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www.groovekorea.com / July 2014 26 Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com) COvER STORY I n 1984, the Kyunghyang Shinmun news- paper described Itaewon as “Seoul’s for- eigner village, frequented by races from 59 countries, where a flourishing interna- tional shopping area coexists with the van- ity of women in their 20s who go astray.” The Korean newspaper went on to describe the neighborhood as a place of high crime, sleazy bars and shady individuals. “Among foreign vagabond criminals, there are shame- less crimes like taking money from women in their 20s on the pretext of international mar- riage. There are sometimes violent incidents by uneducated blacks such as the rape of women as well.” The message was racist, rude and clear: if you are a respectable Korean, stay away from Itaewon. And for years, most “respectable” Koreans did. Thirty years later, K-pop singer and producer J.Y. Park wrote “Itaewon Freedom” with a dif- ferent message about Itaewon: “Delivery men deliver, salesmen sell, Kim Tae-won plays the guitar — everyone gather in Itaewon!” And everyone has. Today, Koreans of all ages, classes and occupations stream in and out of Itaewon’s restaurants, bars and shops. Salarymen, students and families mix with English teachers, foreign laborers, U.S. sol- diers and Department of Defense workers. Wayne Gold, owner of the Wolfhound Pub and Reilly’s Taphouse and who has been in Itaewon since 1997, says the makeup of the people now is completely different. “It’s re- versed,” he says. “Before it was 20/80 (Ko- reans to foreigners). Now it’s 80/20.” How did one run-down neighborhood, known just 30 years ago as a place off-limits to everyone but GIs and prostitutes, become a place so hip that JYP thinks it’s a better party district than Gangnam, Hongdae or Sin- chon? The story is intertwined with the story of Korea’s development, its relationship with the United States and the rest of the outside world, and how its people freed themselves from fearing the unknown to embracing it: Itaewon Freedom.