Young People Shaking with Headphones on at Hangang
"Enjoy Music Healthily Without Worrying About Noise"
"I burned 1300 calories. Please brag about it."
Kim Cheolhwan (42), CEO of Silent Disco Korea, showed this message as a reaction from participants of the 'Hangang Silent DJ Party' during an interview with Asia Economy on the 22nd. He said, "The performance lasts for 3 hours, but people don’t seem to get tired; they listen to music and dance the whole time," adding, "There is almost no turnover, and once someone joins, they dance until the end of the performance. The participation and satisfaction levels are very high."
Silent Disco Korea is a company that plans various performances such as DJ music parties based on wireless headphones. CEO Kim, a former director of the World DJ Festival (Woldyfe), has been hosting silent DJ parties since 2010. His main job was directing Woldyfe, and holding 'quiet music parties' as a hobby became the origin of Silent Disco.
Kim incorporated headphones into performances to create music parties where people can enjoy themselves 'without noise nuisance.' He got the idea after seeing quiet performances using headphones at famous overseas festivals like the Glastonbury Festival.
He said, "While planning large festivals, I received many noise complaints and strongly wanted to be free from such complaints," adding, "Also, since Woldyfe is held only once a year, I wanted to do something fun during the remaining time. I wanted everyone to return to a childlike world without feeling sorry about noise and realize 'I can still enjoy myself'."
However, since he had a main job, silent parties were held occasionally in places like Hongdae, barely maintaining their presence. He firmly decided to start the business in earnest in 2020 when COVID-19 spread. He said, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, all outdoor festivals were canceled, and I had conflicts with my company. I wanted to create a kind of resistant fun, so I started the business seriously."
Why Hangang... Symbolism of 'Seoul’s Center' and Wholesomeness
The decisive reason Kim chose Hangang was the symbolism of Hangang as the center of Seoul and its wholesome image. He said, "When we held silent parties in Hongdae, many people were drunk or smoking," adding, "On the other hand, at Hangang, even if people drink, it’s usually just one beer, and smoking is only allowed in designated smoking zones, so even while enjoying the same club music, many people viewed it as wholesome."
Kim also said, "I thought the Hangang night view would be attractive to foreigners," adding, "Especially overseas, it’s difficult to enjoy performances or parties at night because safety cannot be guaranteed when going home after the event. In contrast, Korea has good public safety, so even if the performance ends late at night, people can safely return home, which would be interesting from a foreigner’s perspective." He added, "I am the only one who has commercialized an evening party concept at a symbolic place like 'Seoul’s Hangang.'"
The Hangang Silent DJ Party started in August 2023. Initially, three performances were promised at the Hangang Jamsu Bridge, but as crowds gathered, the number of performances increased to ten. This year, the party will be held 12 times from May to October at locations including Hangang Jamsu Bridge, Ttukseom, and Mapo Bridge. Kim said, "Usually, 600 tickets are reserved in advance and 200 tickets are sold on-site, but all pre-sale tickets were sold out. On-site tickets are so competitive that they sell out quickly. Many people also spread mats next to the venue and watch."
Despite dozens of performances, there have been no noise complaints. He emphasized, "Although videos may show loud music and people’s cheers, there have been no complaints about the performance. Large speakers used at festivals push sound at about 120-130 dB, which causes noise complaints. Especially the low bass 'thumping' can hit windows or shake buildings, causing problems, but human voices cannot spread beyond 20-30 meters."
"I want to do it every week at Hangang" - The Goal of 'Silent Disco'
The Hangang Silent DJ Party is also popular among foreigners, who make up about 5% of participants. Kim said, "We have to follow the schedule set by the Hangang Business Headquarters to hold performances, so it’s unfortunate that foreigners visiting Korea outside this period cannot participate." He added, "I hope it develops into a regular weekend program at Hangang. I want it to become an immersive tourism program where people experience it physically, not just a consumer product where satisfaction matches the money paid."
Currently, the ticket price for the silent party is 8,000 won, about half the price of a weekend movie ticket at 15,000 won. The price was set below 10,000 won because it uses a public space like Hangang, reflecting Kim’s business philosophy of providing affordable entertainment services.
He said, "The initial capital was about 200 million won, and now we are making enough profit to sustain our livelihood," adding, "You can say we are creating sales that can develop the business. I want to become the Daiso of the event industry."
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