The Korea Times is shocked—shocked!—by the staying power of the World’s Oldest Profession:
We are surprised at the survival power of the sex industry. It was shocking to hear that a host of massage parlors employing prostitutes are thriving in downtown Seoul even though a strong anti-prostitution law is in force. The law is so strong as to put brothel owners in prison for up to 10 years with a maximum fine of 100 million won. But some of the massage parlors earn about 10 billion won ($10.3 million) a year.
According to police who recently cracked down on the brothels, people who frequented such places included lawyers, professors and other leading figures of society. This shows the shameful reality of our sex morals. It was three years ago when a stringent anti-prostitution law was passed to crush the sex trade once and for all. However, the recent clampdown indicates the widening gap between reality and the law.
That, or it indicates a law completely out of sync with social mores. That and a Korea Times editorial board that must be living on Mars.
13 Comments
I guess the movie ticket campaign failed. How whorrible.
I’m surprised they’re surprised. They only have to resd the newspapers…
Well, pushing it further underground is not the answer. Heck, I’d even say it’s immoral because it places the prostitutes in greater danger of being abused as the ones who will want to get involved in running the brothels will more likely be hardened criminals.
BAH HA HA! Only a few weeks ago did a friend and I pick up a starbucks tazo chai in Yeungdeungpo and walk a block down to cruise a strip of bright pink lights.
When the whole front wall is glass, where exactly do these girls hide when the Whoresale police do their rounds?
(Anyone had the balls to snap pictures there? Figured it would lead to a good beating…)
De-criminalize it, sez i the Social Libertarian.
“How whorrible”
LOL!
A couple of years ago I met a dude who was a newspaper reporter for a Korean daily. The guy had story after story of hitting red light districts with business clients and getting taken out to indulge in lusty pleasures in return for writing favorable stories for various people/business clients. He said that was pretty much par for the course, and I don’t think anyone here would doubt that for a second, so to see the quote: “…people who frequented such places included lawyers, professors and other leading figures of society. This shows the shameful reality of our sex morals.” seems like a bit of a lark. The writer probably wrote that story up while indulging in a few services on the police department’s dime.
As is often the case, the biggest detractors are those trying to cover up their own behavior.
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ha, editorial board.
very funny
KT editors may have been “shocked,” but most others report a “tingly” sensation and increased heart rate.
It’s about as surprising and shocking as cars continuing to run red lights, etc. Illegal - and you can expect an occasional crackdown, just like with the sex industry - but it it doesn’t amount to much. Largely cosmetic. Anyway, I think the biggest gap revealed by this editorial is that between reality and KT editors. I wonder if they actually believe readers take such editorials seriously…
Rather than this kind of faux concern about prostitution, they should investigate why there is such a demand for prostitutes.
The fact that the editorial board truly believed that in Korea there is a correlation between a law being passed and actual societal impact of that law is really goddamn funny. Anyone with the slightest clue about the prevelance of prostitution in Korea knew from the start that the crackdown and legislation weren’t going to have any serious effect with the exception of forcing the cockroaches into new homes.
This is either feigned outrage or unforgiveable stupidity.
I think it reflects on the hypocrisy of your people and your country. Shame on you. And to think that “comfort women” would have the audacity to sue in a Japanese court over war time prostitution is laughable. Your own nationals like the moral ability to own up to their own crimes.
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