Bacchus Ladies (Korean: 박카스 할머니; RR: bagkaseu halmeoni) is a term to describe elderly female prostitutes in Seoul, South Korea.
Bacchus Ladies are women in their 50s, 60s, and some even their 80s, who solicit men in Seoul's parks and plazas for sex in nearby motels for about 20,000 to 30,000 won ($18–26 USD), or even less if the man is a regular client.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Bacchus Ladies traditionally sold bottles of Bacchus-F energy drink in parks popular with elderly men who became their clientele, but younger men in their 20s to 40s are also increasingly becoming regular clients.[8][2] According to Dr. Lee Ho-Sun, a researcher, about 400 women work in Jongmyo Park in Seoul.
- ^ "Elderly prostitutes reveal South Korea's dark side". The Japan Times. September 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Williamson, Lucy (June 10, 2014). "The Korean grandmothers who sell sex". BBC News.
- ^ "Police crack down on 'Bacchus ladies'". The Korea Times. March 26, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-07-08.
- ^ "할머니, 폐지 주울 바엔 할아버지와…" [Old women prefer old men to collecting the used paper] (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. November 9, 2012.
- ^ "[Special reportage- part I] Elderly prostitution at Jongmyo Park". The Hankyoreh. April 27, 2013.
- ^ "[Special reportage- part II] Elderly prostitution in Jongmyo Park". The Hankyoreh. May 4, 2013.
- ^ "Elderly prostitutes reveal dark side of South Korea's rapid ascent, many cut off from children". FOX News. September 25, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
- ^ "[조선비디오] 김채호 기자의 '거친 카메라' - '박카스 할머니' 찾는 젊은 남자들" [[Korean video] Kim Chae-ho reporter's camera, "Bacchus ladies" Young men] (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. April 2, 2015.