Cheongnyangni 588, also know by the Korean way of reading the numbers or “oh pal pal”, is a well known and rather obvious red light district in Seoul. 588 is accessed by going through exit 5 of Cheongnyangni Station, making a slight left and crossing over a side street.

Cheongnyangni 588 takes up a rather large area and contains numerous display windows that look a lot like the famous De Wallen redlight district in Amsterdam. Women sit dressed in nighties or bikinis in red lighting behind clear sliding glass doors while men stroll through the streets. There are usually only one or two women in each booth.

Most of the women at 588 are attractive but average by Korean standards. More than a few show signs of wear. Others show signs of obvious plastic surgery. A few women look absolutely stunning and there are also a handful of big girls around.

The women who work at Cheongnyangni 588 call out or wave to the guys they would like to take on as customers. For the most part this does not include foreigners. Women working at oh pal pal will usually just ignore foreigners.

A few women working 588 will accept foreign customers. A group of older overweight women working on the edge of the district go out of their way to signal to foreigners that they are open for business. Some of the better looking women may also accept a foreign customer from time to time if no one else is around to see it.

Once customers enter a room they quickly discuss prices and head through a door to a small room in back with a bed where services are provided. There are no set prices but 80,000 Won seems to be an average price for a short session of full service for those who are accepted. Condoms are usually used but some women will do some things or even everything without them especially with repeat customers who request that.

Curtains are pulled in front of the glass windows when women are busy. Sessions normally last fifteen minutes or less and customers are politely but swiftly shown the exit after completing. There are exceptions.

Cheongnyangni 588 is open throughout the day and night. During the early morning and daylight hours there are only a few women around. At night many more women show up though there are always some rooms that stay empty.

The streets are wide and open, regularly patrolled by police and fairly well lit for a redlight area. Problems are rare but there are reports of occasional fights sometimes even including foreigners.

A few elderly women work a corner of the district. They call passing foreigners in with broken English promises of sexy girls. Guys who follow these old bags through the alley and into a building with the idea that they are mamasans quickly find out that it is the grandmothers themselves offering services.

Here’s a map of Cheongnyangni 588.

Update: as reported here in September 2017, the 588 redlight district has been all but destroyed.

Jinju Massage is a massage parlor in the Gangnam section of Seoul that offers therapeutic massages and happy endings. While the shop doesn’t go out of its way to reach out to foreigners it does have English signs and a welcoming policy.

The shop is easy to find. It is located just off a main road and near to several subway stations and the well known Dynasty Hotel.

Customers walk through a tinted set of glass doors to enter. They find themselves inside a ground level floor with small lockers to put their shoes before stepping up into the main lobby. Upon entering the lobby they immediately face the front counter where they can pay for their session.

The going rate for a session at Jinju Massage is 130,000 Won. Once customers pay this fee they walk through a small dining area and into a large locker room. Here they strip down, put their things inside of the locker and head to the large shower room in the back. They are expected to wash their bodies and brush their teeth there. They can also soak in a large tub or take a steam if they would like.

After getting clean customers walk back to the locker room where they dry off and put on a robe. A male attendant in the dining area then guides customers down carpeted halls to one of many private rooms. Customers wait there for their first attendant to arrive.

The primary attendants at Jinju Massage are in their thirties or forties. They are generally attractive and dressed in short tennis skirts and polo shirts though they are not in the place for their looks. These women provide thorough full body massages on massage tables in the rooms that conclude with hot towel treatment. After the towels are removed these attendants start to slowly and mechanically work the customers private areas to get them prepared for the next step.

At the end of the massage one of the twenty something year old service providers knocks on the door. They enter dressed in revealing teddies as the first attendant leaves. These women remove their teddies and take down their bras as they gear up to take care of customers. The service they provide consists of oral and hand job service with much more focus on the hand aspect. The service is done well if mechanical.

When the final round of service is completed customers are cleaned up and dressed in their robes before being guided back through the halls and into the locker room. They can dine and lounge around for a while or simply shower up again and leave.

Jinju Massage is open every day from 9:00 am until the early morning hours. Here’s a map of Jinju Massages’s location.

Cheonho-dong is home to one of the most major red light districts in Seoul. I have already written about 588 and Miari Texas. There has been talk about closing down all three of these red light districts over the years but at the moment they all remain in operation. Some of that probably has to do with the organization of working women who are against the destruction of their livelihoods though I’m sure there is much more at play that I don’t know about.

