Somebody posts on a quiet Facebook group that it s time for another old-time jam session. Usually, there s no more than a week s notice, and at the anointed time and place, a group of musicians versed in various folk traditions come together to make music. There are core participants who show up almost every time, but they re welcoming of newcomers, and each time is a little different.
Tucked away amid the phalanx of high-rise apartment complexes that have overrun western Seoul s Ahyeon-dong, there s a narrow corridor cutting through the area that still bustles with foot traffic during the day. At night, it glows with the welcoming lights of a few remaining establishments. One of those is Baekusaeng Makgeolli, a brewpub specializing in traditional Korean alcohol.