Midnight Asia: Eat Dance Dream (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Seoul, South Korea - full transcript

[light music]

UNGTEORI TONGDAK

We put our soul into this chicken.

Wow, thank you very much.

[background chatter]

[Soon-hee] I've lived in Seoul
my entire life.

And when it gets dark outside,

just like the city,
I feel so full of life!

I think I'm a night owl.
[chuckles]

I make sure…

to tell the chicken "I love you"



before I serve it to our customers.

I've heard that the food can understand
what you're saying to it.

It makes me feel warm inside.

-Does it?
-It does!

UNGTEORI TONGDAK

[Soon-hee] Welcome!
Please come in and have a seat.

[slow upbeat music]

[Na-rae] If you ask me,
I would say that tradition

is not something
that's weighed down by time.

I think it's something
a little more free-flowing, more dynamic.

[car horns honking]

[slow upbeat music]

I would describe Seoul
as a very complicated

and a very restless city
that never stops even late at night.



All kinds of things are in motion
in the city,

and things are always coming together
to develop into something new.

[Albert] If you look at Seoul
through the lens of its nighttime,

you can see where it's going.

Its past, its future.

Very few cities in Asia have grown
at the pace of Seoul.

But now that we've developed as a country,

we've had some time to slow down
and examine what we really are.

[live music playing]

One trend that has really stuck
is what we call "Newtro."

[indistinct chatter]

[Hae-min] The current trend in Seoul
called "Newtro"

is a combination of the two words "New"…

[cheering]

…and the word "Retro."

And the younger generation

views this as a way of rediscovering
the values of the past

while reinterpreting them
in a new and modern way.

[runner] All right, nice work!

[Hae-min] Nighttime in Seoul
is the time for us to stop running forward

and focus on who we are, our identities.

[Leo] Nighttime in Seoul
is always exciting for me.

If there is anything
that will get my heartbeat racing,

it's a night out in Seoul.

[slow upbeat music]

[Hae-min] Seoul is a dynamic city

with an endless amount of buildings

and a huge population
where things tend to change rapidly.

Seoul at night is the best time
to truly experience

all the complex and ever-changing trends
that go around the city.

[guitar music playing]

No matter where you go,

you'll always see different people
chatting late into the night

or sitting down, having a drink,

and finding ways for them to either relax

or to creatively express themselves.

NO ENTRY
ONE-WAY

[Sung-yong] Seoul at nighttime,

EVERYTHING WE LOVE ABOUT FASHION
I LOVE YOU MUSINSA

I would say, is very diverse.

Seongsu-dong is a really
interesting neighborhood.

Some people even go as far as
to call it the Brooklyn of Seoul.

There are a lot of factories here…

because this used to be
an industrial area.

And right next to them,
you can find all these really cool places,

like shops and restaurants, and even pubs.

There are a lot of hot spots here.

So Seongsu-dong is an area
where the old things in the past

and the new of the present coexist.

It actually has an atmosphere
highly conducive

for setting up a brewery
that's capable of making

the very popular drink called makgeolli,

which is a delicious
traditional Korean liquor.

[chill music]

Makgeolli is an alcoholic drink
made with rice

that's been produced in Korea
for more than a thousand years.

Throughout the '70s and '80s,
South Korea's economy developed fast,

and people got interested in new spirits
like beer and whiskey,

so the interest most people had
in makgeolli

naturally died out.

But these days, makgeolli seems to be
reaching out to more people once again.

I think that one
of the many reasons for this

is that the number of small breweries
found in the surrounding area,

just like ours, has been increasing,

trying their luck in brewing
the traditional Korean drink

made from simple rice.

[Sung-yong] You have to
wash the rice very well,

or else the alcohol won't taste so good.

[water trickling]

What was the question again?

[chuckles]

My name is Koh Sung-yong,
and I'm the founder of Hangang Brewery.

I think I have
what some people would describe

as a typical Korean personality.

I'm not very talkative.

I'm quiet, and I am introverted.

But when it comes to business,
I aim for success.

I always try to find something new.

The first big dream I had
was creating a brand.

That was my biggest dream.

I was trying to think of something
that was Korean.

People always thought
that makgeolli was a drink

brewed especially for old men,

or they would associate it
with cheap drinks.

So I thought it would be a good idea

to try to change
those negative perceptions of the drink.

And based on that idea,
the company was born.

The idea that we're working with is that

we don't follow the tradition
completely as it was,

but we tweak it a bit
so that it works in the modern world.

