You’d better get a Korean girlfriend before 2014

According to this article in the Chosun Ilbo, the combined effects of the selective abortion of female fetuses, and of the growing number of women who delay marriage or choose to remain single, is going to reach a tipping point around the year 2014.

One in every five men is likely to have trouble finding a spouse by 2014, a study suggests, when the ratio of men to women at the ideal marriage age will reach a record high.

[ snip ]

The number of men in the age group stands at 1.98 million this year, some 70,000 more than women (1.91 million), but that gap will widen to 134,200 next year and reach a record 381,300 in 2014, the institute forecast.

It attributed the imbalance to the country’s traditional preference for boys. It was the most conspicuous among the third and fourth child in a family. The overall gender ratio stood at 106.4 boys to 100 girls last year, within the normal range of between 103 and 107. The ratio for the first and second child also fell in the normal range with 104.9 and 105.6 boys to 100 girls.

But for the third and fourth child, the institute said it was an “open secret” that couples have pre-natal sex screening and sex-selective abortions. “In addition, a continued growth in the number of single women over the proper age for marriage is making the situation worse,” it added.

So, in short, by 2014, there will be 381,300 men who can’t find women.

The women of Naked News Korea have formed a girl band. I’m neither kidding nor on crack

Have you ever wondered what happened to the women of Naked News Korea after it went bust? Well, wonder no more. They have formed a girl band.

No.

Really.

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Okay, have you stopped laughing?

The name of the group is called … wait for it … the Naked Girls. According to a representative:

“We have gathered Minkyung, Jaekyung, Hyeji and Taehee to form this girl group, and will officially debut under the name Naked Girls in January next year. Their performances will be composed of inappropriate songs and choreography, definitely not suitable for youth. The girls’ activities will be focused more on musicals rather than national television.”

Oh, and you can add a new item to your ever-lengthening list of Konglish: sexycal — a sexy musical. If they’re like so-called “sexy dances,” they’re probably not very sexy at all.

Student sexually harassing teacher caught on video

This story was first broken by Korea Beat, but now we can read about the story in much more detail in the Korea Times. A high school student was caught on video sexually harassing his female teacher. It seems that the student, a sophomore (and yet already taller than his teacher) approached the teacher, putting his arm around her shoulders. After trying, unsuccessfully, to push him away, she walked away. He followed her, putting his arm around her.

After the video clip triggered criticism online, the school decided to slap a 10-day suspension on the student along with the person who taped it.

I wonder what why the student who taped the incident was also disciplined? Because he didn’t intervene? I’d say that posting this video was a form of intervention, since it is what let to the student being disciplined. And students should not be under any obligation to insert themselves into that situation, especially since the student was big and getting physical.
This is not the first time that there has been a major incident involving students getting physically abusive with their teachers. When the current generation grows up, I have my doubts as to whether I will want to remain here, teaching. If students are going to act like that, then I might as well be back in my own country. At least I’ll be close to my family, old friends, and in my own culture and language. Not to mention moving towards home ownership.

Edit/Update:

Thanks to Korea Beat commenter DynamicallySparkling, we can now see the video. Brian in Jeollanam-do and Korea Beat, respectively, made these comments:

I can guess Korean teachers might say this is symptomatic of kids being less disciplined in years past—maybe true, I don’t know—but this is testament is also to the chaos that is the classroom between periods. Not sure how it is at your public schools, but at mine it was a lawless 10 minutes where kids ran around, wrestled, fought, threw stuff out windows, raced with chairs, and sometimes destroyed the furniture and books in the room.

Exactly what I experienced as well. It was always a complete madhouse/zoo.

Suicides are down, but those among young women has doubled in four years

According to the National Police Agency, the number of suicides is down from last year, but the number of suicides among women in their 20s is up, and has nearly doubled in the last four years.

Korean police don’t care about porn stars

You may have heard the news about how American and Japanese porn produces are trying to sue Koreans who download porn, and then charge other people money to watch it.
Well, the Korean police don’t care. To be fair, though, they do have their reasons, which you can believe or doubt at your own discretion.

