Old people dance disco and go on dates in Korea

Old people dance disco and go on dates in Korea

Four times a week, Mr. Lee Gwan Woo takes his mother to Jongno district, central Seoul, South Korea.

For many years, Mr. Lee followed his mother’s instructions without question.

At first, Mr. Lee felt shocked but then realized that his mother was happy.

`She came here and just ordered a cup of coffee. I saw that she was really happy when she was around other elderly people. That helped my mother live healthy and strong. This year, she is 96 years old,` the man said.

Hide your children and grandchildren to go disco dancing

The Colatecs disco in a central district of Seoul, South Korea, is for the elderly only.

Behind soundproof doors and under the flashing lights of the disco floor, old men and women dance together in pairs while others sit around the dance floor waiting for their turn.

Even though this dance floor is open from 10am to 5pm so that the elderly can go home before dark, elderly customers do not feel less happy because of that.

Mr. Lee Gang Ma, a 79-year-old man wearing a neat suit with a waistcoat underneath and aviator-style sunglasses, said he considered this a form of `exercise.`

`We have fun, it helps prevent dementia. This is better than being in the hospital. Every month, I come here 25 times. That’s right, 25 times, with my dance partner!`, he said, then

Society’s prejudice causes many elderly men and women to hide their hobby of dancing.

The admission price is only 1,000 won (nearly 1 USD), so every day up to 1,200 elderly people come to the Colatecs dance floor to dance, eat, drink and chat with each other.

`If they stay at home alone, they will get depressed and suffer from dementia. But if they come here, make friends, same sex and opposite sex, drink a little soju, then all problems will be solved,`

Not far from the Colatecs dance floor, retro-styled shops have sprung up close by.

At the cinema, advertising posters depict Hollywood stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.

In restaurants, diners dine and sing along to ancient Korean folk songs while the dishes are familiar foods from their childhood.

`I play music and tell stories that remind them of the past. I am a bridge connecting them to their memories. I am very happy and proud of this,` said Mr. Jang Minook, 62 years old, DJ at the restaurant.

Old people also need love

Mr. Kim Busik, 69 years old, said: `I apply lotion every day and get facial massages. Do I look younger than my age?`.

Life expectancy in Korea is increasing rapidly.

In fact, Korea is the country with the highest suicide rate among the elderly in the world.

`We should go out to socialize with people and eat well. Old people should live like that,` said Mr. Kim Busik, 69, who regularly goes dancing every three weeks whenever his girlfriend, who has become a grandmother,

Nun Hui Yoo, manager of a center for the elderly in Seoul, believes that the elderly also need love.

`We just deliberately ignore it, pretending we don’t know anything. But in our center, there are love triangles and foursomes between the elderly. I’ve noticed that the elderly often express

`Taking care of the elderly is not only taking care of them physically but also mentally,` according to the nun, there is nothing wrong with the elderly going dancing and even finding love there.

`When they immerse themselves in relationships with the opposite sex, endorphin hormones are released that make them feel happy, which is the way to live a long and happy life.`