So while we did follow
some of the traditional methods

in making our makgeolli,

we also reinterpreted it and modernized it

so that people in the modern world
can enjoy it.

[light music]

[whirring]

[light music continues]

We're a small brewery

that really hasn't been around
for very long.

But in the end,
the goal that we want to achieve

is to create a makgeolli
that could set a new standard

for how makgeolli in the future
will be made.

[instrumental music]

Tonight, for Naroo Makgeolli's
tasting session,

we've come to one of the hottest
traditional bars, Baekgom Makgeolli.

[upbeat music]

[Seung-hoon] For the traditional drinks,
we produce makgeolli.

Locally, a lot of breweries
are still very small.

So they don't always have
the methods or the means

to promote the drinks that
they're able to produce themselves.

Baekgom Makgeolli is a kind of hub

that connects the breweries
across the country

and brings together those
that are interested in traditional liquor.

[Sung-yong] The drink in
the big glass is the 6% Naroo Makgeolli.

Give it a try.

And then we have the 11.5%,
which is the stronger version.

-I think everyone likes this one more.
-[all laughing]

Seasoned drinkers
usually prefer the stronger versions.

[man] Usually, I drink makgeolli
when I'm with my father.

And this is different from the makgeolli
that I usually have.

This here is a lot thicker
and much stronger.

I was planning
on having just a little sip.

-But then I couldn't stop myself.
-It's hard to stop…

-Yes.
-…once you've had that first sip.

[Sung-yong] Nowadays, young people
seem to be very interested in tradition,

and that seems to have become a culture
all on its own.

And being able to be part of that
evolving drinking culture,

I feel like we're really helping
in contributing to Seoul,

to what Seoul could be as it evolves
with every passing day.

[cheering]

[slow upbeat music]

[people laughing]

[indistinct chatter]

[Hae-min] You can't fully enjoy
a night out in Seoul

if you don't stop
to have any food and drinks.

Koreans usually enjoy ordering drinks
along with their food,

when they go out for a night on the town.

And so we have this concept

specifically for food consumed
with drinks called anju.

Some examples of anju
are chicken feet and sea snails.

to go with soju, pajeon
or tofu kimchi to go with makgeolli.

But the most popular one
would have to be chicken and beer,

which is also known as chimaek.

That's a combination of the words
"chicken" and maekju, meaning beer.

[crunching]

[slow upbeat music]

UNGTEORI TONGDAK

[Hae-min] Ungteori Tongdak
is a well-known restaurant

that many people go out of their way
to line up for,

even late into the night.

Come, have a seat inside.
Please have a seat inside.

[Hae-min] These days, you can find
a lot of different franchises

for chicken restaurants,

but not a lot of them
are able to maintain or emulate

that local chicken restaurant atmosphere.

[Soon-hee] Here you go.

[man 1] Whoa!

-[Soon-hee] Just one? One chicken?
-[man 2] Yes, of course.

[Soon-hee] We started Ungteori Tongdak
sometime around May 1997,

and we've been running it
for about 24 years now,

as husband and wife.

So did you put your soul into it?

Yes, of course. I put all my soul into it.

[Soon-hee] My husband said to me then,

"Let's go with the name
'Ungteori Tongdak.'"

And I said, "What? Why 'Absurd Chicken'?"
But I really liked the name.

It has a friendly connotation.

Nowadays, everything is absurd,
so I think the name suits it quite well.

If there are three of you,

you must order two alcoholic drinks
and one soda.

-Okay.
-[Soon-hee] Okay?

I feel very comfortable
with all the late-night customers.

Once they come into our restaurant,

it's like they become part
of the family right away.

The owners here are like…

Well, it's actually my first time here,

but they're so friendly
and welcoming to us.

So tell me, where's the pretty lady from?

-Which one is the pretty lady?
-[Soon-hee] Both!

-Are you sure about that?
-[Soon-hee] I am.

-[woman] No, no.
-[Soon-hee] Don't worry. You're quite

-good looking too.
-[man] Oh, yeah? Thank you.

[Soon-hee] Before we had Ungteori Tongdak,

my husband used to run
these big galbi restaurants,

but they went bankrupt twice.

He's really shy,
so he just tends to stay in the kitchen.

So when my husband's in the back,
I make sure to step out and be in front.

Would you say that me being the boss
is the secret to our success?

[laughs]

I guess you can say
that I'm the one in charge.

This one here is the president.
I'm just a worker.