The Cheonho area in question is usually reached by people taking exits 3 or 4 out of the Cheonho subway station. The places is open around the clock though there usually aren’t many women working early in the morning. A few women set up shop in the afternoons but most work during the evenings and nights.

The Cheonho adult entertainment district is set up a lot like 588. A series of narrow streets best used for walking are lined with sliding glass doors and windows. Women sit behind the windows and beckon in guys who pass by outside. The women who work in Cheonho are free to refuse anyone they are not interested in and that does happen. It is usually done by a woman simply ignoring a guy passing by though at times they will simply turn their back. Most Korean customers are accepted as long as they don’t display any outward signs of madness. Guys from Asia also seem to be approved by most of the women. Western guys have less luck though many more women at Cheonho seem open to accepting white guys than the women in 588 who for the most part want nothing to do with them.

In the Cheonho red light district most of the storefronts are rather large and contain several women. They either sit or stand around talking to each other and playing with their phones in between customers though they are always on the lookout to see who is coming down the street next.

These gals work together and often with a much older ajummas who organizes things. At Miari Texas the mamasans stand in the streets and bring guys into their shops. At Cheonho the older female managers only seem to pop out of the woodwork to negotiate prices and get guys into the rooms. With western guys especially this is done with absolute quickness as the managers want to get the non-Korean customers out of view as soon as possible. Apparently the fear is that Korean customers will see a western guy in a shop and assume that all of the women working there have been tainted.

Many of the glass display rooms have curtains that can be closed if needed. In Amsterdam’s famous De Wallen red light district this is often done so that the little room can be used to provide services in private. At Cheonho this is rarely the case. It is usually used when a shop is closed or by women who don’t want to be seen because they’re doing something private or negotiating with a customer. Service tends to be rendered in small rooms that are usually located on upper floors. They have low lighting and are decorated like the rooms of Korean university students most likely because that’s the mentality that most of the women working hold. I’ve been told that some women sleep on premises but it is difficult to tell since things are kept rather tidy.

The women who work at Cheonho tend to be attractive and model themselves after the popular K-pop style with lots of cosmetics and hair care products. Plastic surgery is also common. What can only be seen up close however is that a lot of the women working at Cheonho are a little worse for wear. Under the makeup often lies a lot of wrinkles and such even though the women are for the most part in their twenties and thirties. This is all to be expected considering the working environment

The rates at Cheonho tend to be a little higher than the rates at other Seoul red light districts. I don’t know what the reason for that is. In terms of service they are all basically the same. Guys who are not Korean and who do not have a command of the local language usually pay around 150,000 Won ($135 USD) for a short time session which runs around fifteen minutes in length. Of course everything is up for negotiation and some men pay much more or much less.

Here’s a map of the Cheonho red light district.

King Massage is one of many massage parlors operating near the Incheon International Airport in South Korea. The massage parlor is located in an area called Airport Times Square in Unseo which is easily reached via the AREX rail line and a number of buses and other forms of transportation.

AREX is modern rail line that connects the city of Seoul to the Incheon Airport. Unseo is two stops away from the airport when heading toward Seoul.

Heading out of the main exit at Unseo train station leads to an intersection. By crossing the road and walking straight down the sidewalk punters head toward the area where most of the massage parlors including King are concentrated.

King Massage is marked with a set of large red signs with both Korean and English lettering. As is usually the case this is a sign that the place is foreigner friendly. Seemingly all of the massage parlors in Unseo are totally open and welcoming to foreigners. This makes sense since the place is so near the airport. It also makes sense considering that Korean speaker have a lot of options in Seoul and other cities and have no real reason to visit a place like Unseo just to get a rub down with a little extra.

Customers reach King by entering the building that houses it and heading up the third floor. There they simply walk in the door. There is no need to ring any bells or anything like that.

Inside customers find a well appointed lobby and a front desk worker who can speak just enough English to demand the fee for a single session which is 180,000 won ($162 USD). This fee is paid up front by cash or credit.

Once the up front fee is paid customers are led to one of many massage rooms. There they undress and slip into a pair of shorts provided by the shop. A few minutes later a masseuse in her thirties appears and takes customers through the rest of the service.

The women who work at King are relatively good looking and fit considering their ages. They wear the kinds of dressed one may expect for the facility though obviously they wouldn’t win any kind of fashion show elsewhere. In any event the dresses only stay on for a brief period. There’s little use for them in the shower rooms where customers are washed from head to toe and given a round of covered oral and full service.

