ULTIMATE SEOUL

Overview

Seoul is pretty much it when it comes to South Korea. Sure Busan is a cool city, but it just can't compare to Seoul. Seoul has a population of over 11 million. Has a cool mix of towering skyscrapers with temples wedged in between. Foreigners are referred to as Waygooks. The official language is Korean, which there is really no need to learn. All the places you will be meeting women at, the girls will be able to speak English. English language is taken very seriously here and kids are taught from grade school all the way through high school and University, not to mention the millions of private English Academies / Hagwons. And due to that there is a gazillion English teachers in Korea. If your interested in working and teaching in Korea check out my teaching ESL guide here. Seoul is really diverse and there is something for pretty much everyone. If you can't find your niche here than I am afraid you wont find your niche anywhere. The currency used in Korea is the Won, for comparison 10,000 won = $9. One of the best things about Seoul and Korea in general is it's transportation system which I will touch on later. Another awesome thing is the food. I love Korea food. Galbi and Korean BBQ are awesome. Not to mention the many different Jiggaes / Stews and lets not forget Kimchi. One last thing I am gonna throw out there before moving on, Koreans love to drink! I have never seen a country with more drunk ass people getting carried around or passed out on the street.



Logistics

Like always, logistics are important. Esp in Korea because most girls live with their family until 30's. You will need to have a place to bounce girls to. Seoul has basically 3 main areas of note. Itaewon, Hongdae, and Gangnam. Itaewon can basically be described as the foreigner district / hub, coincidentally home to the most sleezy clubs and red light district. Hongdae is the University / hipster scene, although you can still find any scene you want here as well. Gangnam is the posh high end area below the Han River. One thing to point out, there are a number of love motels and DVD Bangs in which you could bounce a girl to and close. Id recommend the DVD Bang. Cheap place where you go to "watch" a movie in a little room. However, many Koreans use these places to fuck. After deciding what area you want to base yourself out of you can look at Agoda, Asiarooms, and Tripadvisor to lock down a hotel.



The Girls



Lets get this out of the way right now, Korean girls are fucking hot. Probably the best looking of the Asian women. They all dress sexy as fuck in short skirts or dresses and high heels. You go at night and your head is constantly on a swivel. Generally speaking Korean girls are very slim and white. Every now and again you see some girls with ass and tits. And that is a sight to behold. Now to the bad part. As a foreigner you hold ZERO DHV in Korea. Actually its a negative as Korea is one of the most xenophobic and homogeneous countries in the world. Now, there is exceptions and ways around this which I will touch on later. Beside the Korean girls, a big plus is you have a shit ton of girls from all over the world living in Seoul. English teachers, SEA working girls, and tons of European, Asian, and Latin American girls studying in the Universities around Seoul. You can pretty much just feast on those if you wanted to. Id suggest to keep a balanced diet though Some things I dislike about Korean girls is they are super materialistic, vain,and immature. As a result I normally focus on the SEA's and International students.

Pipelining

Pipelining is pretty good in Korea (if you live in one of the 3 biggest cities). Id say that 60% of my bangs have come from online. KoreanCupid is the site of choice, but I suppose one can use DateInAsia, Tagged, and CouchSurfing as well. If you live in Seoul you will have unlimited options. Be sure to filter for other ethnicities as well. Like standard procedure, message them and set up a date at night. Get them drunk and back to the apartment / hotel and close. Most of the girls ive fucked on the first night doing this.

Transportation



As I pointed out in the Logistics section, Seoul's transportation is awesome. Cheap and fast. Transferring and even getting on the subway can be challenging and tricky. Id advise to know the last stop on the line and the immediate next stop when using the subway. Another thing to note is that there are different types of trains. You have regular trains and you have express trains which skip stations. Just make sure to account for the subway closing around midnight. But hopefully your in walking distance to the clubs / bars so it shouldnt matter. With the subway closing around 12am and not opening back up until till around 6am you find be forced to use a taxi. Taxis are not cheap and if you dont live within the immediate area you are looking at a $15-25 dollar cab ride. $35-50 if you live in outside of the city in a bordering town on the subway line. The bus system is really good as well, but you will need to access the website or ask people as it is more difficult to navigate. One last tip, if your gonna be here a decent amount of time, go ahead and get a Tmoney or Prepaid Subway Card. You can also use these on the buses and in some cabs. It will save you money from just paying cash all the time.

http://www.smrt.co.kr/program/cyberStati...jsp?lang=e

Things to See & Do




As expected, there is a decent amount of stuff to see and do in Seoul. Some of the must see things to do & see are checking out main the Gyeongbok Palace. Taking a stroll in the late Bukchon Village. Going for a nice hike on the Bugaksan Mountain Trail. Doing some bargain shopping in theNamdaemun Market. Visiting the Cheonggyecheon Stream which is much better at night I add. Visiting theWar Memorial of Korea for you history buffs. Going up to the Seoul Tower and getting a great view of the city. Last but not least trying out some Korean Cuisine. If you dont want to navigate and trek this yourself id recommend doing the Seoul City Tour Bus. Some other cool things in the city to check out include National Museum of Korea, Gwanghwamun Square, Insadong, Changdeokgung Palace, Sodaemun Prison, Dongdaemun Market, Seoul Dream Forest, Han River, Sajik Baseball Game, Lotte World, and FC Seoul Soccer Match.