The officer said the video footage involved in the cases is not subject to protection from domestic law because it is neither academic nor artistic work.

Since pornography that depicts pubic hair or actual, as opposed to simulated, sexual intercourse, is illegal in Korea, I guess the police’s proper action would be to prosecute these people for breaking Korean laws. Let’s say that Harry Potter books are illegal in Country X, and that people in Country X start photocopying Harry Potter books and selling them for a profit. J.K. Rowling tries to sue those people for intellectual property piracy. Those people should be prosecuted for having Harry Potter books, because they are illegal in Country X, whether they are photocopied or bought from legitimate bookstores in other countries.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the subway …

(cue Jaws background music … )

The Korea Times reports that sexual harassment (such as groping and taking upskirt photos) on the subway has risen 26% since last year, and the Chosun Ilbo says that Line No. 2 is the most notorious subway line for these kinds of sexual offenses. In second and third places were Line Numbers 4 and 1, respectively. I was a little surprised, given that No. 1 has such a bad reputation, at least among expatriates.

Most of the offenders said they did it out of curiosity.

Oh yes, I’m sure. If the police don’t believe that, there are always the “I was drunk” and “My job is very stressful” excuses.

The actual number of cases might be higher than the published data because many women are afraid of reporting the incidents, a police spokeswoman said.

Another officer said, “Regardless of their jobs, more than 60 percent of those who were caught red-handed denied the charges.” Sex crimes are only prosecuted subject to complaint by the victim, “so the problem is that we can’t arrest offenders even if we have evidence unless the victims want to seek punishment for them,” he added.

Filipinas are good enough for sex, but not good enough to have children with?

Thanks to this translation from Korea Beat, we have the Quote of the Week:

23-year old Rose, a Filipina who married [a Korean man] one year ago, was thrown out of her husband’s home after becoming pregnant at the beginning of this year because he does not like people from The Phillippines.

She revealed her pregnancy and asked for help, but her husband assaulted her and she received a cold reception from her in-laws.

[Rose (pseudonym)/marriage immigrant: I cried a lot. I want to go to The Pillippines. My baby with no father....]

(emphasis mine)

Did I read that right? He married a Filipina, but doesn’t like people from the Philippines? Why did he marry her? To just have sex? That seems to be the explanation, since he threw her out after she got pregnant.

It’s too barbaric to describe in words.

Choi Han-bit becomes Korea’s first transgender transsexual supermodel

According to Korea Beat and All K Pop, Choi Han-bit, whom I’ve mentioned before, has successfully passed the second round of a contest to become Korea’s first transgender transsexual supermodel.
In a speech he it she said:

“Looking back, the situation I’m in would have seemed impossible to me as a child. I’m just so happy to be here right now and I want to become a dignified supermodel as well as a great role model. I would like to thank my parents for actively supporting me through the surgery and the pursuit of my dreams.
I would like to send a message to any other transgenders transsexuals. Be dignified and proud of who you are.”

The contest’s final round will be held on September 25th.

Edit/Update:

Take a look at this picture. Some of the other contestants look more masculine, not to mention less attractive, than Choi.

Soliciting teenagers for sex will become punishable, even without sex

Next year, soliciting teenagers into sex-for-money exchanges (“wonjo kyoje” / 원조교제) will become a punishable offense, even if no sexual intercourse occurs.
I say, without any sarcasm, “Sparkling.”

Transgender Transsexual Enters Beauty Contest

According to the Korea Herald and Times, a young transgender transsexual has entered a beauty contest. Twenty-three-year-old Choi Han-bit entered the 2009 Super Model Contest and has passed the preliminary round. If she passes the next round on July 28, she will become Korea’s first transgender transsexual supermodel. Since she has legally changed her sex to female, she has broken no contest rules, but she is not without her critics.

Some netizens argued that “unnatural women” cannot be included in a beauty contest.

So what about those women who’ve had plastic surgery on their eyes, jaws, noses, etc.?

I think she looks cute in her picture from the Times. Personally, I don’t think we should discriminate against transgenders transsexuals.

Edit/Update:

The Chosun Ilbo has more.