DJ Jinwook’s back with a London flair

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DJ Jinwook’s back with a London flair

Next time you go to a dance party featuring a foreign DJ, see if he has a work visa for Korea. Local promoters who didn’t arrange these legalities for foreign performers got into trouble recently, and their plans in the coming months are on hold.
Sway, a reputable party planning company, doesn’t have to worry about such matters, as its principal partner, Lee Jin-wook, is not only a Korean national but also one of the big-name DJs in the party industry.
Formerly a fashion model, DJ Jinwook officially, and by luck, debuted one Saturday night in 1999 at a now-defunct techno club, MI, when the in-house DJ was a no-show. The debonair DJ went right along with the emerging electronica scene, becoming the choice among the fashionable crowd. He was an opening DJ for visiting international DJs, such as BT, Derrick Carter and Dimitri from Paris, and did his usual gig at major fashion events.
For the past three and a half months, the crowd has wondered about his absence from the party scene. To insiders’ delight, he flew to London in search of musical inspiration.
Now DJ Jinwook is back with a renewed and stronger musical force. Tomorrow night at Woo Bar at the W Seoul Hotel in eastern Seoul, from 9 p.m. to midnight, the musically hungry crowd will get to sample the Korean DJ’s London-inspired mix at a party, “Spring in Session.” After midnight and onward, DJ Joeki and his percussionist from Bangkok’s trendy Q Bar will showcase the best of Asian hits.


The dress code is “Wear It Cool.” A ticket costs 30,000 won ($30), which includes one free drink. The party runs from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m. Woo Bar is located on the first floor of the W Seoul hotel. For more information, call Sway at 02-544-3467.

The IHT-JoongAng Daily asked DJ Jinwook about his experience in London:

Q. What can you say about “before” and “after” your time in London?

A. Before, I was showing off; after, no more bubbles. All I think about is, I must try harder and make sure I have quality content. I did music shopping and brought with me soulful deep house, soulful Latin deep house and electro-funky house. I also learned English at an academy.

What was the coolest thing that happened to you?
I got to play as a main DJ at a hip club called Club A.K.A. on Holborn Street. I started slow and then pumped it up to play fully packed sets for four straight hours. The crowd loved it. The following weekend, partiers recognized me and introduced me to their friends.

What do you think about the recent bust in the local party scene?
I’m embarrassed. Partying is an important part of culture, but ... some promoters only think about making money. I befriended promoters, whom I will collaborate with to bring European DJs to Korea later. For us, everything’s set up, so it will be trouble-free.


by Ines Cho
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