Day/Side Trips



Korea is so small that you can get half way across the country in a matter of 1-2 hours on an express train which is called the KTX. There are a few things you could make a day out of. Id def recommend the DMX Tour. For a day of run go to Everland and ride roller coasters. Another place you can check out is Daecheon Beach. They have a famous Mud Festival in July to hit if you are here in the summer. Its like the Korean version of Spring Break. Not much of a day trip but you could def make a weekend trip to Busan which id recommend. Check out my Busan data sheet here if you decide to head that way.

Daygame Spots

Korea is not the place id recommend daygame in. As I alluded to earlier 1) Koreans are quite xenophobic and 2) are not use to guys / strangers talking to them during the day making them very shy and standoffish. Especially with a Waygook. If you do do this, id suggest doing it in areas that will increase your chances ie Itaewon and Hongdae. With that said, here are some places you could give it a go. In Itaewon you can stroll around the Hamilton Shopping Center. I dont know of any actually malls in Hongdae but there are a ton of shops lining the streets and people walking every where. In Gangnam one can try the Galleria Department Store, Coex, and Hyundai Department Store. Some other shopping areas of note are DCube, MyeongDong, I'Park, Shinsegae Department Store, and IFC Mall Seoul. Besides the malls and busy streets you can also day game at some of the parks and around Universities. The best one that comes to mind is Hongik Park (Hongdae). As for Universities id give these a go, Seoul National University, Yonsie University (lots of foreign exchange students), Ewha Womens University, Hongik University, and Kyunghee University.

Like I said, I think you would be better off setting up dates online and doing nightgame.

Nightlife Guide

Seoul has some damn good nightlife. No matter what you are into, it can be found in Seoul. Here is alittle break down of the night scene here. Some tips you maximize your chances for lays. I think the dynamics are really different depending on if you are white or black. For white guys, I think we are best served trying to pickup in bars, where as for black guys I think they are better served for picking up in clubs. This is problematic for me as I dont really like bars. I think picking up in the big house/emd clubs is very difficult. I havent been to one yet where I saw foreign dudes opening with success. The hiphop/top 40 clubs are much better in my opinion. Those girls speak English better and are more westernized or like western culture. Not to mention you can actually dance with girls here as opposed to just bouncing around in place alone at some house club. The problem with this scene for us white dudes is these type of girls are pretty urban and prefer black dudes many times. Gotta find one that is in the middle to this regard as some are alot more urban than others. Another tip, go to the salsa clubs! Girls here, Korean and foreign are very friendly and open to dancing and talking. Also find out the watering holes of the International Exchange students. You can find girls from all over that are open and liberal. One last thing before getting into the specific areas, there is another type of club in Korea called Booking Clubs. Usually off limits for foreigners, but it is where Korean men go to meet women and where women go to get free drinks and food and flirt. Sometimes the women are looking for dick themselves. Very strange in Korea as foreigners try to pickup in regular bars and clubs but Koreans normally go to regular bars and clubs to hangout with their friends, get drunk, or dance. There is a massive one right down the road from my apartment I sneak into from time to time. One last type of venue I want to mention is the Juicy Bars. These are places with Filipinas working where they try to get you to buy insanely expensive drinks. These places can be alot of fun. You need to try to connect on a more personal level with these girls to get them out of work / shark mode. I do these with mentioning Ive been to Philippines etc etc. Can easily get these girls numbers and meet them outside of work.

Itaewon

Itaewon is my area of choice due to the clubs and the number of DTF foreigner friendly chicks. If girls are partying out here you can rest assured she is interested in waygookin dick. The main downside is you got alot of foreigner dudes out here as well, esp military. But I guess you could say that about most places in Seoul. Here are some of the main places to hit up. The military is actually starting to shift to Hongdae due to some clubs being put off limits to soldiers. Good for me. Here are some of the main clubs. I would always hit up Caliente first until about 1-2 am then bounce to one of the hiphop/top40 clubs. Can also throw in a few beers at one of the main bars to cover all your basis. Oh one last thing, in Itaewon you can find the famous Red Light District and Homo Hill.