[Soon-hee] I just love being with people
and being able to talk to them

because I talk a lot.
[laughs]

-This is just one piece, right?
-[Soon-hee] Two?

-I thought it was two.
-[Soon-hee] Okay.

So there's one more, right?

When you're almost done with this one,
I'll bring out the next.

[Soon-hee]
And because I really love talking,

more customers started coming in.

I thought, "Oh, maybe I have a natural
talent for running a business."

I grew up in Anseong,
in Gyeonggi Province.

And 40 years ago, when I got married,
we moved here to Seoul.

We had an arranged marriage.

My mom, she really seemed to like him
and thought he was son-in-law material.

My husband is a hardworking man,
but he's a bit of a dumbhead.

Dumbhead.

You are, really.

[both laugh]

Now you try speaking for yourself.

[laughs]

We're like two wheels of a bicycle.

Why do you keep on saying
only the good things?

It's funny.

But there's no better way to say it.

[laughing]

We're not… We're not really
the best match, don't you think?

[gentle music]

[Soon-hee] When I first came to Seoul,

I think I felt a bit unsettled.

You know, 40 years ago,

our country just wasn't as well-off
as it is today.

But everyone was still in such a rush,
and everyone was acting all busy.

Hey, dears, was that
two beers and one cola?

-Yes.
-[man] Yeah, that's right.

Now here I am,
running a chicken restaurant,

and meeting and talking
with lots of different people.

And so this has become
my source of happiness.

Thank you. Chicken loves beer, so…

they're married.

[Soon-hee] It took me four years
to perfect this recipe.

The difference between our chicken
and the foreign fried chicken

is that we fry it in a gamasot.

And the reason why we fry it twice
is to keep it at a constant temperature.

It really gives a crispier,
cleaner taste to the chicken.

Madam, I heard this place
sells the best chicken in Itaewon.

Oh, that's so sweet of you, dear.

[Hae-min] Itaewon is an attractive
neighborhood big on nighttime fun.

There's always lots of fun parties.
It's a global neighborhood.

[Soon-hee]
Itaewon has really changed a lot

throughout the 25 years
that I've been working here.

Running this business for a long time,

it feels like Ungteori Tongdak
has become a part

of the history of Seoul and Itaewon.

A lot of young people keep telling me,

"Madam, you should really take
a vacation."

And I say, "Are you kidding me?"

"It's paradise here.
Where else should I go?"

You know this store of ours
really helps to keep me going,

so I always try my very best.

You keep saying pretty words.
[laughs]

-It's the right thing to say!
-[laughing]

[slow upbeat music]

At night, Seoul is like lightning
in a bottle.

When you walk around the city,
you can see it everywhere.

Whether it's music, movies, fashion,
how the culture is growing,

and how it's becoming
exported across the world.

In Korea, we call it
the Korean Wave or Hallyu.

[slow upbeat music]

Everyone, when they talk
about Korean music, it's about K-Pop.

But honestly if you look
beneath the surface,

you see this thriving indie scene.

Artists from all parts of the country
coming to Seoul

and creating these diverse bands.

One of the coolest bands
is definitely Leenalchi.

[vocalizing]

Leenalchi is hard to define.

[upbeat music playing]

Their music incorporates
what we call "Pansori."

It's this genre
of traditional Korean music

that's a form of storytelling.

[vocalizing]

[singing in Korean]
♪ You turtle bitch! ♪

♪ Although the king is very important
How can you tell a lie? ♪

♪ Didn't you ever hear the proverb? ♪

♪ In history, the person
Who manipulates is always killed ♪

It's common to start a band
with the friends around you

who tend to share the same interests.

[Young-gyu] Since many of my friends
were playing traditional music,

then Leenalchi just seemed like
the most obvious next step.

[all singing in Korean]
♪ Okay! Open up my stomach! ♪

♪ Open up my stomach! ♪

♪ Okay! Open up my stomach! ♪

♪ There's nothing but waste ♪

♪ So open up my stomach ♪

♪ And that's all you'll see ♪

[Young-gyu] Only one person should do it.

-Not all together.
-[all laughing]

Open up my stomach.
There's nothing but waste!

[band laughing]

It wasn't just a musical experiment.

It was more of an experiment
of various possibilities.

-[Young-gyu] Try a bird sound.
-[man whistles]

-[Young-gyu] No, no.
-[laughing]

[imitates crow cawing]

[Young-gyu] No… No, not like that!

[all laughing]

-[man whistles]
-Why not try something like a tweet.

