside in the district and it is a popular area for residents of Seoul, tourists, and U.S. Army personnel.

Many restaurants serving international dishes are found in this area including cuisine from India, Thailand, and Mexico, foods that are not widely available in Korea. Some restaurants serve halal food. However, with rapid economic development and a wider trading base, many international corporations have established themselves around the entire city, including many American style fast-food chains. The Seoul Central Mosque is also located in Itaewon.

Itaewon is also, along with Insadong and Seoul Tower, one of the most popular areas in Seoul for tourists. Major hotels such as the Hyatt and local landmark Hamilton Hotel can be found here as well as dozens of shops and services aimed at tourists. High quality leather products in Korea can be found here at reasonable prices (though haggling is expected) as well as various types of traditional Korean souvenirs. Counterfeit goods and clothing are ubiquitous and of varying quality, but some genuine goods which are produced in Korea for the international market as well as some authentic imports can sometimes be found here. Itaewon is also known to have various tailors that peddle their services for making custom-made suits.

The traditional center of prostitution activity in the area is known as Hooker Hill. Prostitution has long been visible in Itaewon. Although efforts to crack down which began in 2000 and were renewed in 2004 have reduced the visibility of the trade, brothels still exist and are quite easy to find. [cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,333899,00.html|title="Base Instincts", Time Magazine, August 5 2002]

American presence

Itaewon is visited mostly by the large number of Americans (both Military and civilian) and other foreigners who work, shop and relax in the area. Many of the bars and restaurants in Itaewon are frequented by and cater to this immigrant population. U.S. Military Police work in tandem with Korean counterparts to enforce the 03:00 curfew imposed on military personnel. Several bars in Itaewon are deemed "off-limits" for soldiers, usually due to instances of violence or prostitution. This has led to the common practice by owners of these establishments of regularly changing their names in order to avoid losing the patronage of the military. The principal U.S. Military base in Korea, Yongsan Garrison, is located nearby. There are currently over 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea and Itaewon is expected to be strongly affected if the United States Forces Korea (USFK) completes the planned shift of all Yongsan Garrison personnel to Pyeongtaek in 2012.

Gay community

Over the last decade, a moderately visible lesbian and gay community has emerged in Itaewon. Arguably, this emergence is a result of the international presence in this district. There are a handful of bars, local hang-outs, and bath houses geared towards LGBT clientèle.

ee also

* Yongsan-gu
* Yongsan Garrison
*Prostitution in South Korea
* List of Korea-related topics

Notes