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Sex tourists from South Korea drive up rents in Laos: ‘reject it altogether’
A South Korean civic group is calling for cultural change to combat exploitation and protect children from sex work
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A civic group in South Korea has raised concerns over reports that some Korean men are engaging in organised sex tourism in Laos, with some even reportedly renting long-term housing in major cities to facilitate the purchase of sex.
Activists warn that the trend has become so widespread that it is pushing up local rents.
Lee Hyun-sook, head of the civic group Tacteen Naeil, which works to prevent sexual crimes against minors, revealed the findings during a CBS Radio interview on Thursday. Her group has been monitoring online chat rooms and Telegram channels that share information about prostitution.
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According to Lee, Korean men have become major customers at sex establishments in Laos.
We shouldn’t see prostitution as something that just exists … We need a culture that rejects it altogether
“It’s not difficult to find entertainment venues there with signs written in Korean,” she said, adding that one online review of such venues had over 31 million views, suggesting the scale of interest among Korean users.
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