Blame Teen Prostitution on Homosexuality? Why Not?

I don't really have time to blog right now, but I can't pass up commenting on this scary yet classic story. This news story was translated into English by the generally reliable folks at the "Korea Beat" website. When faced with undeniable evidence of a shaming problem in society, the Korean media often seeks to blame the outsiders. Like blaming the poor. Or the foreigners. Oh wait, no foreigners involved? Blame the gay community. But wait, isn't this news story really about pedophiles enticing young men? And isn't homosexuality very separate and different from pedophilia? YES! Of course, yes. In the real world, yes.
But in the face-saving, image spinning world of the Korean mainstream press? Maybe not. See for yourself...

Check out " this Seoul Shinmun report on a recent investigation of teen prostitution. This (biased) report argues that "an increasing number of teens are entering prostitution after becoming interested in homosexuality...:"
They go on to write that "...a study has found a poisonous inclination towards prostitution due to interest in (gay) sex rather than for simply raising money for living or entertainment.
The 청소년보호중앙점검단, a part of the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs, reported on the 10th the results of its three-month (April to June) investigation of teen prostitution and also that 36 teens and 17 sexual minorities had been arrested.
There is shock over this investigation being the first to uncover cases of teen boys engaging in prostitution with grown men. Of the 36 teens arrested for prostitution 12, or 33.3%, of them were male students. A representative from the police said, “this investigation is the first to find many such clear cases.”
16-year old Oh, a second-year high school student living in Cheolsan-dong in the city of Gwanmyeong, engaged in 30 acts of prostitution in his home with men he met through Internet chatting. 17-year old Song, a third-year high school student from Yeonsu-dong in Incheon, engaged in over 10 acts with men in motels. Another 16-year old named Seong performed three similar acts with a man in his 40s met through Internet chatting in exchange for a pack of cigarettes each time. Most of them, investigators found, had not had any particular difficulty in their school lives.
The Central Inspection Bureau announced, “these boys who engaged in prostitution experienced several cases of poisoning and sought treatment.”
When female students enter prostitution it tends to be for earning money for living or entertainment. And finding them in the 14 to 16 age group is uncommon. 16-year old female student Choi of Namdong-gu, Incheon, engaged in no fewer than 70 acts of prostitution. 14-year old Lee, a third-degree mentally disabled female student who had disappeared, engaged in many acts of prostitution with a man met through Internet chatting who lured her into living with him.
Police have arrested 17 men including 32-year old musical actor Mr. Yeo, 38-year old golf instructor Mr. Lee, 22-year old soldier Mr. Mun."
Maybe it's just me, but aren't they trying to blame the victims here? the TEENAGE (i.e. underage) victims?
The way I read this article, this problem certainly MUST somehow be the fault of the teen boys, of the gay community, or some other outcast group...
Scary.

Red Hair District

I have reddish hair. Usually, it is reddish brown. Last month I was deeply engaged in reading In Style magazine (English language magazines-they're like heroin!), and didn't notice that my stylist selected a tone little darker than usual. Until it was too late. So, my now hair is red.
And, in case you were wondering, I am NOT a Russian prostitute. I am not from Russia. Or the Ukraine. Or even Eastern Europe. "Are you from Russia?" is an opening line skeevy (a.k.a. sleazy), fifty something Korean men use to find out if women accept money for sex. This line of conversation also tends to reveal that they are willing to PAY for sex. Or looking to buy a wife-which is different, but also kind of gross. Since my hair color became a little brighter, I have been getting this question, "Are you from Russia?" more than usual. This is a common theme here. I heard that a t-shirt company here even makes a sarcastic t-shirt that reads "I am not a Russian woman" in Korean characters. (Can you imagine if you actually WERE a Russian woman engaged in some other legal, innocent business in Asia? They would get harassed all the time, I bet. It would stink to be them!) The men who ask if I, and my friends, are Russian, always have wedding rings on their hands. Lovely.
The only real, live Russian prostitute I ever met in Korea approached a group of people I was with at a dance club. She wanted to now if any of the gentlemen in our small group, or in fact the couples, wanted to "party" with her. She acted like she was on something, possibly E, but there is no way to confirm that. She had blonde hair and dark roots.
A teacher I know in my small suburb South of Seoul reports that she lives in area where it is easy to identify several "working girls," from various countries, hanging out by the subway station. Yet the Korean government reports that they have effectively erased prostitution in Korea. The press reports that the only "problem areas" are near US military bases. There's a "barber shop" in my apartment building with a bed inside, and a very, very friendly "hair staylist" from SouthEast Asia. Sometimes late at night, men knock on my door. Sometimes they are looking for my drunken neighbor, who had a little problem finding his own apartment for a while. But some of the late night callers also seem lost looking for the "barber shop." This makes me feel very safe in my apartment, doesn't it? It got so bad at one point that I just packed up and went to sleep on my boyfriend's couch for a while.
A friend suggested I literally put a sign on my door announcing in Hangul that I am not the prostitute in the building-to ward off any lost Johns (or Kims, or Parks, or Lees). I thought she was kidding. She was serious. In the end I actually did it for a while, figuring it couldn't hurt. How prepostorous is that?
(If I can find a photo of it, I will post it here.)
Prostitution in Korea?
Erased my ass.