Most of the brothels in the Cheongnyang-ni area are shut down with their lights off on Sept. 23, the day the Special Prostitution Law went into effect./Yonhap News
You know, at first, I really hated this crackdown, but with all the interesting news (and great blogging material) it’s providing, now I’m not sure it was such a bad idea. Beats the hell out of blogging the latest news out of Iraq or the shit the Seoul mayor has managed to get himself into, that’s for sure.
Anyway, batting lead-off, we have this sordid tale of entrepreneurial high school girls and men with no conscience who apparently like to party, brought to you straight from Gwangju — the City of Light, City of Culture, and The Ben’s current place of abode (as well as the Marmot’s former habitat). Gwangju’s finest have booked 11 men, including a teacher, private academy instructor, president of a small/mid-sized company and general affairs chief of a construction company for engaging in paid sex with some runaway high school girls. The girls, including 17-year-old Miss Kim, went about their business by checking into hotels with Internet access in Buk-gu, Duam-dong and Seo-gu, Chipyeong-dong and opening chat rooms entitled, “Would you like to meet now?” When men connected, they would start one-on-one conversation and “seduce” them into coming over (”Seduce” was not my word, but that of Newsis, which ran this headline — “Runaway High School Girls Seduce Adult Men Through Internet, Group Sex“). Apparently, a lot of men did want to meet — judging from the girls’ testimony and contact numbers the girls were given, police figure they did about 50 guys between Sept. 19 and early this month.
Men paid between W100,000 and W200,000 in cash and other valuables a pop.
The thing that undoubtedly got the attention of the Korean Internet user (as it did mine!) was that police have detained five of the men on suspicion of having engaged in group sex (jipdan seong-gwangye — there’s your Korean word for the day) with two of the girls.
See, the Gwangju women’s groups were right — public morality in the city has gone straight in the shitter since they announced those plans to deploy PAC-3 batteries out at Gwangju AF.
On a more serious note, police made the bust after getting information that prostitution was being conducted via Internet chat rooms in order to avoid the Great Crackdown. This is something people said would start happening ever since plans for a crackdown were announced — this is the most wired country on the planet, and let’s face it, people just wanna get laid. Internet prostitution, of course, is much harder to control, and lacks the AIDS and VD tests that went along with employment in the established red light districts.
On a less serious note, this news should make that dumb American schmuck who got busted for bringing hos to his on-campus apartment in Daejeon feel a little better about himself.
Next, in my last post on this subject, I pointed out that the local tourism agency was taking a hit from decreases in Japanese (and Chinese, for that matter) tourism due to the prostitution crackdown. Well, there is a bright side to it all. Apparently, if you happened to work for a travel agency specializing in Korean tourism to Southeast Asia, your ship has come in. Since the crackdown, firms in the tourism industry say demand for Korean male package tours to Southeast Asia have been on the rise, and no, they’re not looking for the beaches. One guide with an agency specializing in tours to Bangkok said he was discussing price matters with local red light districts and bars in preparation for an increase in “sex tourism,” which had of late taken a back seat to package golf tours.
The piece also recounts the drop-off in Japanese and Chinese tourists coming to Korea, and ends with this warning from an official with the Korean Association of Travel Agents (KATA):
“In the long term, the enforcement of the Special Law Against Prostitution could greatly change the currents of domestic and foreign tourism. If foreign tourists start going to China and Southeast Asia instead of Korea, the domestic tourism agency could be hit hard if separate countermeasures aren’t prepared.”
Just so you know, while I disagree with the general crackdown for a number of reasons, I’d like to believe Korea’s tourism industry could survive without hordes of Japanese and Chinese men coming here to plug Korean hookers (not that there’s anything wrong with hordes of Japanese and Chinese men coming here to plug Korean hookers, of course). If the KATA is really that concerned, perhaps it needs to do a better job selling Korea as something other than a great place to get laid. It really is a beautiful country, you know (One day, I’d actually like to move into the tourism business, but that’s another story).
Last, but not least, if certain sectors of the tourism industry are having it tough with the prostitution crack down, at least they could commiserate with their buddies in the booze industry. Whiskey distillers are getting killed because of the a particularly nasty double whammy — first came the introduction of a “real name” system in reporting corporate entertainment expenses to the National Tax Agency from the second half of this year, which led to sudden 20~30 percent drops in whiskey sales. Ouch. Then came the Special Law Against Prostitution and the Great Crackdown of 9.27, which is putting yet another hurt on distillers. An official from Diagio Korea, makers of the Windsor and Dimple labels, said the domestic whiskey market relied on room salons and dallan-jujeom for 80 percent of whiskey sales, and major hits in sales were unavoidable due to the strengthened prostitution laws. Room salons and dallan-jujeom, of course, are not simply high-class karaoke establishments, but placed to arrange satisfaction of other pleasures depending on your expense account. Jinro Ballantine’s, makers of Imperial and Ballantine’s, and Lotte Chilsung, maker of Scotch Blue, are claiming over 20 percent hits in sales since the prostitution crackdown.
