The Bacchus Ladies phenomenon is believed to have originated after the Asian financial crisis , with South Korea being one of the countries most affected by the financial contagion. South Korea's rapid development since the s, known as the Miracle on the Han River , led to an uprooting of this culture among many younger and more transient generations of South Koreans.
Subsequent rapid changes in society and attitudes of children have resulted in a poverty rate of This figure rises to Professor Lee Ho-sun of the Korea Soongsil Cyber University in Seoul has carried out research and found many of the women who became Bacchus Ladies were involved in prostitution during their earlier years in karaoke bars and teahouses , returning to prostitution in later years because of financial pressures. Eventually, many of these men became their main clientele after transitioning into prostitution.
Prostitution in South Korea is illegal, and the police patrol the areas frequented by Bacchus Ladies, primarily in Seoul's north-central Jongno District. Thirty three women, including an year-old woman, were arrested as part of a crackdown in early There is an epidemic of Sexually transmitted infections STIs among the South Korean elderly, primarily caused by the Bacchus Ladies' use of erection enhancing substances on their clients which are often injected into a vein, but the hypodermic needles may be reused 10 to 20 times.
The local government now offers sex education classes to the elderly. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools.
Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikidata item. Elderly prostitutes in South Korea. For the Korean film, see The Bacchus Lady. Background [ edit ]. Policing [ edit ]. STIs [ edit ]. In popular culture [ edit ].