[Na-rae] Back then,
when Director Jang Young-gyu suggested

that we should do some musical experiments

with the Pansori story Sugungga,

I was really excited about the whole idea

because I thought, "Wow!
I can probably expect something

that I have never seen before."

[in Korean] ♪ Seen from above
The ocean surface is waving ♪

[Young-gyu] One, two, three, four…

No, no, no, no.

-Why don't we just skip that one for now?
-[Song-hui] Okay.

-Sure. Got it.
-[Young-gyu] Yeah.

Actually, we were worried about
whether we would work out as a band…

-[vocalizing]
-…because our group, unlike most bands,

consists of the following members,

two bass players, we have one drummer,
and four vocalists.

Yes. Shall we try doing that lightly
and then become stronger in this part?

[Young-gyu] Out of all the vocalists
that we have here,

Na-rae has the most sensitive side.

[cymbals clang]

[guitar strums]

[Na-rae] Well, you see,
I grew up in a very small town

out in the countryside.

And to when I was little, even before
I could start speaking my first words,

my grandfather
would sit me down on his lap,

and he would sing me these traditional
Korean songs that we call Sijo.

[singing in Korean]
♪ If you want me to say, I will ♪

♪ If you want me to say, I will ♪

[Na-rae] When I was a young child,

my grandfather ended up
becoming hospitalized

for about three to four years.

And then whenever I sang to him,
it would make him really happy,

just to hear my voice.

♪ When the moon is full
Remove the liver ♪

[Na-rae] But after my grandfather
passed away, since then…

I became a little hesitant
to sing in front of a crowd.

[vocalizing]

That's how I felt.

[wistful music]

Night has become the time that I used

to be able to look within
and reflect on myself

so that I'm able to grow.

And tonight in Hongdae,
I will be putting on a show.

Hongdae is a place
that is really important

to a lot of bands and indie musicians.

It's like it's everyone's playground.

It's a place where people feel free
to experiment

and where they can safely grow.

[upbeat music]

[Leo in] When you come to Gangnam,
you will notice

the streets are littered
quite a lot with expensive automobiles,

you'll see tall, gray buildings,
and working people

with straight, emotionless faces going
about their same boring daily routines.

But at nightfall,
Gangnam is very different and very fancy,

far from its daytime image.

When darkness takes over,

street after street is suddenly lit
with neon lights,

ushering the exciting and colorful
nightlife that draws people from all over.

Everyone here, and everyone around
the world knows "Gangnam Style,"

and they have this preconceived notion
of how the area looks.

They expect a lot of glitter
and fantasy in the streets.

When I told people that
I was going to open a bar in Gangnam,

they thought it would be really awesome,

really big, gorgeous, and expensive.

They were in for a surprise.

So then I told them

that I was going to open this bar
within the traditional market,

and not in the glitzy part of the areas
they expected.

They were surprised.
They all told me it was going to fail.

[lively music]

[Hae-min] Although Gangnam is modern,

you can still find pockets
of old Korea even now

in small stalls in the traditional market.

[woman] Is this already cooked?

-Yes. Try eating them like this.
-[man] Thank you.

Seoul has many
of these traditional markets,

but Yeongdong Traditional Market

is the only section in Gangnam
that has managed to maintain

its distinct funky
'70s street market identity.

At the heart of it is the popular Jangseng
Geongangwon Bar and Restaurant,

a cool bar that makes cocktails
with Korean ingredients.

COCKTAILS

When I first came here
to visit Yeongdong Market,

it felt like a place
that was lost in time.

The place had a very vintage image.

Gangnam is the fastest-changing place
of all the places that evolved fast,

and although the market is inside,

the fastest changing place that had stayed
the same for a very long time.

I decided to relocate here
because I thought

maybe I could do something
to help this place.

Improve, connect with the modern world,

and maybe to keep them updated
with the changing times.

I had a job before I opened
Jangseng Geongangwon.

I worked at the Park Hyatt
as head bartender.

And after my stint there,

I moved to JW Marriott Hotel
and worked as a bar manager.

I was a rising star!

[upbeat music]

When I participated
in international bar competitions,

or travelled around the world,
people would ask the same question,

"Oh, you're a bartender?"

"But how come you don't make
cocktails drinks

using your country's liquor?"

That would make me feel very embarrassed.

And that's when I also felt patriotic.

Hey, man! Welcome to Jangseng Geongangwon!

[Leo] Please have a seat.
Enjoy yourselves.

This Hyoje cocktail I'm preparing
expresses the scent and taste,

you know, the essence of wild flowers.

