South Korea and prostitution

Some have mentioned that taking pictures of prostitutes is a little weird and I am glorifying or demeaning this practice. Well, not really, and if my naysayers take a moment to peek at the world around them they might learn something about their fellow human being. Although i do not participate in this profession i have gained a lot of insight by casual conversation and realize anyone different is not that far removed from you or i. Nope, not stopping, not going to give in.

I did a post of the Thailand Sex Trade that can be found here. By comparison Korea is well known as a source and destination for human trafficking and from what i researched and observed Korean prostitution it is a little more gritty or covert. Korea being a homogeneous country normally does not cater to the foreigner except around the US Army bases. Here are a few pictures.

The availability of this trade is everywhere, bars, brothels, even barber shops (2 barber poles hanging from the building means a brothel).  For some Korean men, married or not, bringing clients to a brothel is all part of doing business.

Prostitution in Korea is illegal but overlooked. Rick took me to the Red Light district in Osan. It is a one-way one-lane ally lined with windowed rooms facing the street and the street went on for at least half a mile.

(these two photos by Vital and Rabu)

I couldn’t get a good picture of these ladies standing in the rooms; every time I tried they would scream and wave a fist at me. Here is an empty room where you can see the reflection of our car in the window indicating the proximity of the narrow street. You stop, chat with the ladies, and negotiate a price. If a price is agreed upon, you park, walk through the glass partition and get business done.

Here is one lady sitting in her open glass door. Rick stopped the car and I talked to her briefly. I wish we had more time but there were shoppers in the cars behind us.

A more discreet and expensive alternative are the drive-in hotels. You can identify them by the curtain in front of the entrance way. This is to hide your vehicle so your boss or wife won’t see your car parked in the parking lot during your lunch hour. You see these all over Korea.

Unlike Thailand the profession is not in your face but is available for all who just lift up the sheet and look.

Next the last post on South Korea with some parting thoughts about “ugly Americans.”