[Out of the Shadows] Seoul room clubs offer drugs to compete for clientele

Room salons -- private bars that hire women to entertain guests -- are often accused of abusing their closed-door nature to provide illegal prostitution services.

But recently they have been turning to drugs to compete for customers.

The main substances used here are ketamine and ecstasy, according to people close to the matter and the police.

“The term ‘candy,’ for example, is slang for ecstasy, and its main consumers are visitors of nightlife facilities and those working in entertainment establishments,” a male escort-turned-YouTuber named Kongdal said in his recently-uploaded video.

The drug boosts the release of serotonin, known as a “feel-good hormone,” associated with mood regulation and the ability to experience pleasure, the YouTuber explained.

But ecstasy also has side-effects, two of which are dehydration and "dry mouth," which is when the mouth doesn't produce enough saliva to feel comfortable.

“When visitors’ bodies start to run low on water (after taking the drugs), they (instinctively) reach out for more drinks, in which the entertainment facilities can benefit from this,” the YouTuber pointed out, claiming that the facilities choose to provide alcohol to the customers instead of water to help quench their thirst.

In “one percent room salons” -- they cater to society's richest 1 percent often on a membership basis -- patrons are offered exclusive access to drugs, drinks, privacy and prostitution.

More recently, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on Oct. 31 that officials had nabbed around 91 people on charges of selling and taking ecstasy and ketamine at an entertainment bar in Gangnam, one of the most active nightlife districts here.

Of them, 28 were employees, while 25 were customers. The other 38 were drug suppliers not directly employed by the clubs.

This was the first time that authorities formally requested administrative action against entertainment facilities involved in drug-related activities under the Narcotics Control Act, according to the police.

According to officials, the operator of the entertainment facility confessed that he had engaged in illegal practices from January to September this year to "draw in more patrons."

High-risk, high return

Drugs and nightlife venues have often been linked, and it is often the younger generation, mostly college students in their early 20s that become involved.

“The younger generation, ranging from university students to those newly entering society (after getting jobs) and even social elites often become frequent users of these entertainment establishments. Allowing them to take drugs at places hidden from the outside world, as well as providing them with sex, can shape them into loyal customers, in which operators can earn large sums of money,” Yoon Heung-hee, a professor at Hansung University's drug and alcohol addiction department, told The Korea Herald.

“If drugs were only available at places in Gangnam before, they would now be easily found and accessed in vibrant playgrounds for youngsters such as Sinchon, Hongdae and Itaewon due to the lack of surveillance. It’s becoming a serious societal problem,” Yoon, a former police officer who worked in narcotics, pointed out.

The spread of drugs also raises the risk of sexual assault of intoxicated victims, sometimes after their drinks spiked.

To help deal with the situation, the Seoul Metropolitan Government in June started providing entertainment businesses categorized as "high-risk" with rapid GHB test kits, a drug that can be used recreationally but is also known as a "date rape" drug. The test requires a single drop from a suspect drink, and the result comes out within minutes, according to officials.

Huh Chang-deog, a sociology professor at Yeungnam University, warned that the entertainment businesses that commit such crimes abuse the visitors' psychology of wanting to "escape from reality."

“I assume people visiting these nightlife venues are those who eagerly want to escape from reality or are going through immense stress. Drugs, accompanied by alcohol and female or male escorts, could be the best respite for them without knowing that they are committing a crime,” the professor said.

“This culture will never fade away unless investigation authorities tighten their investigations into drugs and make drug offenders pay the price,” he added.

According to the customs agency on Monday, a total of 623 cases of drug trafficking attempts were detected during the first nine months of this year, or 24 percent more than last year. The agency said it had confiscated 574 kilograms of drugs or the amount that could used by some 19 million people at the same time.

In light of rapidly rising drug cases, Rep. Lee Soo-jin of the Democratic Party of Korea said on the same day that she proposed a bill expanding the authority to investigate drug cases to officials at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and local governments.

“Drugs are spreading rapidly (within society), affecting youngsters and even corporate workers. I hope this bill will be passed quickly to curb the illegal spread of drugs,” Rep. Lee stressed.

The Korea Herald is running a series of feature stories and interviews on the evolution and rise of drug crimes, insufficient support systems and young addicts' stories in South Korea. This is the 12th installment. -- Ed.