They say that the wildflower
has the ability to heal

and repair the exhausted souls
of our modern society.

It's like an elixir.

[laughs]

[Leo] It's a traditional liquor base.

We make all of our cocktails
with rare ingredients

like ginseng, doraji, and sesame leaf.

These are just some
of the natural ingredients we use.

It's very fresh.

[woman 1] Excellent taste.

Creamy but fresh.

[woman 2] You want another one?

STICKY RICE DONUTS
HOT FISH CAKES

[light music]

[Leo] Good evening, ma'am!

What's good and fresh here lately?

-Red beans.
-[Leo] Red beans?

I see.

It wasn't easy to persuade
the vendors at the start.

The vendors thought it was a dodgy bar
with an illegal escort service.

[Leo] Are the longer ginseng good
or are the thick ones better?

-[vendor] They're better with age.
-[Leo] The age…

So older is better.

[Leo] Most Koreans, especially
the older shop owners, are a little shy.

And so I took the first step.

I bought a lot of their produce
and they opened up after.

[Leo] What about these red dates,
are they good?

Yes! Try them!

-They're tasty!
-[vendor] Good, right?

Really tasty.

And so we became close, like a family.

You have good manners, and very kind,
and hardworking, aren't you?

-Thank you.
-[Leo] Thank you! See you again.

[Leo] Every month, we make a special
"Cocktail of the Month"

with a different vendor.

-[Leo] Hello. Good evening, sir!
-Hey.

Can we get tteokbokki soup?
We don't need the rice cakes

but mainly soup instead. Is that okay?

[indistinct chatter]

[Leo] This drink I'm mixing
is made from the red pepper sauce

which we got recently
from the tteokbokki shop.

I'll make one cold
and one warm, soup style,

a slightly flip-style cocktail drink.

[Leo] I hope you enjoy this.

[Hae-min] Jangseng Geongangwon
is a great example

of how young people in Seoul

are seeking to reinterpret the past
in a playful, modern way.

Young people are on the hunt
for the "Newtro" feeling.

As we became more popular,
more young people turned up,

and the vendors liked that a lot.

"It feels like the street
is getting younger," they told me.

Of course we're also happy about it.

[Leo] Hello, hello!

I brought you our collaboration special
with tteokbokki.

This whole street is changing,
which is something I've always imagined,

but now it's becoming a reality.

Change isn't easy,
but with hard work, it will happen.

[man] Smile! One, two, three!

[running footsteps]

[James in English]
In Seoul, anywhere you go

there's a different landscape
that you can play with.

During the day
you might not notice as much,

but at night it comes alive.

My name is James Lee Mcquown.

I'm a fashion model, DJ and runner.

My background is a little bit complicated.

My father was a soldier.

He's American and my mother's Korean.

So I was back and forth between
the US and Korea since I was a child.

[light music]

Returning to Seoul as an adult
was an enormous learning experience.

You think, as a modern metropolis,

that people might be
sort of cold and standoffish.

But because of Korean culture,
people are very inviting and warm.

[slow upbeat music]

In the beginning,
there was just a handful of us.

Sort of underground collective of artists.

Mostly DJs, the graffiti writers,
MCs, free photographers…

We decided to start a running crew to do
something more healthy, more productive

besides, you know,
the drinking and the partying

that goes on on weekends.

It stands for Private Road Running Club.

So we were literally a private group.

[runner] We're coming through!

[James] And then word got out
and people would keep hitting us up.

[runner] Pedestrian!

[James] Can someone come out
to run with us?

Is it okay if we bring somebody along?

And all of a sudden
we have a big group on our hands.

[runner] Nice work! Nice work!

Nice work!

[runners cheering]

[runner] Nice work!

[James] Koreans pick up
what's trendy really fast.

[runner] Let's take a photo!

[James] We're really open to new ideas.

"Oh, you don't know about this?"

And then you're like,
"Oh, okay. Then show me."

[woman] One, two, three.

[James] Before we formed PRRC,

running was, sort of,
thought of as an old man's sport.

I'm like we're definitely not cool.

But we were able
to infuse that street culture,

the nightlife and put it into running.

[man] One, two, three.

Hands on waist, roll your neck.

[James] We're the first
official running crew

and now you can fathom
how big of a movement it's become.

[crew cheering]

[woman] Everyone here runs
for their own reasons,

but running together
definitely creates synergy.

And like the old saying goes,
"If you go alone, you can go quickly,

but if you want to go far
you should go together."

