Chapter Eleven(e) - International Mongering: Asia, Korea

Korea

The look of the Korean woman is my favorite in all the Asian cultures. There is something distinctly beautiful about a Korean woman. Sadly, although my travels have taken me to Korea the most, I have had the least experience with Korean women. It’s not very difficult to find a good working girl in Korea…I’ve just had bad luck with timing and such. And just about the time I got a clue, I found that I was not needed to travel to Korea anymore. So let me tell you what works and what doesn’t and what I’ll do when I go back.

Dating
First of all, Korea is a rich country so you will not find that third world dating techniques work there. A Korean woman is materialistic (very into the designer labels), well dressed, proper and (at least acts) disinterested in white men who hit on them. High maintenance girls fill this place. This makes them all the more alluring in my humble opinion. Not that you will strike out every time you try to form a relationship with a Korean but be ready for U.S. style rejection (or worse). If you are really trying to find a long term relationship and want to date, try one of the girls in the office (if you’re working in one). That will be your best bet. Still, you should remember that the Korean blood line is very important to most Koreans so inter-racial dating may not be well received.

Hostess Bars
In Seoul, there’s an area called Itaewon which hosts tourists by the thousands. They go there for knock off designer labels and leather goods. Sprinkled along the roads you will find some hostess bars. These are bars where attractive girls will sidle up next to you and chat you up; often rubbing your legs and more under the bar or table. Some are subtle and some are not depending on the bar. You’ll know a hostess bar as soon as you enter because you’ll be thinking, “I must look hot tonight baby!” Then you’ll realize that the hottest thing about you is your wallet. Hostess bars are expensive and getting you to buy “ladies drinks” is the catch. Your beer may cost $5 but that watered down drink your companion is sucking down at an alarming rate is worth $20. It’s OK to ask about drink prices by the way. If you must go to a hostess bar find out by the first drink if it’s possible to take a lady away from there and back to your hotel. It usually is but the price may be staggering. As in the Philippines, hostess bars will have a “bar fine”. This is a “fine” that you pay to the house in order to take a girl out of the bar and, presumably, to your hotel room. The bar fine may be worked into the price for the services rendered, or you may have to negotiate the bar fine separately. In any event, you will most likely have to part with some of your money before you leave the bar.

Hotel Massage
Forget about hotel massage unless you’re really looking for a great massage with no extras. For one thing, the masseuses they will send to your room in Korea are always blind. Yes, blind as in they cannot see. They are excellent masseuses and there’s nothing wrong with ordering one in your room to relax and unwind after a long day at the office. Just realize that they are ALL business and I’ve never seen one that was particularly good looking enough to hit on.

Yellow Page Escort Services
I’ve never had the balls to call one of these places and have a girl sent up. I always imagine that the girl will be ugly and her bouncer will make me pay anyway. I do have a friend who is a bit more timid about exploring than I am. He swears by these services and has told me about his exploits with some of the most beautiful women in Asia. Generally you’re going to pay a lot more for this. It could be $200-$300 or more. I told you we weren’t in the third world anymore.

Karaoke and KTV Places
This is also a target rich but fairly expensive way to find a girl for the night. These places are way more fun if you’re with a small group of co-workers and the tab is on the company. Do yourself a favor though. When you find the hostess girl you want, be discreet or it’ll be all over the office the next day. Ask her to meet you later at your hotel or offer to meet her after her shift is over. It may mean finding the place again (hopefully it’s not too far from your hotel) and making a late night of it. Also, find out if the girl you’re after is a local girl or if she’s an import on a visa. You’ll have much better luck if she’s on a short time visa from the Philippines or Thailand. Tip this girl discreetly and she’ll melt in your hands.

Oh-Par-Par
You down with OPP? This is the place I’m visiting next time. This, according to everyone, is the Amsterdam of Asia complete with window shopping and line ups (women on display for your choosing). The last time I went to Seoul, I asked a bell hop how far it was to OhParPar and he brushed me off. However, a younger guy (also a valet) overheard the interchange and approached me as I went to the elevator. He said he knew what I was looking for and would like to accompany me there after his shift. Seems he liked the place too. Bottom line was that he got off too late for my tired bones that night but the lesson is: The right local can show you a good time…sometimes for the price of a beer alone. When I go back, I’m going to hook up with a trusted local and head out for a good time.

Ex-pat Bars
Anytime you find a bar frequented mostly by Ex-pats, you will find a number of possibilities. This includes local working girls who know the ex-pat scene is rich with money, families (including disgruntled wives and defiant teens) of ex-pats, and tourists looking for a no-strings-attached lay. Not a bad place to check and they always have the best beer if all else fails. I found a great British pub, owned by a German, in the middle of Korea. The beer was about all I could brag about though. Still the company was good…it just didn’t come back to the hotel with me.

Author’s Experience:

When I was young and naïve, I went to an ex-pat bar where a lovely lady (the owner) chatted me up for quite awhile. She actually invited me to a movie for later on that afternoon. In retrospect, she was a horny older babe that probably wanted a lot more than a movie date. Like I said, I was young and naïve. Ah, what could have been!

5 Tips for Successful Mongering in Korea:

1) Like in Japan, it is unlikely that you will make a connection in Korea through AFF but by all means, try searching the World Sex Guide. The members will tell you what’s available by city there. …and it doesn’t hurt to try AFF if you have the time.
2) If you’re in Seoul, make sure to visit Itaewon. Any reputable hotel will have tourist busses going to Itaewon at multiple times during the day. When you are there, take a peek at some of the hostess bars but be warned that they will literally drag you in and sit you down if given the chance. If you sit down with a girl, you are in for at least a beer and one lady drink which may cost you a cool $25. The girl will probably be rubbing your dick under the table and “small head mentality” will coax you to stay. If you like the girl, my advice is to cut a deal quickly and leave with her. Otherwise you will be sucked into drink after drink and have a hefty bill before you leave.
3) I don’t think there is any sex allowed on the premises of these hostess bars but you never know. If you want to avoid the embarrassment of bringing a hooker back to your hotel room, you can always try for the quickie blowjob inside the bar. I wouldn’t advise trying it on the streets or alleys. You never know if a criminal element or a police officer is watching.
4) If you have a friend or co-worker you can trust, ask him to recommend a hostess bar or simply a place like I talked about in the Oh-Par-Par section above.
5) When all else fails, try an ex-pat bar. In Korea there are plenty of ex-pat bars and they are often filled with lovely ladies. Remember to be observant. You don’t want to proposition the owner’s girlfriend or wife and then end up with a funny tasting pint of lager ;-)