B One - Jumping place and a good time.
UN - Got a few ONS from here. This place is a hiphop joint, not very large.
Kings Club - Similar to UN but more brighter and slightly less sluttier chicks. Like the ambient of this place. I usually find a decent amount of Pinays in here partying.
Caliente - Pretty good salsa/Latin club and can always find some Latinas in here.
The Venue - Pretty chill place with old school hiphop.
Helios - This is a pretty good sized bar that plays top40/hiphop.
Boom Bar - Upscale hiphop joint
Seoul Pub - Popular bar
Glame - Large house/trance joint inside whats known as The District
Prost Pub & Grill - Bar that is also in The District.
Grand Ol Opry - Country Bar

Gangnam

Ritz high end nightlife. Where the rich and affluent play. Didnt come here much due to the women being more pretentious and less foreigner friendly along with the big cover fees. Part of the area known as Cheongdam-dong, “The Beverly Hills of Seoul”. There are still some good places here though. Come here if you really wanna test your game!

Ellui - Big house club. More of a rowdy, younger crowd
Phantom - Really nice hiphop club
Octagon - Another big house club. More of the bottle service/rich kid crowd.
NB - Hiphop club
Turn - Salsa
Mambo - Salsa
Club Naomi - Salsa
Answer - Emd club
Top Bar - Salsa

Hongdae

This is the "it" spot in Seoul. Very unique feel and vibe to this place. Really hipster and artsy scene here. Dominated by University students. You will see many people out relaxing on the streets having a beer or listening to people playing live music. Hanging out in the park is also very polular. On the last Friday of each month is “Club Night”, where you can buy a pass for something like W20,000 and gain access to almost every club in Hongdae

Harlem - Hiphop
Mansion - Upscale house / electronic
M2 - More rowdy house / electronic place
Cacoon - Mix of electronic and hip-hop
NB - Pretty large hip-hop club with a few floors. They play mostly recent hip-hop music. It get packed like sardines in there to the point where you hardly have any room to dance without stepping on someone.
NB2- No need to pay to get in if you've paid for NB. Medium-sized club. Also a hip-hop club with a mixture of 90's, 00's, and current hip-hop music.
Naked - Small club but not quite as small as UN in Itaewon. It also gets pretty packed but still enough room to dance. Good modern hip-hop music and a great fire show that the bartenders put on. Saw lots of hot girls. Place is really urban on weekends.
Gogos - Mostly foreigners. 2 floors. This is more of a bar with a dance floor but still lots of people dancing. It has a very chill vibe and the music isn't as loud as most clubs so you can still carry on a conversation.
B1 - Pretty popular place playing a mix of thing
Bonita - Salsa joint
Macando - Salsa joint





Clubbing in Seoul can be pretty expensive. Esp if you are like me and want to hit up numerous places. Cover charges and drinks add up. Without mentioning buying drinks for girls.

Also, the club scene is constantly changing so be sure to ask and double check when planning a night out. Most of this stuff is accurate as up to August 2013.

Final Thoughts

Seoul is truly a great city. No shortage of good looking women and nightlife 7 days a week. I would not live in Korea by choice (only here for work) but If I where to return Seoul would def be my top choice. The only other livable cities in Korea are Busan, and Daegu. And even those are a pretty big step down from Seoul. Below are some websites about Korea that might be of some use.

I will leave this dope video of Seoul to wrap things up.

‘Coffee Ladies’ Turn Hiking Trails into Red Light District

Elderly hikers are the latest target for prostitutes in South Korea, according to a new report from MBN. Older women are seeking out men who frequent mountain hiking trails and offering them a euphemistic “cup of coffee”, leading to the nickname “coffee ladies”. While hiking has long been associated with adultery between hiking couples, Koreans were taken aback and pitied the older women for trying to make money through prostitution. Online comment focused on the lack of a social safety net for senior citizens in poverty.
Article from MBN:

‘Coffee ladies’ go to the mountains..a new wave of prostitution

You might have already heard of the ‘Bacchus Ladies’ who offer bottles of Bacchus to older men in places like Tapgol Park and then solicit them for prostitution.

Now, a similar phenomenon is appearing on mountain trails, as ‘Coffee Ladies’ sell coffee to hikers and solicit them for prostitution.

Kim Keun Hee reports on location at one of the hiking spots frequented by such women.

This is Gwanaksan, a busy location for hiking in the middle of Seoul.

One woman in her sixties wearing a red hat mingles with the crowd of hikers and looks around carefully.

A few minutes later, the woman meets a man and they disappear together.

A hiker described the situation: “What’s that? They just ‘enjoy’ each other for a little while and then leave. They have a drink and leave. How old are the women? must be 60 or 70.”

The women, who have earned the nickname ‘coffee ladies’, typically look for older hikers who have come to the mountain alone. They offer the men a cup of coffee and then suggest prostitution.

