While karaoke originated in Japan, South Korea took it and made it its own following the arrival of the first Japanese karaoke machines in the country in 1991. That same year, 10,000 noraebang (노래방; literally “singing room”) businesses sprang up across the country. Today, there are nearly 30,000 of them across the nation, and blasting out a tune in a noraebang has quickly become one Koreans’ favourite pastimes.
Some East Asian capitals favour gargantuan, multi-storey karaoke venues belonging to large chains, like Big Echo in Tokyo and Party World in Taipei, but Seoul’s noraebangs are overwhelmingly independently run small businesses. They range from luxurious private singing rooms with chandeliers to no-frills versions with cheap plastic sofas, perfect for spilling drinks and jumping on.
Whether it’s an after-work, soju-fuelled norae-fest with colleagues or an afternoon family outing, noraebangs aren’t just deeply ingrained in Korea’s social fabric; they’re one of Seoulites’ favourite ways to relieve stress. When in any neighbourhood, type “noraebang” into Naver Maps (South Korea’s version of Google Maps), and watch as scores of red dots appear inviting you to belt out some ballads.
Here, Seoul-based singer-songwriter and indie synth-pop artist Lim Yoo-jin (better known as Neon Bunny) reveals her picks of the best noraebangs in the city. Lim is known for her intimate live performances in packed, compact venues around Seoul, but as noraebangs frequently appear in her music videos, she’s a passionate advocate of the city’s many singing rooms.
Su Noraebang proves that you don’t have to squeeze into a room to have fun watching karaoke singers (Credit: Ben McKechnie)
1. Best for people-watching: Su Noraebang
For Lim, the cream of the singing room crop is Su Noraebang in Seoul’s art and party district Hongdae, which surrounds and caters to the private Hongik University. While heading to a noraebang is very often a spontaneous decision where the emphasis is on finding the nearest brightly lit “노래방” sign, Su Noraebang is one of the few names that people will travel for – and that’s not necessarily just to partake in karaoke.
Since opening in 2000, the sleek, chandelier-studded venue has been famous for its giant glass windows that expose the front singing rooms to the busy street outside. Lim recommends buying a drink from a nearby convenience store (street drinking is legal in South Korea) and watching groups of revellers sing local hits. Those extroverts have chosen the front rooms for a reason!
This is a tourist-friendly place with some English-speaking staff. Inside, this self-proclaimed “luxury noraebang” has fake cherry blossom trees beside a flowing artificial stream that leads to the cash desk. Once in a room, the remote control used to operate the karaoke machine also features English, and Su Noraebang updates its machines with new chart hits and classics from Korea and the West daily. Pro tip: While most noraebangs serve a range of drinks, Su Noraebang is alcohol-free.
Address: 367-39 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Phone: +82-2-322-3111
Instagram: @sunoraebang/
Whether you’re a noraebang veteran or a first-timer, you’re sure to be welcomed at Boss, located in the heart of Itaewon (Credit: Ben McKechnie)
2. Best for English speakers: Boss Noraebang
Boss Noraebang is Lim’s top choice in Seoul’s commercial Itaewon neighbourhood, not only due to its proximity to Itaewon station but also for its convivial, welcoming staff. “Itaewon has changed a lot over the last 15 years, from the heavy-drinking domain of American soldiers from the US Yongsan base down the road, to a hub for authentic international cuisine, to most recently a destination for world-class clubbing,” said Lim.
THE SPECIALIST
Neon Bunny is a Korean indie synth-pop artist from Seoul who has been featured in major American music publications like Pitchfork and Bandcamp. Prior to her solo debut with the award-winning 2011 album Seoulight, she was a session keyboardist for the popular Korean indie rock band The Black Skirts.
“Boss is super welcoming and right in the middle of the action, with an anyone’s-welcome kind of vibe. There’s no better option in this part of Seoul.”
Surrounded by a variety of restaurants, pubs and bars, Lim says Boss is an ideal pitstop for an hour or two before moving onto a club such as Cakeshop. Unlike Su Noraebang, which only serves soft drinks, Boss sells cans of Cass and Max beer as well as bottles of soju to help keep the party going. Additionally, Itaewon is Seoul’s most English-friendly district, so tourists won’t have any issues communicating with staff, who are happy to explain how to use the all-important remote control for the karaoke machine.
Address: 14-1 Bogwang-ro 59-gil, Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone: +82-2-3785-0045
Hongdae’s Awesome Coin Noraebang is almost always full and packs a lively crowd (Credit: Ben McKechnie)
3. Best for budget-conscious singers: Awesome Coin Noraebang
On a budget? Want to see how many bodies can be squeezed into a room designed for two? Lim recommends heading for a “coin noraebang”, a relatively recent phenomenon that’s exploded in popularity in South Korea singing rooms. Instead of paying by the hour at a cash desk by the entrance, users pay 500 Korean won (£0.30) per song by inserting coins directly into the karaoke machine.
Lim’s favourite is Awesome Coin Noraebang, located in Hongdae, for its clean, no-nonsense branding and the fact that there is almost always a full and lively crowd – but space available without having to wait. This is also a location where solo visitors are welcomed, which is a plus for a singer-songwriter or solo traveller looking to let off some steam. Drinks and snacks can be brought in from nearby convenience stores, but take your rubbish with you.
“Some rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Hongdae Playground – [which was] originally designed for kids but [has now been] taken over by 20- and 30-somethings from the late afternoon… as a meeting point [and] hub for live music and silent discos. [It’s] possibly the best pre-game spot for convenience store drinks in all of Seoul.”
Website: https://blog.naver.com/awesomecoin
Address: 4, Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Phone: +82-507-1414-2548
Yeomyeong Noraebang is surrounded by the traditional “hanok village” of Ikseon-dong that predates the Korean War (Credit: Ben McKechnie)
4. Best neighbourhood noraebang: Yeomyeong Noraebang
Lim’s favourite part of Seoul is the area of the Jongno District that stretches from Anguk station (Line 3) for about 1km south-east to Jongno-3-ga station (Line 1), and she’s passionate about recommending it to foreign visitors. Here, you can find hundreds of hidden bars and karaoke rooms in ramshackle alleys with skyscrapers towering overhead, as well as the city’s hottest up-and-coming neighbourhood, Ikseon-dong. “It’s all pretty cyberpunk!” Lim said, referencing the slightly rundown yet vaguely futuristic feel of the area that influenced the music video for her song Forest of Skyscrapers.
NEON BUNNY’S PRACTICAL TIPS
• Seobisu (“service”) in a noraebang is free extra time added on, often as a surprise, to the time counting down on the karaoke machine. Don’t panic – you’re not expected to pay more!
• There’s a learning curve to using the giant remote control. Staff will always assist, so just let them know which song you’re dying to sing.
Ikseon-dong is a “hanok village” – a compact area of traditional Korean houses that weren’t flattened in the destruction of the Korean War – that now has numerous bars, restaurants, cafes and guesthouses along its tiny lanes. At the southern edge of Ikseon-dong is Yeomyeong Noraebang, a classic no-frills noraebang that Lim recommends stopping after exploring the hanoks and cyberpunk alleys nearby. Yeomyeong serves a generous fruit platter to accompany your drinks, and the courteous staff commonly provide seobisu (literally “service”) – which roughly translates to freebies for good customers. Lim especially likes how Yeomyeong is set on a street that looks quite unassuming by day but transforms into a great pojangmacha (a place for cheap Korean street food and soju) hub by night.
Neighbourhood: Ikseon-dong (Jongno-3-ga station – Lines 1/3/5 exit 6)
Address: 16 Donhwamun-ro 11-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Sincheon is one of Seoul’s best nightlife districts and the best place to see the city’s many neon lights (Credit: Peter Tsai Photography/Alamy)
5. Best for food: Sincheon Newco Music Town
Lim maintains that the area around Jamsil Saenae station (Line 2) – is one of Seoul’s best nightlife hubs, while also being a neighbourhood where few tourists and expats venture or even know about. It’s also arguably the best neighbourhood to see Seoul’s backstreet neon signage in all its glory.
Lim’s top noraebang pick in Sincheon’s http://kebayangkali.com/ backstreets is Newco Music Town. Not only does it have a tantalising menu of hot Korean food served in your private singing room (a rarity among noraebangs), but if you want to take a break to digest, there’s also a darts room and a boardgame room. Highlights of the extensive menu include spicy ramen cooked on halogen hobs at the table in your room and then made gourmet with all manner of toppings; chicken tteokbokki (cylindrical Korean rice cakes in a sweet and fiery red sauce topped with deep-fried chicken thighs); and patbingsu (a concoction of shaved ice – a top choice for soothing tired vocal chords before the next round of karaoke – topped with sweet red adzuki beans, frosted cornflakes and tinned glacé cherries and pineapple).