South Korean seniors flock to disco clubs to dance
Thousands of South Korean seniors are secretly sneaking out to disco clubs to dance the day away.
“I come here every day of the week, except for Saturday and Sunday,” says 81-year-old Jun Il-Taek as he dances beneath giant disco balls and fairy lights.
Jun is just one of the 200 men and women on the dance floor, all bobbing away to the beat of disco.
Although their rather sedate nature of dancing contrasts with the high energy of disco music, everyone is having a ball at the ninth-floor dance club.
“Nothing keeps me healthier than dancing… I can’t live without this place,” Jun says, as he leads his 75-year-old female partner into a slow turn.
The army veteran is one of the thousands of South Korean seniors who love going to “Colatecs” – special disco dance clubs for the elderly.
Colatecs first emerged in the late 1990s as dance clubs for teenagers but soon fell out of fashion. They’ve now rebranded for the senior demographic, with opening hours between midday and 6pm.
The clubs are flourishing across the country, where anyone under 60 are turned away for being “too young”.
However, in the ultra-conservative Korean society Colatecs are seen as immoral, meaning many seniors keep their disco-dancing hobby a secret from their families.
Despite the stigma, South Korea’s ageing population are determined to enjoy themselves and many flock to the Colatecs to dance, unwind, have some fun, and meet new people.
“My children and grandchildren think that I just meet my friends over coffee or lunch,” says Han Keum-Ok, 75, who has been a regular attendee of Colatecs for 10 years.
“At my age, you never know how long you will live, and I’d like to enjoy the rest of my life to the full.
“But I tell no one I come here because a lot of people think Colatecs are immoral,” she says.