In this way, prostitution is being carried out in the open, with little attempt to disguise what is going on.

Audio from an interaction between one of the women and an older man:
Woman: “How about we go somewhere and have a glass of beer or something. Just have a good time talking together over a drink. Maybe go to a motel.”
Man: “And do what there?”
Woman: “What do you expect me to say. We could touch each other.”

Sex, sold for ₩20-30,000.

Another hiker described what was going on: “They have a drink and then go off to sleep somewhere. They see the hikers and assume that they must be pretty well off and so think they can make some money…”

It seems that most of the women are senior citizens who have been hit hard by the economic downturn and have turned to this line of work in order to make a living.

“What with all of the young women coming over from China to work these days, the restaurants don’t hire older women.”

The local government and the police sometimes crackdown in the area but there is no serious effort to eliminate prostitution.

As illegal prostitution for older hikers continues to grow, the mountains are turning into prime locations for solicitation and voices of concern have emerged.

Comments from Chosun Ilbo:
798****:

A woman in her sixties who is selling coffee and soliciting men for prostitution won’t be able to find a job working at some company. Prostitution for them is a last resort, a way to survive. Arresting and punishing them won’t make society any better. These are symptoms of a larger problem that should be solved with expanded welfare supports for senior citizens.

jhs6****:

Catch gangsters and spies. Leave these people alone. It is a necessary evil in this world.

lsw****

What a pitiful life, to survive by selling your body…In their teens, they just start to find out what they are capable of!…twenties, they start working at room salons, karaoke bars, or after hours massage parlors!…thirties they head to work as helpers in noraebang…forties to fifties, they work at ticket tea rooms in the countryside or inns…then in their fifties and sixties it’s work as a coffee lady!…it’s basic supply and demand.

Hooker Hill (Seoul)

The most convenient place in Seoul to go for a foreigner would be Hooker Hill in Itaewon.
Hooker Hill is about the easiest place there is to score in Seoul without any effort what so ever. Some of the women lack a lot in the looks and attitude departments, but others are really good all the way around. The Hill seemed to be losing a lot of steam in 2011, but it has since started to regain its former “glory,” for lack of a better term.
Hooker Hill, Itaewon, Seoul. Opens around dusk and closes around midnight.

Contents

• 1 How to get there
• 2 What to expect
• 3 What happens inside
• 4 Action
• 5 Area
• 6 See Also

How to get there

Itaewon is the foreigner district of Seoul and you can get there from line 6 to Itaewon Station. The direct way to get there is to take exit 3 out of Itaewon Station, walk to the first corner, make a right up the hill, and make a left at the next corner. You are now on Hooker Hill.

What to expect

Although the stereotype of only American servicemen frequenting this area is well-known, men from all other countries, including Middle Eastern and African, are known to frequent this area as well. Furthermore, because South Korea is not widely socially accepting of homosexuals, there is an underground gay area within this district as well.
After sunset on any given night, Korean prostitutes of varying levels of age and beauty enter the small “bars” on this little street to meet customers. Some will wait out on the road. Others will wait behind the doors. The current level of police pressure seems to dictate how wild their public behavior will be. From your perspective, it’s really no worry, as customers are never bothered. If you belong to the US military you may have a problem because you might be banned from this area by your command.
Korean women who work at Hooker Hill's bars speak English and have experience with foreigners. Itaewon itself is a great place for foreigners and more than just for sex scene. It's the only place where you can feel at home. Itaewon has food, bar and 'professional extra services' that cater to foreigners.
The places to have sex in Seoul are either covered up or have tainted windows.

What happens inside

Once inside a bar the girl chit chat with you and ask you if you want a drink. A drink for yourself (and her) will cost around W12,000 total to negotiate. The price will usually be around W100,000 a pop but you can probably negotiate for a better deal. If the girl can tell you are a newbie, you may be quoted a ridiculous price. Some guys say they’ve been asked 150,000 to 200,000 won ($115 – $140 US). Some have even paid this. This is way above the market average. Once you agree to a price she'll lead you to a room and take care of you. After you finished having sex in Seoul's hooker hill you'll get washed up and send on you way.
The going rate is around 60,000 – 75,000 won ($55 – $70 US) for a short romp. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes higher, but never by much. Stick to your guns and act like you know what you’re doing and you will be fine. You can negotiate for nothing more than a blowjob or hand job if that’s what you like, but the real name of the game here is pump and dump full service.

Action

After you agree on a price you will pay up, usually to the mamasan. Then the action begins. Some of these bars will let you fuck right on premises. Some have separate rooms for that. Others will have you discreetly run across the street to a guest house style room for the action. You should never have to pay for the room. It’s included in the price here.
Don’t expect too much in the way of service on Hooker Hill, especially if it’s your first visit. The girls are all about making money, so their efforts are aimed at getting you off as soon as possible so they can get to the next customer.

