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South Korea's quick economic growth has actually suggested some startling adjustments within its conventional social framework, consisting of the rise of so-called host bars, where affluent ladies pay the matching of thousands of dollars for male firm.

In the dark light of a below ground room, a loads perfectly brushed young guys kneel in rows, calling out their names.

Muscular, with shiny boy-band hairstyles, they cram side-by-side into the narrow space, awaiting us to make our selection. Outdoors in the hallway, more of their associates are getting here for an additional night at the office. It is 2am, as well as we are their initial consumers.

Hidden beneath the pavements of Seoul's ritziest postal code, Gangnam, the males at Bar 123 belong to a growing market, which grew out of the long traditions of Japanese geisha as well as Korea's kisaeng residences yet with one crucial distinction - the clients below are all females.

Referred to as "host bars", these all-night alcohol consumption areas offer female consumers the chance to pay as well as pick for male friends, in some cases at an expense of countless extra pounds an evening.

One of the ladies I satisfy at Bar 123 is Minkyoung, a waitressing supervisor for a five-star hotel. When or two times a month, 성남룸 she claims she comes to host bars.

Minkyoung is extremely quite and her clothes are spotless. She does not look like someone that would require to pay for male business. The appeal of host bars can be subtle. Right here, she claims, she has more focus from her male companions, more option and, most importantly, even more control.
PROMOTION

" In regular bars the men who consume with me have just one objective - to have a casual sex. I do not desire that, so that's why I come right here, I desire to have fun," she claims.

Hosts are worked with by bars similar to this one to supply companionship as well as entertainment. Formally that indicates putting beverages for their clients, speaking and also dancing with them, and also vocal singing karaoke.

Host bar in Seoul
Sex is not officially on deal in many host bars. That would certainly be unlawful but even Minkyoung appears happy to flirt and touch with her host, as well as the guys right here estimate that around half the clients desire to pay for sex, either on or off the properties.

James has actually been working at Bar 123 for a pair of years. In Korean culture, he states, there is a whole lot of satisfaction and bargaining a price for sex is never done explicitly. Instead, he informs me, it is all down to the host's very own assessment.

" The people right here are pros - we understand what we're doing," he states.

" After speaking with a woman for an hour we primarily understand exactly how much money she makes as well as what she provides for a living. We've already evaluated her individuality and also what she wants to offer."

James as well as various other hosts state their customers include some of South Korea's elite, and that the cash and also rewards on offer boggle the mind. One client James fulfilled, throughout his first week in the work, asked him to authorize himself over to her for two years.

" She claimed 'allow's make an agreement. I've got this item of paper as well as I've numbered it 1-5. Whatever you compose down following to those numbers, I'll get you.'".

James states at the time he took it as a joke yet because located out the same female spent ₤ 60,000 ($ 97,000) on another hos

" If it occurred now, I would certainly do it - I would certainly be thinking straight.

Actually perhaps, host bars outgrew one of Korea's most entrenched and also, some state, misogynist service customs - the space hair salon. These are personal alcohol consumption areas where teams of males pick, and are served by, appealing women {hostesses|people hosting

It was the {hostesses|people hosting}' {need|requirement|demand} {to {let|allow}|to allow} off {steam|heavy steam|vapor} after {work|job}, {says|states|claims} {veteran|professional|expert} host Kim Dong-hee, that {created|produced|developed} the {initial|preliminary|first} {demand|need} for host bars, with all-male {staff|personnel|team

{" What these {hostesses|people hosting} {want|desire} is to [make us] do the {same|exact same|very same} {thing|point} they {had to|needed to} {do in|perform in|carry out in} their {own|very own} {workplace|work environment|office}. These {girls|women|ladies} are {forced|required|compelled} to do {things|points} they {don't|do not} {{want|desire} to|wish to|intend to} {do for|provide for} {money|cash}.|These {girls|women|ladies} are {forced|required|compelled} to do {things|points} they {don't|do not} {want|desire} to do for {money|cash}

" I {think|believe|assume} {{a lot|a great deal|a whole lot} of|a great deal of} them are in {pain|discomfort}, {and|as well as|and also} {a lot|a great deal|a whole lot} {feel|really feel} {lonely|lonesome}. {{Simply|Just|Merely} {put|placed}|Basically|Put simply}, they {{want|desire} to|wish to|intend to} {buy|purchase|get|acquire} our time {and|as well as|and also} our bodies.