[runner] We're coming through. Be careful!

[James] Forming PRRC
and becoming a part of this community

has grounded me in Seoul.

[runner] It's nice work!

It's not just living here.
It's actually being involved

in the community.

That makes a difference.

[lively music]

[light music]

[Young-Gyu] A lot of musicians
gather around Hongdae.

And in the time that I have lived here,

I have witnessed the cycle
of them coming and going.

GOPCHANG JEONGOL

Gopchang Jeongol in Hongdae,

has been providing
for a long time a safe haven

for struggling musicians
wanting to perform.

[light upbeat music]

I think Leenalchi's second ever
performance was held here.

Everyone is looking forward to it today
and feeling a little excited.

-[man] It's a tight squeeze tonight.
-[Young-gyu] Oh, really?

[man] It's a tight squeeze tonight.

[Albert] A lot of Leenalchi's videos
have gone viral,

racking up millions and millions of views,

and that's really catapulted them on
to the domestic scene here.

[Na-rae] Our schedule
has definitely become much busier,

and we have appeared on TV shows

and ads that we never imagined
we would be on.

But it's not like everything stops

when we walk down the street
and people around see us.

So I would say we are just starting
to feel the people's attention.

This is the first time
in a very long time,

that we'll be performing at an event
in front of an audience up close,

so I'm excited to see
how they will react to our music.

And I'm curious how much
they'll enjoy our performance tonight.

[laughter]

[audience cheering]

[applause]

Let me tell you guys a little backstory.

We performed here
before we became popular.

We sang once, but back then,
our outfits didn't match.

But today we are famous!

We're wearing cool outfits!

We're definitely back in our full glory!

-[audience clapping]
-Everyone, put your hands together!

-[upbeat music]
-[cheering]

Looking back, I was a bit nervous.

But that evening, I just let loose
and enjoyed performing for the audience.

[sings in Korean]
♪ A tiger is coming down ♪

♪ A tiger is coming down ♪

♪ A beast is coming down through
The deep valley in the forest ♪

♪ Making the high hills shiver
Both ears pricked up ♪

♪ His body is striped
Full of tail ♪

♪ Longer than a grown man's arm span ♪

[Na-rae] When I perform,
I feel what the audience is thinking.

I imagine the kind of energy
they are giving me,

and how they move to the music.

[singing in Korean]
♪ The startled turtle retracts his head ♪

♪ And freezes on the spot ♪

♪ A tiger is coming down ♪

♪ A tiger is coming down ♪

♪ A tiger is coming down ♪

♪ A tiger is coming down ♪

♪ A tiger is coming down
A tiger is coming down ♪

♪ A tiger is coming down ♪

♪ A tiger is coming down ♪

[audience chanting]
Encore! Encore! Encore!

[Young-gyu] People used to show
a resistance

towards the modernized performance
of Korean traditional music.

But these younger generation

is a generation
with no prejudice whatsoever.

They appreciate
and acknowledge the performer.

It's difficult to gain much success
as an indie band,

yet Leenalchi did it.

And it's something surprising
because they are doing something

that's definitely very Korean,
and became very popular because of this.

♪ Does it worry you having
Your gray-haired mother at home? ♪

♪ Does being a loyal courtier
To the king with ♪

♪ Your government post worry you? ♪

[Na-rae] Before,
as a traditional Pansori singer,

I don't think I was quite effective
and fully expressing myself as Lee Na-rae.

It is only since I joined Leenalchi

that I truly feel comfortable
with the style,

and that I was born to sing like this.

I think it's something I can do
for a long time.

♪ I don't like how he visits
When I'm not around ♪

[Na-rae] And now when I perform
with them, I feel so happy

because I feel like I'm thrown back
to my childhood,

singing with all my heart.

And so this is the style
I have come to love.

[audience cheering, applauding]

[cheering continues]

[uplifting music]

[Na-rae] Seoul is a place
where different energies circulate,

wash over, and influence my movement
and decision-making.

I often think that
if I had not chosen to live in Seoul,

and stayed in a different place,

then I would have been living a life
without color, without rhythm.

[Soon-hee]
Because I've run Ungteori Tongdak

for a long time in Itaewon,

it feels like we are living
with Seoul's history.

And I still make sure I learn new things.

There's always something new here.

[Sung-yong]
Seoul is clearly fast-changing,

but then the core identity of the city
hasn't changed at all.

It is very well preserved.

That's what I believe
makes the city more attractive.

Cheers!

[closing theme music]