Area

The street is short but it is jam packed with these little bars. Some are open or closed on any given day. At the very top of the hill there is a “regular” bar that is popular with English teachers. If you go beyond this you enter the realm of the transgender bars.
Take your time strolling up and down the hill until you find something you like. You may go with the first hot chick you see only to see an even hotter chick on your way home. Then again, you may walk past a hottie only to find that she’s booked up for the next few hours when you try to return. Some of the women are hotter than others. Some are very hot. Some aren’t great, but they are dressed well. You won’t find out what’s underneath until later. None are really terrible. In any case, there are always a good number of choices. When you are ready, leisurely make your way to the bar you’ve picked.
The bars all offer privacy, their doors usually made of black tinted glass or even metal. They only take one customer at a time. Once you enter, the door is locked behind you to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Sometimes there will be more than one woman. Sometimes there will be a mamasan. Some may ask you to buy them an overpriced lady’s drink. Most just want to get down to business.

Window Shopping in Cheongnyangni

Imagine, just for a moment, all the trouble I might have spared myself in this life if I had learned to say those words when I was younger. (Be honest, is there anyone who knows me who doesn’t have at least one story about me saying or doing something highly inappropriate?) It seems so out-of-character for me to suddenly be so concerned with conversational right and wrong. And yet I have to be honest, dear readers: I really wasn’t sure whether I was going to tell you about this particular adventure.

But, I’m already writing (and you’re already reading), so I guess there’s no point in holding back now. Ladies and gentlemen, two Sundays ago a friend and I went out in search of a red light district. For the record – and this needs to be said upfront – neither of us wanted a date with a prostitute. Not that it matters anyway. The vast majority of them don’t take Western clients. And I was running short on cash…But I’m getting ahead of myself. The point is, like the boys in Stand By Me who go off in search of a dead body, we were simply curious about what we might find.
For me, this curiosity stemmed from reading a chapter in Sheridan Prasso’s The Asian Mystique that outlined the sex trade in a number of Asian countries. When I started reading the part about Korea, I just couldn’t believe it. Hookers? In Korea? No way! This country seems far too conservative for that. (Prasso’s book said essentially the same thing, acknowledging that Korea is a lot more morally old-fashioned than, say, Thailand.) I had to see it for myself.

 So, after a bit of Internet research (Google search phrase: “red light districts in Seoul“), my friend and I were off to a place called Cheongnyangni 588, which was supposed to be right next to the subway station.
Our first hour of searching took us down a number of streets where we saw a few obvious brothels, but nothing truly shocking or noteworthy. “You know what we’re doing wrong?” I asked. “We’re looking for it. I bet if we just start wandering around we’ll find it by accident.” And wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what happened. We had lunch, we turned up a street we hadn’t seen before, and suddenly there it was.
Here’s how it works. The girls stand around in little rooms made up to look like beauty salons or bedrooms. Some of them sit with their legs and high heels exposed. Some of them stand in front of mirrors, pretending to brush their hair or put on make-up. And some of them just stand boldly in the doorways, making it obvious that they’re up for anything. I was struck by how attractive a lot of them were (definitely not what you expect from prostitutes) and the fact that they were actually Korean and not Filipina, Thai, or Russian. When a guy walks by, the girls knock on their windows to get his attention. Or sometimes the guy just approaches them and tries to strike a deal. 
Laugh if you must, but none of them paid me or my friend any attention. Only a few made even fleeting eye contact. (I couldn’t help but be reminded of that old Rodney Dangerfield joke: “I went to a hooker and asked for a good time. She said, ‘Not on the first date.’ I tell you, I get no respect.”) But this was nothing unusual. Like I said, most of them don’t take Western clients. There’s a belief among Korean men, you see, that only Westerners carry venereal disease. If a girl goes with a foreigner, she risks losing the bulk of her customers.
All in all, it was an interesting afternoon. And the next day, when people asked what we’d done over the weekend, we just grinned and said we’d done a little window shopping.

