A secret bar where couples in their 20s to 40s openly have group sex in front of visitors has been operating in the middle of Seoul for seven years, a TV network reported Thursday. / Courtesy of YouTube



By Hong Dam-young

A clandestine bar where couples openly have sex and watch other couples having sex has been operating in the middle of Seoul, a TV network reported Thursday.

Couples in their 20s to 40s hand in their mobile phones and other belongings before the sex party, which includes group sex and swapping partners.

The bar is on the third floor of a building in the middle of Hongdae, one of Seoul's busiest night-out areas, according to TV Chosun.

There are shower booths and cleansers for women to use after sex.

The bar even runs a blog where readers can find explicit reviews, a bulletin board aimed at foreigners, and photos of a dressing room that holds erotic clothing, TV Chosun said.

The bar has remained confidential for seven years, thanks to strict security checks. It is open only to members, who must make a reservation.

Sex parties in public have been disclosed and reported several times. On Aug. 1, the National Police Agency arrested members of a ring that held secret group sex inside what was disguised as a restaurant in Seoul.

There are also plenty of online reviews by those who share their experiences of group sex in such bars.

The reviews say that the bars' main customers range from elderly couples seeking new excitement to young couples with open attitudes toward sex.

They also call each other only by their "nicknames."

But a crackdown on such activity is difficult because group-sex does not fall into prostitution because it is done under mutual agreement.

High security on group-sex venues also contributes to the difficulty.

"The frequency of reports of such activities is very low because they are hard to detect," a police official said.

"We act only if we receive reports. But if there are none, we cannot take any action."