The industry is formulating countermeasures, believing that the government is quite serious this time about prostitution and hence the sales drop-offs might be prolonged. The industry does believe, however, that Korea’s drinking culture will gradually develop, and firms are planning to use the crackdown as an opportunity to shift their marketing strategies away from room salons and dallan-jujeom to the bars — a potential high-growth market — and home consumption.
It should also be noted beer brewers are looking at potential drop-offs in sales as well — much of the demand for beer came from room salons and dallan-jujeom, where the drink of choice was the infamous poktan-ju, which is basically a boiler maker.
You know, all this is confirming what I once said, only half-jokingly, that the real reason behind this crackdown on prostitution was to ensure that absolutely no sector of the economy thrived on Roh Moo-hyun’s watch.
UPDATE: Not directly related to prostitution, or Korea for that matter, but the Gyeongyang Sinmun is reporting that Tokyo is pushing an ordinance forbiding those middle school age and under from engaging in sexual activities. According to 2002 stats provided by the city, 12.3 percent of middle school 3rd year boys and 9.1 percent of middle school third year girls had experienced sexual relations, as had 37.3 percent of high school 3rd year boys and 45.6 percent of high school 3rd year girls. Some oppose an ordinance, however, citing privacy issues and a lack of enforcement plan. I’m not sure what the laws are like in Japan, you’d have to believe that there must be some sort of law on the books preventing older men from having sex with minors, but then again, I don’t know what the hell goes on over there, so perhaps someone might care to enlighten me.
UPDATE II: Speaking of Internet prostitution, the Chosun Ilbo’s English edition had this little beauty:
Ulsan Police issued arrest warrants on Friday for a 22-year-old man, Jang, a 43-year-old woman, Kim, and two others for allegedly soliciting prostitution on Internet chat rooms. Police also confiscated their client list.
The 34-page notebook contained a list of paid sex acts that took place in motels or apartments for W100,000 to W120,000 each from mid August. The list included detailed descriptions of male clients, their Internet chatting nickname and their cellular phone numbers. Men were described by their distinctive characteristics, such as having penis enlargements, having sex three times in two hours or lasting a long time. Some men were blacklisted for having no money or being “retarded.” Other notes included the number of times a john was serviced, the john’s manners, where the sex took place and when the money was to be paid. The agency had been managing its clients, with this list.
The police said that three women in their 40s had paid to have sex with men in their 20s to 40s and added that, according to the list, one woman had slept with as many as 15 men a day.
English.chosun.com — bringing you the news you need to know.
20 Comments
Marmot, there is plenty of wrong in any men, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, whatever, doing that. I didn’t know you were a sexist as well.
Schoolgirls plying this trade is nothing new. Get a video of the Japanese movie 24 Hours in Shibuya - a sad, funny slice of life about this culture there.
As for what the crackdown has done, I read this inflight on a Malaysian newspaper last week: 15 Korean women caught in a police vice raid, together with other foreign nationals.
If they’re serious about this crackdown, they should knock those glass houses down. I actually agree with trying to get rid of such blatant forms of prostitution which is sore on the eyes, and which ecourages societal acceptance of prostitution as legit form of entertainment. I sincerely hope this is not just a month long act of appearing to do something to make the police look good as in the past.
And yes, prostitution will be driven underground, but at least the blatant kinds are eliminated. Legalization of prostitution is a bad ideal. There is no proof that legalization will eliminate illegal prostitution that involve women being forced, women plying their trade in non-red light districts, and so on. What makes anyone think legalization will eliminate illegal activities like internet dates, phone booth dates, and sex with minors? Korea has always had the semi-quasi legalized prostitution with predictable results of sex districts sprouting out everywhere without checks and balances.
Eliminate the blatant forms of prostitution, send out the message that society shouldn’t tolerate it, and that it will be harder to engage in this activity. Maybe even one tenth of those would be whores will get discouraged and stay straight. And that would be worth the effort.
kimbob, “And yes, prostitution will be driven underground, but at least the blatant kinds are eliminated”
Actually, your plan will create more “eye sores.” By forcing prostitution out of places where it would more naturally be found, such as in brothels or near motels, the police drive that activity into the streets of neighborhoods where it otherwise wouldn’t exist. As a result, residents of the neighborhoods are exposed to the activity against their will. This has certainly been the case in the United States.