Elderly prostitutes reveal dark side of South Korea’s rise

An elderly woman stands at a small plaza in front of the Piccadilly theater in Seoul, South Korea -- a place where elderly prostitutes openly solicit customers for sex in nearby motels. Photo: AP

SEOUL, South Korea — As about a dozen elderly men loiter in a small plaza near a cinema, mostly chatting or watching people pass by, several deeply wrinkled women stroll among them, trolling for customers willing to pay for sex in nearby motels.
“Hey, do you want to go with me? I can treat you really well,” a 76-year-old woman with a limp says as a reporter approaches her on a recent sunny afternoon.
Despite a police crackdown this spring that resulted in 33 arrests, including an 84-year-old woman, the so-called “Bacchus ladies” can still be seen near the Piccadilly theater in Seoul’s Jongno neighborhood. The nickname comes from the popular energy drink that many of the prostitutes have traditionally sold.
The middle-aged and elderly women and their customers — both pitied and scorned in this conservative country — provide a look at the dark side of South Korea’s rapid economic rise and erosion of traditional parent-child roles. As a growing, ultra-competitive middle class has become preoccupied with getting ahead, many elderly and poor people have been left to fend for themselves.
Despite the country’s dramatic growth after the 1950-53 Korean War, many older women in South Korea’s male-dominated culture didn’t receive equal education and job opportunities in their youth. Widowed, divorced or abandoned by their children, some now find themselves without a social safety net and so are forced to take up prostitution. Some get paid to drink with older men and only occasionally have sex with them.
Elderly widowers and divorced men, meanwhile, seek out the women to fulfill sexual desires or fight loneliness amid lingering prejudice against second marriages and dating among senior citizens.

Modal Trigger

South Korean sex workers rally against the government’s prostitution policy in downtown Seoul.Photo: EPA

In late 2013 and early 2014, the number of “Bacchus ladies” peaked at about 300 to 400 in the Jongno neighborhood alone, according to Lee Hosun, a professor at Korea Soongsil Cyber University in Seoul who has interviewed dozens of the women. Now, after the police raid, there are roughly 200, many in their 60s and 70s, Lee said, with about 20 women regularly in the Piccadilly plaza area. Hundreds more “Bacchus ladies” are believed to operate across the country.
Prostitution is illegal in South Korea, and traditional red-light zones have been disappearing as urban redevelopment projects encroach on old neighborhoods. Despite occasional raids, however, the sex business still thrives in the shadows.
“I know that I shouldn’t do this,” said the elderly prostitute with the limp, “but no one can say that I should starve to death rather than come here.” She agreed to talk with the Associated Press at a nearby coffee shop after she failed to solicit any customers, but refused to give her name because her family doesn’t know she’s a prostitute.
She started out selling Bacchus drinks about 20 years ago. A couple years later, she began selling sex. She still does it so she can pay for arthritis treatment — about $250 a month.
She and her husband live with their son, a low-paid manual worker, and his family, relying partly on government subsidies. “Every woman here is keeping this a secret from their families,” said the woman, wearing a checkered blouse and navy blue pants.
One of the women says she needs the money to take care of her ailing mother. Another needs cash for her disabled children. One is illiterate. Some don’t talk with their adult children anymore. Some are ethnic Koreans from China who came to Seoul trying to find a better life.

Modal Trigger

Widowed, divorced or abandoned by their children, many older women now find themselves without a social safety net and so are forced to take up prostitution. Some get paid to drink with older men and only occasionally have sex with them.Photo: AP

“It’s a tragedy,” says Lee, the professor. “It’s like our mothers are forced to lift up their skirts to make money because their children won’t feed them.”
According to Confucian ideals, parents are to be cherished by their children. For centuries, elder sons took their parents into their homes and cared for them until they died. But as the country modernized, younger generations moved to cities for jobs and school, leaving many parents behind in the countryside. Others simply stopped looking out for their parents.
South Korea has one of the world’s fastest-aging populations, but pension and welfare systems for the elderly lag behind other developed countries. Nearly half of South Koreans age 65 and older live on less than half the national median income, and the elderly suicide rate has nearly quadrupled over the past 25 years.
“My two children took all my money. I bought a house for my son when he got married and I also spent a lot when marrying off my daughter,” said a divorced 71-year-old “Bacchus lady” at the plaza. “Now, we don’t talk. I’ve been alone for a long time.”
The woman, who also declined to give her name out of shame, said she has been a prostitute for many years. “The first year, I felt really ashamed,” she said. “I couldn’t sleep well because I agonized over whether I should be doing this. Even now, I cannot sleep well.”
The woman, dressed in a dark two-piece suit and red shoes, said she hasn’t had a customer in 10 days — a similar refrain at the plaza as the economy cools. “Some women here are skipping meals. How can they buy food when they can’t even pay their rent?”
She said most women at the plaza earn about 200,000 to 300,000 won ($168 to $252) a month, but the very old women sometimes charge as little as 10,000 won ($8) for sex.
For the male customers, it is often a matter of staving off loneliness. Many elderly men were taught to sacrifice their personal lives for their companies and to keep their emotions hidden. After retirement, they often struggle to fill their days.

