Bacchus Ladies (Hangul: ??? ???; RR: bagkaseu halmeoni) are elderly Korean prostitutes who solicit in parks and plazas in Seoul for sex in nearby motels. They traditionally made a living by selling bottles of the popular Bacchus energy drink in the parks where elderly men gather for chess games and chats with their friends. The women are in their 50s, 60s, and even their 80s. The price for selling sex is about 20,000 to 30,000 won ($18-26), or even less if the man is a regular client. Per testimony, about 400 women work in Jongmyo Park in Seoul. Younger men in their 20s to 40s are also becoming clients.
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Background
In a Confucian society like South Korea, elderly parents were respected, and in their old age could traditionally have relied on their children. However, with recent rapid changes in society, attitudes of children have changed dramatically. There is no welfare system that works effectively in South Korea. These elderly women have no savings, no realistic pension, and no family to rely on. The poverty rate of women aged over 65 in South Korea is 47.2%, the highest among the OECD countries. This figure rises to 76.6% for single elderly women. Professor Lee Ho-Sun of the Korea Soongsil Cyber University in Seoul has carried out research and found many of the women were involved in prostitution during their earlier years in karaoke bars and teahouses, returning to prostitution in later years because of financial pressures.
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Policing
Prostitution in South Korea is illegal and the police patrol the area. Women who are arrested are usually given a warning or a small fine. There are also periodic police crackdowns. 33 women, including an 84-year-old woman, were arrested as part of a major crackdown in early 2015. After the raid the number of women working fell to about 200. Unofficially, the police believe the problem can't be solved by crackdowns and that policy needs changing.
STIs
There is an epidemic of STIs amongst the elderly. The main cause is the Bacchus Ladies use of erection enhancing substances on their clients. These are injected into a vein, but the needles may be reused 10 - 20 times. A 2014, local survey found 40% of the men are infected. The local government are now offering sex education classes to the elderly.
In popular culture
- The Bacchus Lady is a South Korean film that was presented in the Panorama section of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. The film depicts the life of an elderly Bacchus Lady.
See also
- Prostitution in South Korea
- Kisaeng
- Poverty in South Korea
- Suicide in South Korea
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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