If you can make money then it’s okay. This is the Korean mentality.
Young girls have been having sex for money in Korea forever, it’s nothing new, and it’s not spreading. Actually sex for money has decreased as Koreans have become wealthier. Christ, 30 years ago Itaewon made Angeles City look tame.
So why the crackdown? Hmmmm, organized crime power struggle? Not sure on this yet, but I think the news will come soon.
ouch. Naughty, wasn’t I?
I did think twice about letting that comment in, but snuck it through…nothing like being a devil’s advocate, sometimes.
No, you usually beat everyone with the same big stick. Smile!
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‘if you can make money with it then it’s ok. that’s the korean
mentality.’
yeah, i think that’s the human mentality rather than the korean mentality.
btw, here’s something that might grab you americans who moralize:
porn here in the states makes more money than the rap, rock, pop, and country music
industries combined (source la times). still further, as time goes on,
more and more porn stars are appearing on ‘regular’ televison thereby
giving legitamcy to the idea that it’s ok to be a porn star. anything to make
a buck is ok. that’s the american mentality.
koreans object to sex on television while saying nothing about houses of
prostitution. americans object to houses of prostition but say nothing
about the mounds of sex on televison. one day on cnn at 6:00 at night, i turned into
larry king which was going to commercial. before going, ol larr showed a clip of that
gay show on showtime. it contained two naked men in an embrace kissing one another
as lightning and thunder roared in the background. koreans might wonder if that’s
what americans want their children to see.
it’s ok to talk about the scorge of korean prostitution, but why make racial comments
about the koreans?
it??s ok to talk about the scorge of korean prostitution…
I’d prefer not to term it a scorge, per say. Or any more a scorge than, let’s say, “the scorge of Korean factory work, “the scorge of the Korean salaryman,” or all the other forms of free sale of labor/exploitation (depending on your political views) that no one ever complains about.
Just FYI the age of consent in Japan is 13. However there are various (confusing) laws about sex with minors (under age 20) that in theory make sex for money with minors illegal. A site that has a summary of the situation is http://www.ageofconsent.com/japan.htm
I have further semi-rlated comments on my blog - http://www.di2.nu/blog.htm?20041011
The laws of supply and demand
The Koreans have been cracking down on prostitution recntly with what I would consider to be predictable results so far. … Terrorism on the other hand has extremely limited demand. Very few, if any, communities or members of a community wish to see…
For those who think crack downs won’t work. Of course I agree with you if this crack down is going to be a month long affair. For this thing to work, it should be a long drawn out counter offensive strategy that will never end. The goal should not be complete elimination of prostitution which would be unrealistic, but a lessening of it by discouraging those who would get into it. I still have some faith left in humans that at least some will think twice about whoring if it becomes unaccepted by the society. What I want to see is that Korea apply the laws that has been in the books. Application of the law has really never been done before.
Sorry, Paul Webb, I don’t. Try reading Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. Or some other book about Road Maps or something. Might help. Or not. :O
nulji maripkan. Uh have you ever seen Korean TV after 10:00 at night. On average there are three pornos running at the same time. Granted I have cable but it is basic cable that comes with the apartment that all people living in this apartment complex have. I think Koreans as well as most people like having porn on TV. Maybe its becuse you have not been in Korea recently. I don’t remember a lot of porn on TV 7 years ago when I first came here but it sure is on a lot these days. I also don’t remember watching gay guys in bed together at 6:00 PM in America. Things sure do change fast.
“…but why make racial comments
about the koreans?”
Where are the racial comments?
kimbob, knock down the glass houses?! but some of those girls are really hot!! well, i never got a close look on account of fear of those burly, “jopok”-looking, pimp-guys, and i never intended to become a customer, but i thought it was kind of exciting to “accidentally” pass by and sneak a peek at their pseudo-spears attire. (britney, that is…) kinda like a sexy zoo…
don’t know about all this talk about chasing down every last prosty and john– i guess as long as the law’s on the books, no point in getting worked up about the Man finally enforcing it. after all, i didn’t move to (warped) japan or (fascist) singapore. (hyperbole guys! not racism– i know those are ridic over-generalizations so don’t tell me)
also– kimbob left one out on his post–there are also red-light karaoke joints… ^_-
one such establishment down the block from the room salon across from the hyu gae sil “barber shop” near my apartment. (an otherwise foreigner-free, wholesome neighborhood)
Prostitution, clients, economy
The weekly Hankyoreh21 takes part in the presently heated discussion on the re-illegalization of the already illegal but tolerated (and in some instances encouraged) prostitution. (Robert Koehler at Marmot’s Hole has a detailed post on the matter.) T…
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