How this Irish pub is helping turn a quiet Seoul neighbourhood into a cultural hotspot
Seoul’s Nowon district has never been known for nightlife. Irish-American Brendan Kelly shares how his bar, Kelly’s Pub, is changing that
For many foreign Seoulites, the name “Nowon” is more familiar as a punchline than a place. Beyond the long-running joke that the city’s northeastern district’s name sounds like “no one”, there is not a whole lot that is widely known about it.
But Kelly’s Pub, nestled above a street near Gongneung Station, is a sign that Nowon is no longer a blank spot on the city’s cultural map.
Kelly’s Pub is not a themed bar, nor is it trying to import the heavy, old-world aesthetic of a classic Irish tavern. “Honestly, I just wanted a lot of wood,” Kelly says with a laugh.
The interior is brighter than a traditional pub – intentionally so. “We’re on the second floor and a little hard to spot, so I didn’t want it to feel too dark or mysterious,” he says.