Modal Trigger

Sex workers hold up a banner that reads “Stop Crackdown.” Over 1,000 sex workers gathered on Sept. 23 to demand the end of a special law on prostitution.Photo: EPA

A 78-year-old divorced man told the AP that he comes to the Piccadilly plaza every day to kill time. He said he sometimes goes to a quiet back alley with a “Bacchus lady” to chat and pays about $8 to touch her hands and breasts.
“I’ve been living alone for a long time, so that kind of thing makes me feel refreshed,” said the man, who has virtually no contact with his two adult sons and their families. He identified himself only by his surname, Jung. He used to buy sex from the women — 30,000 won ($25) for the older ones and 50,000 won ($42) for the younger.
Before the police crackdown, a subway station near the plaza and a public park near Jongmyo Confucian shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, had been the main hotspots for “Bacchus ladies.”
After the occasional raids, authorities usually release the women they round up with a warning or a small fine because they know they’re too old to make a fresh start, according to police.
“I feel really sorry for them,” said a police officer in the area who would only identify himself by his family name, Jeong.
Lee, the professor, said that most of the women she has interviewed had dabbled in prostitution when they worked at karaoke bars and teahouses in their early years. Just a few — five or six — were ordinary housewives before turning into prostitution in their old age.
“No one told me they became prostitutes because they like it,” she said. “Is this really these elderly women’s dirty problem or is it a problem caused by the ordinary people who point their fingers at them? I think it’s our society’s problem.”

Exposing ‘invisible’ male sex workers in South Korea

Some 10 years since South Korea enacted its antiprostitution law, new forms of sex trade have continued to evolve in legal loopholes, including sex services for women and overseas prostitution. With the law vocally opposed by an increasing number of sex workers, its efficacy has constantly been questioned. The Korea Herald will publish a three-part series shedding light on the hidden side of Korea’s sex industry. The following is the first installment. -- Ed.

At first glance, he looks like an ordinary young man in his late 20s. Casually dressed in blue jeans and a black sweater, the man also exudes an athletic vibe. Most would believe him if he claimed to work at a fitness club, or as a professional athlete.

The man, in fact, is a part-time sex worker targeting women. His job mostly involves meeting his female clients at a motel room, usually during the day, and offering “special” massage services, which includes intercourse upon request. “Almost a half of my clients are women in their 20s,” he said, when The Korea Herald met him posing as a potential client. “About 8 percent of them are pregnant ladies.”

According to South Korea’s antiprostitution laws, what he does is illegal and both he and his clients may face a maximum of one year behind bars. But when it comes to male sex workers, South Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality -- which is in charge of regulating the nation’s illegal sex trade business – currently has no statistics.

“We’ve actually never had any data or reports on them,” said Choi Soo-young from the ministry’s Women’s Right Support Division.

Illustration by The Korea Herald

It’s been more than 10 years since South Korea enacted its antiprostitution law, which criminalized both the buying and selling of sex. Yet the nation’s adult industry still flourishes, with new forms of the sex trade emerging.

With or without the Gender Ministry’s willingness to tackle such sex services targeting women, these male “massage therapists” have existed for at least 10 years in Seoul, according to reports and sources. And the industry may be more thriving now than ever-- all behind closed doors.

According to a 2005 investigative report by local weekly Ilyo Seoul, parlors that offer erotic massage services, including genital stimulation, were becoming increasingly popular among women in their 30s, especially in Seoul’s posh districts including Apgujeong and Cheongdam. Almost all services were given by male masseurs, who would sometimes use extra equipment, such as adult sex toys for women, upon request.

Today, the services for women have become even more discreet in the country where sex services for men, on the other hand, have been relatively more common and therefore face wider crackdowns.

“You don’t have to worry about getting caught (by the police) at all,” the male sex worker assured. “We either visit our client in her house (for the service), or meet her in a motel room. We are not doing this at a parlor. It’s all private. There’s no way the authorities are going to find out.”

The man offers three massage options -- courses A, B and C. Course A is an hour-long service consisting of a regular aromatherapy massage. Course B adds “sensual touches” to the mix. Those who choose to get the Course C, which costs 200,000 won ($177) per single session, can make any request they want, including intercourse. “Almost every client chooses to get Course C,” he said.

And it’s not even that hard to find such services online. Searching “yeoseong (women) massage” in Korean on popular search engines including Google and Naver, tens of thousands of results appear. One of the popular massage services for women is called the “Handsome Boy Massage,” while another is called “Luxury Aroma.” Some websites, upon logging in, offer seminude photographs of their massage therapists. The photographs remind one of bodybuilding competitions.

“Women like getting facials done,” the sex worker said. “It’s almost like that. I think (our services) established itself as a part of leisure culture. A lot of our clients are young women (in their 20s). Some women would (go to a motel) together with friends and get the service at the same time, in separate rooms.”

Shin Jeong-ae (not her real name), a 51-year-old married woman, has been receiving such massages, without intercourse, for the last four years. In 2011, she had a number of health issues, including chronic indigestion and leg pain. “I thought massage was a better option than working out,” she said. “My friend recommended it and I went for it.”

