Korean prostitution now 5% of GDP, 8.71 trillion won!
Korea has the infamy of “the nation of prostitution” and it gets even stronger as it exports its biggest asset (and no, we don’t mean Samsung).
Along highways you used to find lines of sex shops with open windows like the chon no ma you get in Ueno, Kawasaki or in Osaka.
In the old days Korean sex shops used to be a hair salon but in the back room there would be “extra” services. However, since 2004 these kinds of places have disappeared. Likewise there used to be places that on the surface appear to be tea rooms that “delivered” things but with more on the menu that just coffee.
What’s big now are apartments rented out for prostitutes, who advertise with large B5-size signs in phone boxes.
There was a survey in 2010 on the state of the industry. Its results were not made public but a scoop in late 2011 revealed that the scale of prostitution in Korea stretches to 8.71 trillion won (over $8 billion), some 5% of the nation’s GDP. There are said to be some 4605 0 000 cases of prostitution yearly, with 14,2000 customers.
Many of the cheaper prostitutes in Japan are “exports” from Japan and likewise, sex tourism is big, men from Japan heading to the peninsular for cheaper thrills.
5 Comments
I thought Thailand was the leading prostitution country in the east. I’ve been to the red light district in Thailand and had a history of the local sex industry and they are “Pure Sin”. The last 2 times I went to Korea I counted more churches than anything that resembles a club. But then again I guess the sex trade has shifted ever since.
@layhoma
Yes, not sure if Korea can claim to be the “leading” one! Not that I think they are trying to claim any such title. Japan certainly rules in terms of volume and variety of porn.
Korean porn is better too. Girls just as pretty and NO BLOODY MOSAICS!!!!!!
@John
We quite like the mosaic. It takes some getting used to but it has a certain kind of special aesthetic.
@Tadashi
These hot mosaic stars many end up on the uncensored mainstream once their popularity diminishes. They would start filming indiscriminately to make as much before their novelty completely wears off. As a fan of the AV world for 2 decades seldom do I see any make it into the showbiz and most usually fade off into oblivion. Only the famous Ai Iijima and a small handful of others ever made it to the top.
@John
Korea may be gifted with top notch prostitution but you goto tell me where all the local porns are stashed away. Seems like they are pretty weak at the filming industry. 🙂