Although King is technically a massage parlor there isn’t much rubbing done there. At least that’s the case for foreigners. It’s unlikely that any Korean man would accept a rush treatment without a hint of a massage but that’s what is given to visitors from other areas who probably aren’t visiting to work a kink out of their back.

Tipping isn’t expected or required at King or any other Korean establishment. Things are done professionally but usually without any hint of extra treatment or warmth.

King Massage. Unseo, Incheon, South Korea. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click here for a map.

Cool Massage is one of many massage parlors operating near the Incheon International Airport in South Korea. This is not to be confused with Cool in the Gangnam neighborhood of Seoul which has already been described on this website.

While the Cool Massage shop is totally obvious and even marked with illuminated signs displaying the shop’s named in English it is a little more hidden than some of the other massage parlors in the area. That’s because the main entrance to Cool Massage is located in a pedestrian court rather than on a road open to vehicular traffic.

Cool Massage is less than a five minute walk from the Unseo Train station. This station is the gateway for most people visiting the area. It is only two stops away from the Incheon International Airport when taking the AREX train. The same train connects the area to downtown Seoul though that trip takes more like an hour. Taxis and buses also travel to the area from the airport with different costs and procedures.

Cool Massage is located on the fifth floor of a building that houses multiple businesses including restaurants and a kind of computing center where guys pay to play video games on souped up computers. Both the lift and the staircase are heavily marked with signs indicating the location of the massage parlor. On the fifth floor all sorts of big bright signs point out the entrance which is the only thing on the floor other than a public restroom.

Once they enter customers immediately come to a small front desk staffed by a manager. The manager can speak basic English but has no problem giving the price for a session which is 180,000 Won ($162 USD). This is more than a lot of guys pay for sessions on Hooker Hill but average for the area.

After paying the fee customers are led to one of many private massage rooms. They are small and a little worn down even though they aren’t used for much. Customers change out of their street clothes in these rooms and put on a pair of shorts provided by the shop. Once this is done they are greeted by one of the women on staff.

The ladies on staff at Cool Massage are in their thirties and forties. They are relatively fit and attractive for their ages though obviously they aren’t as good looking as the cream of the crop who work the high end facilities for businessmen in Seoul. Most cannot speak English beyond the basic statements like “let’s go” and “turn over” that are required to get through a session.

Customers are led by the masseuses into wash rooms that contain shower heads and flat shower tables. The customers undress and lay down on the tables so that their masseuses can wash them from head to toe. This procedure is more mechanical than sensual.

Once customers are cleaned they are mounted by the masseuses who perform oral and full services until the job is done. Women who do these sorts of jobs tend to go through the motions most likely due to the nature of their work. That can be true at Cool Massage though some of the women on staff go above and beyond the call of duty at times. High flying adventures that challenge anything else in the immediate area are possible at times.

Once sessions end customers are cleaned again and led back to the massage room to change. After that they are bid a fond adieu and shown to the door.

Cool Massage. Unseo, Incheon, South Korea. Open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Click here for a map.

Sun Massage is a full service massage parlor operating in the immediate vicinity of the Incheon International Airport near Seoul. As this website can attest South Korea is home to a massive adult entertainment industry. Much of it is off limits to foreigners however especially if they cannot speak the local language.

The many massage parlors in Unseo near the airports are totally open to foreigners. Most even go out of their way to advertise in multiple languages. The sign for Sun Massage is only written in Korean but the shop is open and welcoming to people from around the world.

Sun Massage is located just outside of the Unseo train station. This station is a stop on the AREX line that connects downtown Seoul to the Incheon and Gimpo airports. Unseo is only two stops from Incheon airport. It is a little further from Gimpo and Seoul.

The entrance to Sun is marked by a set of pink signs. The parlor is located on the third floor of a large building that houses a number of businesses. These kinds of buildings are common in Unseo. They are open around the clock and anyone can access the staircases or elevators without passing any desk or security staff.

When customers get to the third floor of the building they simply walk through the marked door and into the nice clean entrance. There they find a desk near the door. A woman on staff takes payment which is 150,000 Won ($135 USD) per session. This is less than most of the other parlors in the area charge. Both cash and cards are accepted.

Although the lobby at Sun Massage is rather the nice the many massage rooms are simply mediocre. Customers use these to change out of their street clothes. The clothes are placed in locking closets and a pair of shorts and slipper provided by the house is put on. Once customers are wearing the house gear they are visited by one of the women on staff.