Shin usually asks her male therapists visit her home for the services, which she describes as “similar to caressing between a man and a woman.” Most of her therapists are in their late 20s or early 30s. “It’s such a stress-reliever,” she said. “My body feels so light after getting the services. It also helps with indigestion.”

Shin said she has a stable marriage with her husband, and does not feel bad about getting such services. “I don’t feel bad. It’s just massage,” she said. “But I once thought (while getting the service), oh, now I can sort of understand why people cheat.”

Sung Kyung-won, an expert in sex education, said the idea that men usually have higher sex drive than women is largely a myth. “I think buying sex has to do with power. Those who do it want to assert their dominance through purchasing sex,” she said. “I think more women would’ve paid for sex in the earlier years if they had the power and financial means to do it. I’m not saying that it’s morally right. But such an industry obviously exists because there is a demand. And more women are becoming financially independent.”

Indeed, the male sex worker said most of his clients are women with stable jobs and income. He said he also has an option of saying no to a client’s request to have intercourse.

“If I really don’t like the client, I’d just finish the service by giving the massage only for the entire two hours. And then I’d lie that I don’t give the ‘special’ treatments and she would call someone else for such services,” he said. “But I can’t do this too many times because it will make my employer unhappy.”

The services’ main clientele also includes female sex workers, who visit these women-only clubs as a way of releasing their work-related stress. “I’d assume many female sex workers, especially those who work in bars and drink a lot at work, would use those massage services,” said a former female sex worker, who spent almost 20 years in the industry and preferred to remain anonymous.

“I know female sex workers who would visit those female-exclusive bars and clubs, and make the male workers go through exactly what they had to endure while serving their male clients, such as masturbating in public. The women would go crazy if they didn’t release their stress.”

While the male sex worker could afford to mostly greet clients who are “physically attractive and financially stable,” the range of clients received by the former female sex worker was less selective, and sometimes included those experiencing sexual dysfunction. She spent most of her income as a sex worker paying off her family debt. She never married.

The male sex worker, in the meantime, works as a freelancer in the health and fitness sector, and dreams of running his own business one day. He also dates women, keeping his part-time job a secret. “Of course they (his ex-girlfriends) didn’t know,” he said. “I can never let them know that.”

Sex in Seoul – Where To Go And How To Get There

Are you a Korea newcomer and are looking to have sex in Seoul?
Korea isn’t really known for it’s sex tourism (and it would shudder if it was!)
That being said it doesn’t mean you can’t find places that offer these ‘professional services’.
The most convenient place to go for a foreigner would be ‘Hooker Hill’ in Itaewon.
Itaewon is the foreigner district of Seoul and you can get there from line 6 to Itaewon Station.
Soon you’ll discover:

• what it is
• how to get there
• what you can expect
• how it’s done

I recommend hooker hill as the place to go for Seoul sex simply because the Korean women who work at Hooker Hill’s bars:

• speak English
• have experience with foreigners
• are in Itaewon’s district

Itaewon itself is a great place for foreigners and more than just for sex scene. It’s the only place where you can feel at home. Itaewon has food, bar and ‘professional extra services’ that cater to foreigners.
If you’re looking for the experience or want to treat a guy friend in Seoul then this is how you get there:

What Is Hooker Hill

Hooker hill is a street that goes up a hill in Itaewon. It used to be the old brother sector for the U.S. military. It still is but not as much. You can find restaurants and grocery stores along the road as well.
The places to have sex in Seoul are either covered up or have tainted windows like in this picture.

How To Get There

Once your reach Itaewon station’s exit 3 you want to walk straight. After 5 minutes you’ll come across an intersection. Take a right at the intersection and then you’ll be at hooker hill.
You can then go up the hill or take one of the darker alleys to find places that offer sex in Seoul. The most popular dark alley is the one you take on the first left. Rest easy – once you’re there you’ll know what to look for and where to go.

What To Expect

As you walk around you’ll see Korean women pop out behind the tainted windows and greet you. If you like what you see you’re welcome to go inside the bars. Once inside she’ll chit chat with you and ask you if you want a drink. A drink for yourself (and her) will cost around W12,000 total to negotiate. The price will usually be around W100,000 a pop but you can probably negotiate for a better deal. Once you agree to a price she’ll lead you to a room and take care of you.
After you finished having sex in Seoul’s hooker hill you’ll get washed up and send on you way.

Alternative To Sex Tourism

Just move to Seoul? Get all the skills you need to experience intimacy with Korean women as soon as possible.
Being intimate with Korean women who aren’t into your money is another alternative and I think you’ll enjoy the sex more.  Just put your name and email below and let’s get you started today!