{Hostesses|People hosting} still {make up|comprise|compose} {a large|a big|a huge} {percentage|portion|percent} of the {customers|clients|consumers} at host bars {here|right here|below}, {but|however|yet} at Bar 123, {for {example|instance}|for instance|as an example}, {up to|as much as|approximately} 40% of the {customers|clients|consumers} on {a given|a provided|an offered} {night|evening} are {now|currently} from {other|various other} {{walks|strolls} of life|profession

The {reasons|factors} for that {growing|expanding} {appeal|charm|allure} are {{tied|connected|linked} up|bound|locked up} in South Korea's {rapid|fast|quick} {economic|financial} {rise|increase|surge}. Within 50 years, the {country|nation} {shifted|moved|changed} from post-war {devastation|destruction} to OECD {member|participant

{{But|However|Yet}, according to Jasper Kim, head of the Asia-Pacific Global Research Group in Seoul, something {important|essential|crucial|vital} was {lost|shed} {along the {way|method|means}|in the process|along the road}.|According to Jasper Kim, head of the Asia-Pacific Global Research Group in Seoul, something {important|essential|crucial|vital} was {lost|shed} along the {way|method|means}

" I {think|believe|assume} that with all this {fast|quick|rapid} {growth|development} comes {fast|quick|rapid} {change|modification|adjustment}, {and|as well as|and also} Koreans {just|simply} {don't|do not} {know|understand|recognize} {how|exactly how|just how} to {{cope|deal} with|deal with|handle|manage} it. {Increasingly|Progressively|Significantly}, {capitalism|industrialism|commercialism} is {overtaking|surpassing} {basic|fundamental|standard} {societal|social} {norms|standards} that you {would|would certainly} {expect|anticipate} {{a couple|a pair} of|a number of} {decades|years} {ago|back|earlier}.

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" The human {element|aspect|component} of Korean {society|culture} that existed {before|previously|in the past} {simply|just|merely} {doesn't|does not} exist today. {People|Individuals} are {{focused|concentrated} on|concentrated on} {technology|innovation|modern technology}, {people|individuals} are {{focused|concentrated} on|concentrated on} their {jobs|tasks|work}, they aren't {{focused|concentrated} on|concentrated on} human {relations|connections|relationships} {anymore|any longer

" In {many|numerous|lots of|several} {ways|methods|means}, Korean {society|culture} today {kind of|type of|sort of} {reminds|advises} me of 1960s {society|culture} in the {US|United States}, where it's on the {verge|brink|edge} of some {{type|kind} of|kind of|sort of} {cultural|social} {revolution|transformation|change}.

The {grandfather|grandpa} of Seoul's host bar scene, Kim Dong-hee, {agrees|concurs} that {{many|numerous|several} of|a lot of|a number of|much of|most of} the {women|ladies|females} {who|that} {come to|concern|pertain to|involve} host bars are not {paying for|spending for} sex {{but|however|yet} for|however, for|but also for} {companionship|friendship}, which is why he {opened|opened up} {a new|a brand-new} chain of freshly-marketed {outlets|electrical outlets} {{aimed|intended} at|targeted at|focused on} the mainstream market - called Red Model Bar

Red Model Bar host

{Image|Picture|Photo} {caption|subtitle|inscription}

Hosts at Red Model Bars can not touch {clients|customers

" Men {{want|desire} to|wish to|intend to} have {visual|aesthetic} {pleasure|enjoyment|satisfaction} {and|as well as|and also} {{want|desire} to|wish to|intend to} {feel|really feel} {things|points}, they're {tactile|responsive}. {Women|Ladies|Females} like to {talk|speak|chat} {and|as well as|and also} to {listen|pay attention}. {{And|As well as|And also} that|Which}'s why I {{thought|believed|assumed} of|thought about|considered} {opening|opening up} a bar {like this|such as this|similar to this} - {a kind of|a type of|a sort of} {dialogue|discussion} bar.

Red Model Bars are {different|various} to {traditional|conventional|standard|typical} host bars in one {key|essential|crucial|vital} {respect|regard} - there is a no-touching {rule|guideline|policy|regulation}. Hosts {{sit|rest} on|rest on|remain on} one side of the table, {customers|clients|consumers} on the {other|various other}, {and|as well as|and also} no physical {contact|get in touch with|call} is {allowed|enabled|permitted}, {and|as well as|and also} {certainly|definitely|absolutely} no se

{Perhaps|Possibly|Maybe|Probably} {as {a result|an outcome}|consequently|because of this|therefore} there is {a lack|an absence} of furtiveness {among|amongst} {the {people|individuals}|individuals} {who|that} {work|function} or {drink|consume|consume alcohol} {here|right here|below} - the lights are {low|reduced}, the {decor|design|decoration|style} {mainly|primarily|generally|mostly} dark red {and|as well as|and also} the {space|area|room} is {divided|split|separated} {into|right into} {discreet|very discreet} {booths|cubicles}, {but|however|yet} it is an open-plan {room|space|area} {and|as well as|and also} {hosts {and|as well as|and also} {customers|clients|consumers}|{customers|clients|consumers} {and|as well as|and also} hosts} are {divided|split|separated} in each {booth|cubicle} by {a large|a big|a huge} tabl

This {new|brand-new} {business|company|service|organization} {model|design|version} depends {entirely|completely|totally} on {women|ladies|females} paying the {equivalent|matching} of hundreds {or {even|also}|and even|or perhaps} {thousands of|countless|hundreds of} {dollars|bucks} to {{talk|speak|chat} to|speak with|speak to|talk with} {good-looking|attractive|fine-looking} {young {men|guys|males}|boys} over {a drink|a beverage}. Still, it {seems|appears} to be {working|functioning} - {three|3} {new|brand-new} branches {are due to|are because of|result from} open this yea

