The BBC’s Lucy Williamson has written a great piece about host bars for women in Seoul:
In the dim light of an underground room, a dozen perfectly groomed young men kneel in rows, calling out their names.
Muscular, with shiny boy-band hairstyles, they cram side by side into the narrow space, waiting for us to make our choice. Outside in the corridor, more of their colleagues are arriving for another night at work. It is 2am, and we are their first customers.
Just want to spend a few hours talking with a guy who will actually listen to what you have to say?
The price for this slice of male attention is $487-650 (£300-400) a day.
And if by chance, just maybe, you find yourself looking for a little somethin’ somethin’ at the end of the evening, you best watch out, these guys are pros:
James has been working at Bar 123 for a couple of years. In Korean culture, he says, there is a lot of pride and negotiating a price for sex is never done explicitly. Instead, he tells me, it is all down to the host’s own assessment.”The guys here are pros – we know what we’re doing,” he says.
“After talking to a girl for an hour we basically know how much money she makes and what she does for a living. We’ve already analysed her personality and what she’s willing to give.”
There’s a joke in there somewhere about being professionally analyzed and a couch being involved, but I’ll pass on that.
(HT to Hal)
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
“Men want to have visual pleasure and want to feel things, they’re tactile. Women like to talk and to listen.”
I say bull shit on this. Why aren’t the men hostesses balding, short, and ugly then?
Here the 29 minute report by Lucy Williamson here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lv4np
cm: you are right to an extent, but there are many more stripper bars that cater to men than those that cater to women. Why is this?
Good Lord…no wonder the suicide rate isone of the highest in the world.
” Sitting at a table at one end of the bar was one of their regular customers, a florist called Kim Nayu. She tells me she comes here every day to meet her favourite host and discuss issues she is having at work.The price for this slice of male attention is $487-650 (£300-400) a day.”Talking to friends would be cheaper” she admits, “but they don’t listen as much. They’re busy, and in a hurry to talk about themselves. Here, people will pay attention to me and they’ll listen to me.”"I spend a lot of money but it’s worth it for what I get emotionally. People pay to go to see a psychologist or psychiatrist, so it’s similar but less stressful.”
Thanks for the link Hamel. Good stuff.
Creo69: I wonder if that quote would have been worded differently spoken to a friend “I spend a lot of money but it’s worth it for what I get…”
Creo @#3,
Why don’t you shut up already and go find a nice “man” to cuddle with.
#5 – I agree with #3
When wealthy, successful Korean ladies have to resort to paying for men for a little fun – that is sad indeed.
As for the “comfort men” selling their bodies – good on them – why should only females be allowed to work in the “comfort industry”?
#6,
Sad enough to go jump off a building?
Cuz that’s what Creepo was implying.
“Oh, boohoo. I’m so rich and successful that I can’t find a man who is my match! The only way out of this misery is to end my life.”
These women sure have money to burn.
Millions of women would kill to be where these characters are in life.
Their sadness is really bliss.
But I guess you yourself, being super rich, could empathize with them.
Give me a break. They’re not doing this because they need someone to talk to. That’s just a BS excuse.
They’re doing it for fun. Good, expensive fun.
methinks you know little JK.
Yes, I’m an ignoramus.
Could you share your insight on the issue?
I think jk6411 is right. The BS meter is going off like crazy when I read this: “she comes here every day to meet her favourite host and discuss issues she is having at work…” The key word here is favorite host. Issues at work have nothing to do with her dropping $3,000 or more per week at a host bar.
jagkani #6 — your naivete is showing. None of these rich ladies have to “resort to” host bars. They do it because they enjoy it and they have the money to do it. End of discussion.
so I am correct. They have to resort to paying money at host bars to gain enjoyment in their tedious life.
(not the end of discussion)
No you are not correct.
Just like someone who enjoys baseball doesn’t “resort to” paying money to attend a baseball game. These ajummas enjoy their boy toys and have the money to play out their fantasies. In the States, a wild ladies’ night out may entail an evening at male strip club. In Extreme Korea, if you got the money, you can have your personal boy toy every night if that’s what you want. Don’t shed any tears for these ladies.
There’s an interesting documentary about the equivalent of this in Japan. Women spend upwards of $1K to $3K per month at these places. How can they afford it? Most of them are room saloon girls or in the sex industry and they blow their money on these guys to escape and have some form of male companionship since they are damaged goods and these guys won’t judge them. It becomes an addiction and vicious cycle.
The Great Happiness Space – Tale of an Osaka love thief
You can watch it here:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjEzMjkxMjQw.html
Who are these women?
They are probably 30-something “gold miss’s”, or room salon girls.
Either way, they can’t find male companions by regular means.
Who the heck would pay for companionship, if they could get it for free?
I guess I would shed some tears for them, if they’ve lost/forfeited the chance to get married.
Who are these women? Follow Hamel’s BBC link and listen to the Lucy William’s report. They’re young attractive women who don’t look like they need to buy sex. But they do it, to play out their fantasies of dallying with the guys who look like Kpop stars. That’s what it is. Forget the excuses that women want to “talk to men”. Oh come on, that’s just such a typically lame excuse given by women who want to protect their facade that they still have some pride left in them.
God, we need more Korean women on this blog.
Yes women like sex. Why is this surprising? The problem is not enough Korean couples are having 2+ children.
Korean couples should have more sex and reproduce more or else Korea will become like Japan.
Not disagreeing with your general BS incredulity, but the last part, generally women do like to talk and emphasise. If she just wants sex theres plenty of call nightclubs where she can pick up young guys. Though this girl is extreme, to say the least and would think she has sone obsession issues rather than needing sex.
Men have been doing it for eons, simple no complications, pick up and drop whenever it suits, no headaches, no moaning and whining when you come home, and most importantly on a ” per shag” basis arguably cheaper than any other relationship with a woman.
That rather assumes she is!
Just like all those fabled GI’s dropping KRW 3,000,000 a week in Itaewon.
Arghaeri @#20,
Perhaps. But $500 a day seems like highway robbery.
Jk, maybe so but I ain’t takin a pay cut just cos you’re jealous.
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