Room Salons

I first learned of the word "room salons" from Watcher earlier this year, though I knew of the concept before that, since I had seen such places in Korean movies, and there are similar establishments in Hong Kong and Macau and China (the yeh dzong wui--night club), and Japan. We also discussed this article, which covers other sex businesses in Korea (some, like the barber shop, can be found elsewhere, such as Taiwan). When one watches a HK movie about the triads, there is often a scene taking place in a yeh dzong wui--same with Korean movies about Korean gangs. (Often such establishments are run by the triads or gangs.)

EJK talked about going to one in NYC with her friend, which I found to be a bit odd. Now maybe there isn't anything "colorful"* going on at the premises, and maybe it's just a bunch of hard-working guys looking for a place where they can hang out, drink, and buy some female companionship, but the associations would be sufficient to induce a reaction of repulsion for a woman, I would think... then again, maybe it's culturally accepted and thus "normal" to patronize such businesses. As if bars weren't bad enough...

The Western Confucian writes "Exporting Room Salons," referencing this article reporting the appearance of new room salons in Uzbekistan. What would Range make of that? In the age of globalization, is it any surprise that there not only do such businesses exist in developed E. Asian countries, but that there are E. Asian travel companies specializing in sex tours to South East Asian countries, and other places as well? There is nothing like news about sex tourism, the "exploitation of natives," and the [sex] slave trade/human trafficking to get one down. Given the strength of the male sex appetite, how many men fail to even enter the purgative way, because they haven't converted?

In a basement karaoke bar, as many as 30 women are lined up to be chosen by one of four Korean male customers. Most of the females are ethnic Uzbeks, standing around 170 cm. The karaoke bar is located in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, home to more than 120 ethnicities. This blend means that among the Uzbek women at the bar that night, Korean and Middle Eastern women stand waiting to be chosen, as well.

About 30 to 50 customers were in line to visit the bar. Payment for sex is a little over US$100, an average month’s salary for locals. In Tashkent, eight Korean-style room salons are in operations, catering mainly to male Korean tourists, though recently, male Japanese tourists have caught on, as well. The entire situation uncovers the ugly side of hallyu, or the ’Korean cultural wave.’

Someone I know said, "why pay for it, it's a bit insulting--a real man should be able to get it for free," or words to that effect... although if one is considering the benefit to the woman, Dr. Laura says the one who charges is smarter than the one who gives it away for nothing except false promises.

It is more difficult to enforce laws curbing appetite in a megapolis than in a reasonably-sized city. (Just as it is inherently difficult to suppress organized crime in a megapolis.) And let's not get started about Toronto, Canadian multicultural utopia that is supposedly is. There is a lot of darkness in a megapolis, and not much light. (The "wisdom" of the Supreme Court of Canada.) Either multiculturalism entails moral relativism, or multiculturalism must be subordinate to revealed or natural morality. I don't think the Canadian elites will admit to the latter; they'll just remain inconsistent in their legislation and application of the law, in deference to some legal tradition and precedents while excusing other behaviors.

Pope: "Canada is Today Suffering from the Pervasive Effects of Secularism"
Pope's comments to Ontario Bishops


*color = sik; sik also means desire (or lust), as in Chinese Buddhism, and perhaps the most problematic physical desire for men is sexual desire...