Reader Hamel sent me a link to this reprint of a TIME magazine article from June 1973 on Japanese gisaeng tourism to Korea. Just so you can get an idea of what we’re talking about:
When the samurai hordes poured across the Sea of Japan into Korea almost four centuries ago, a legendary Korean kisaeng (courtesan) named Gae Non (論介) vowed to kill the invaders’ leading general. She toasted her prey at an outdoor party, then bound herself to him with a sash as a token of eternal love. A moment later, so the story goes, she plunged into a nearby ravine, dragging the general with her to death and fulfilling her vow. In Seoul these days, the kisaeng response to a new and different kind of Japanese invasion is a lot more affectionate and hospitable.
Between 1971 and 1972, the number of Japanese visitors to Korea more than doubled, reaching 190,000; this year Seoul officials expect more than 500,000, about 70% of them in all-male tour groups. Last year Japanese tourism was worth $58 million; in 1973 the figure is expected to reach $120 million. The major reason: many Japanese males have come to believe that the Korean kisaeng are more accomplished (and quite a bit cheaper) than the ladies patrolling the Ginza back home. In recent years, Japanese males with a penchant for lechery almost automatically headed for Taipei and the charmers of the red-lit Grass Mountain. But last September’s break in Taiwan-Japan diplomatic relations also had a depressing effect on carnal relations.
Scenic Pleasure. Korea was happy to provide an alternative. Not all the tourists spend their time wenching: Seoul has a host of scenic and historic attractions. But the main lure still seems to be the sight of hostesses rather than the host of sights. Complains Korea’s Director of Tourism Yong Kul Lee: “The Japanese men seem far more interested in unwholesome things.”
Not all tourists were happy with this, however:
Some South Koreans, however, are disturbed by the fact that their country seems to be turning into Japan’s bordello. An American tourist, shoved around at Kimpo Airport by a mass of eager arrivals from Tokyo, asked:
“Does the U.S. have to post 40,000 G.I.s in Korea to defend these guys’ right to have a good time?”
Prude.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
wjk?
wjk’s Daddy?
I don’t like where this is going. Please stop.
Was Gae Non the gisaeng that drowned the Japanese general at Jinju?
Yes. Or at least Non Gae was.
Heh heh heh.
Something something something Korea. Something something something Thailand. Something something something Japan. Something something something when the shoe’s on the other foot. Something something something punchline.
(cue laugh track)
Damn, Roboseyo! You sure can turn a phrase!
You wanna here something funny?
Here in L.A., the Japanese hostess bars in Little Tokyo and Gardena are A LOT cheaper than the Korean room bbangs and room salons. Thus, you see a lot of Koreans frequent the Japanese hostess bars…
*Hear* not *here*…
Here in L.A., the Japanese hostess bars in Little Tokyo and Gardena are A LOT cheaper than the Korean room bbangs and room salons.
Wangkon, I’m sure you have a lot more to discuss about that, no?
Dude…
If I write about it in Internet land, I might as well rent a billboard next to the 405 freeway and hook up neon lights to it. Google makes everything on the Internet accessable in seconds!
I’m much too smart for that.
Yeah, I’ve gone. You’ve got to celebrate closed deals somehow… whether they are my closed deals or my buddies’.
and the ad that comes up next to the article?
빙그레다방 at cheonho intersection.
The Chinese characters are in reverse order in Gae Non（論介). Should be (介論)
No, dude, the characters were right. It’s the transliterated name that was wrong, maybe because the reporter thought they were switching a personal and a family name.
Pretty much like that through the mid-80s.
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