Korean Oktoberfest?!

Given that we've never met a German in Korea as of yet, it was a surprise to hear that there was a big Oktoberfest event happening in Busan. Of course, we had to go, mostly because it was an all-you-can-drink event for 30,000 won (~$30 CAD) each. Oh, and also because we befriended an American couple that lived in Germany for a year and had an extra lederhosen and dirndl. Not surprisingly, we were the only people wearing traditional German outfits. Because, you know, we live in KOREA.

Sarah and I looking spectacular

The unlimited beer was easily accessible, but unfortunately the washrooms were not. This meant short lines to get a beer (pilsner and dunkel were the two German options), but huge lines in case you drank too much. We most definitely drank our fill, but because beer is so cheap here it did feel a little overpriced in the end (especially because food at the event was very expensive).

Our table of teachers and American military

The entertainment at the event was....let's just say....interesting. It a Korean outdoor drinking party with nothing resembling Oktoberfest or Halloween. In any case, it was still fun! There was a pop/rap duo wearing sparkly outfits who got the crowd of about 300 people pumped up. Next was a magic show with a hint of the sea (video below). Last was Korean karaoke for an hour, of which we knew none of the songs but enjoyed watching the entire crowd belt out their favourite tunes. Would we be back? Probably not. Did we have fun? Yes. Did we get interviewed by a Russian guy for his Korean university media project about the event? Yes. Did one of our friends bring in a whole bottle of gin and an entire fried chicken into the event? Yes. Did we get a lot of thumbs up for our costumes for the event? Yes. We didn't know what to expect, but we're glad it happened!