The ladies who work at Sun Massage are a lot like the women at other massage parlors in the area. They tend to be in their thirties and have fit bodies. They also tend to be relatively attractive even if they are no match for the kind of younger more attractive women that work at places like Belle and Cool in Gangnam. They are usually limited in their English skills to a few key words and phrases required to get through a session with a foreign customer.

Customers are led by masseuses down a twisted hallway that eventually passes through a doorway that would make James Bond smile. This leads to more massage rooms. It also leads to a wash room where customers are cleaned from head to toe and serviced.

Sessions can feel rushed at Sun Massage. The scrub is followed by covered oral and full service with the customer being expected to finish in a few minutes. There is no declared time limit though the masseuses obviously like to get through sessions even if there are no other customers waiting.

Once sessions conclude customers are told to shower on their own. Then they put their shorts back on and head to the massage room where they put their street clothes back on. They are given a glass of cool tea water before leaving.

All of the massage parlors in Unseo claim to be open around the clock. While it is possible to walk into them all at any hour of the day it can be tough to find anyone inside during off hours like early mornings. At Sun there always seems to be someone at the desk. Otherwise it does not really stand out.

Sun Massage. Unseo, Incheon, South Korea. Open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Click here for a map.

Unseo is the name given to a small development built near the Incheon International Airport near Seoul. Just a few minutes away from the airport on the train, Unseo was created for airport workers and visitors alike though I’m sure some others live there too. Unseo has a lot of hotels, motels, restaurants, bars and apartments. It also has a lot of massage parlors. This website has reported on some of them in the past.

Perhaps the most obvious massage parlor for any visitor to Unseo arriving via the AREX train would be Thai Massage. After people exit the train and cross the street they are confronted by large signs on the sidewalk advertising “Thai Massage” in the Korean, English, Japanaese and Chinese languages. The Thai Massage sign points to a nearby building which houses all sorts of various businesses. The massage parlor is housed on the fifth floor.

More signs inside the building point to the location. There is a large open staircase in the building for some reason it is blocked off on the fourth floor. So the Thai Massage place can only be accessed by the lift. Inside the lift there are more signs indicating the fifth floor location. It would be impossible for anyone to miss.

Thai Massage is open 24 hours just like the other massage parlors in Unseo. It also shares other similarities with massage parlors around the area. But in some ways it is very different.

When customers enter they see a front desk staffed by a Korean woman. On the desk there are numerous signs and sheets describing different massages available. They range in price from 50000 to 150000 Won ($42-84 USD). The cheapest is a short Thai massage. The most expensive package includes a long Thai massage and other things like ear candling.

After selecting a package and rendering payment customers take off their shoes and put on a pair of slippers. They are then guided to a large male locker room and given a wristband with a key attached. They use the key to open a locker and put their clothes inside. Then they use the showers which come complete with all the soaps and shampoos one could require. After that they dry off and put on one of the provided loose pants and a shirts. Once they emerge from the locker room they will be guided by one of the Thai masseuses down the hall to a foot washing room. After having their feet washed they will be taken to one of the many private massage rooms.

The masseuses at Thai Massage are middle aged Thai women. They are friendly and skilled at their jobs but not the most attractive women around. This doesn’t matter much since they don’t provide any erotic services at all. This may surprise some but it should come as no shock to those in the know.

In South Korea there are many erotic massage parlors. Several have been reported on here. On the other hand places labeled as offering “Thai Massage” are usually not involved in anything sensual at all. Thai Massage in Unseo is not exception. Although it looks like other massage parlors in the area and even stays open around the clock the place purely deals in regular clothed massages. Some hints other than the Thai Massage name are the presence of a women’s locker room.

There are some erotic massage places in South Korea that hire foreign women including gals from Thailand but this is not one of them. It’s simply a place for people to clean up and get a rub down in the traditional Thai style.

It also a place that breaks from the norms of Korean culture by asking for tips. The women who work the place sometimes go as far as following customers into the locker room with their hands out to ask for tips. This is very out of the ordinary in the country but it seems to be standard practice with non-Korean customers at Thai Massage.

Thai Massage. Unseo, Incheon, South Korea. Open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Click here for a map.

Hue Massage is one of many massage parlors located in the town of Unseo near the Incheon International Airport. The entrance to Hue Massage is marked with a spinning sign that says “Massage” in English and Korean. It is right next to the building that houses Cool Massage in Unseo.

Cool Massage is on the fifth floor of its building. It is accessed by an elevator that is filled with advertisements. