Way back in November 2018, some guy was at a nightclub in Gangnam when he saw a woman in distress. She seemed to have been drugged and was receiving harassing treatment. But when he came to her aid, he was beaten up by bouncers. The police were called, and they took the side of the club.
It became known that the club management itself was drugging select female customers, often even sending female staff to give out free drinks laced with rape drugs. Drugged women were brought into a VIP room, where VIP customers could have their pick.
The scandal received even more attention when the club's ownership was connected to Seungri, a member of BigBang, which had been the biggest K-pop boy band prior to BTS.
1. Sometime after the news broke and the club closed down, I went by the club in June 2019 to see what it was like. This weird oval-shaped structure was the door leading down to the club, which was in the basement of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
2. The door was locked and I never made it inside.
3. A couple years later in 2023, I ran into another urban explorer a birthday party. Another guy there heard us talking about it, and mentioned the Ritz-Carlton being closed. I looked online and saw that, yep, as long ago as maybe 2020 the whole hotel had been closed and a fence had gone up slowly over the next couple years. I returned a couple days ago figuring it was too late.
4. The hotel was very much closed, though the fence didn't seem like it had been totally completed.
5. Unlike before, the nighclub entrance had been left open.
6. For the first time ever I peered under the hood and looked down the staircase inside.
7. At the bottom, I came into this chamber.
8. Here's a highly stylised layout.
9. A less fanciful version.
10. I went in.
11. Burning Shop seems to be indicated on the maps as a food stand.
12. This appeared to be the Second Bar or Sub Bar.
13. It looked like there used to be a stage here.
14. This door led out to the trashed lobby, and I quickly realised it was exposed to the outside air. Fortunately nobody was out there.
15. Various spaces which could have been private rooms and also washrooms were exposed.
16. Lighting rig.
17. The stairs led up to what had been identified as the "Monkey Museum Zone."
18. I followed the hallway.
19. This was the most intact room remaining. I think it could have been a DJ room.
20. This evacuation route map seems to show its layout.
Interesting story and post. That stairway to club is like entering into a pit of despair LOL Can see how disorienting that place could of been if sober let alone drugged on purpose!
Glad you were able to explore and share, Thanks
"if you are not selfish enough to make yourself happy, you have nothing of value to offer the world."
Crazy how fast things can deteriorate when there's no maintenance going on. For only being closed for a few years this place is is complete disarray. Awesome photos.
Ethics