{Sitting|Resting} at a table at one end of {the bar|bench} {was one of|was among|was just one of} their {regular|routine|normal} {customers|clients|consumers}, {a florist|a flower shop|a flower designer|a floral designer} called Kim Nayu. She {tells|informs} me she comes {here|right here|below} {every day|daily|each day|everyday|on a daily basis} to {meet|satisfy|fulfill} her {favourite|preferred|much-loved|favorite} host {and|as well as|and also} {discuss|talk about|go over|review} {issues|problems|concerns} she is {having at|contending} {work|job

The {price|cost|rate} for this {slice|piece} of male {attention|interest|focus} is $487-650 (₤ 300-400) a
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" Talking to {friends|buddies|pals|good friends|close friends} {would|would certainly} be {cheaper|less expensive|more affordable|less costly}" she {admits|confesses}, "{but|however|yet} they {don't|do not} {listen|pay attention} as much. They're {busy|hectic|active}, {and|as well as|and also} {in {a hurry|a rush}|quickly} to {{talk|speak|chat} {about|regarding|concerning}|discuss|speak about} themselves. {Here|Right here|Below}, {people|individuals} {will|will certainly} {pay {attention|interest|focus} to|take note of|focus on|take notice of} me {and|as well as|and also} they'll {listen|pay attention} to m
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" I {spend|invest} {{a lot|a great deal|a whole lot} of|a great deal of} {money|cash} {but|however|yet} it{'s worth| deserves} it {for what|of what|wherefore} I {get|obtain} {emotionally|mentally|psychologically}. {People|Individuals} pay {to go to|to visit|to head to} see {a psychologist|a psycho therapist} or {psychiatrist|psychoanalyst}, so it's {similar|comparable} {but|however|yet} {less|much less} {stressful|difficult|demanding
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Nayu's {favourite|preferred|much-loved|favorite} host Sung-il {says|states|claims} it can be {hard|difficult|tough} to {keep|maintain} his {{personal|individual} {and|as well as|and also} {professional|expert|specialist}|{professional|expert|specialist} {and|as well as|and also} {personal|individual}} life {separate|differe
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" Honestly I {'d| would certainly} be {lying|existing} if I {say|state|claim} I {haven't|have not} been {tempted|lured|attracted} to take {things|points} {further|even more|additionally|better} with some {customers|clients|consumers}, {because|since|due to the fact that} we're human, we're {men|guys|males}, {but|however|yet} there are {rules|guidelines|policies|regulations
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{One of|Among} his {customers|clients|consumers} {{talked|spoke|chatted} {a lot|a great deal|a whole lot}|yapped} to her {husband|hubby|spouse|other half|partner} {about|regarding|concerning} him {and|as well as|and also} when the {three|3} of them {met|satisfied|fulfilled}, Sung-il {and|as well as|and also} the {husband|hubby|spouse|other half|partner} {became|ended up being|came to be} {close {friends|buddies|pals|good friends}|friends|buddi
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" No one {hides|conceals} - the {workers|employees} {don't|do not} {hide|conceal} that they {work|function} {here|right here|below}, {and|as well as|and also} {customers|clients|consumers} can be open {too|as well|also
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This {openness|visibility} is {posing|positioning|presenting|posturing} {a new|a brand-new} {kind of|type of|sort of} {challenge|difficulty|obstacle} to South Korean {society|culture}, {different|various} from the {sometimes|in some cases|often|occasionally} {seedy|sleazy|shabby} {underworld|abyss} of {traditional|conventional|standard|typical} host bars {and|as well as|and also} their hinterland of male {prostitution|hooki
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By {offering|providing|using|supplying} {women|ladies|females} a "{respectable|reputable|decent|commendable}" {way|method|means} to {challenge|test} {traditional|conventional|standard|typical} {gender|sex} {roles|functions|duties} {and|as well as|and also} {flex|bend} their {economic|financial} power, these {new|brand-new} bars ask {questions|concerns|inquiries} of Korean {society|culture} that are {becoming|ending up being|coming to be} {harder|more difficult|more challenging|tougher} to {ignore|disregard|neglect|overlo
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{Hear|Listen to} the {full|complete} {report|record} on BBC Radio 4's Crossing Continents. You can {listen|pay attention} {via|through|by means of|using} the Radio 4 {website|site|web site|internet site} or {via|through|by means of|using} the Crossing Continents podc

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The {allure|appeal|attraction} of host bars can be {subtle|refined}. {Here|Right here|Below}, she {says|states|claims}, she has {more|even more} {attention|interest|focus} from her male {companions|buddies|friends}, {more|even more} {choice|option|selection} {and|as well as|and also}, {crucially|most importantly}, {more|even more} cont

l.
James {has|has actually} been {working|functioning} at Bar 123 for {a couple|a pair} of years. {Instead|Rather}, he {tells|informs} me, it is all down to the host's {own|very own} {assessment|evaluation|analys
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{And|As well as|And also} that's why I {thought|believed|assumed} of {opening|opening up} a bar like this - a kind of {dialogue|discussion} bar.".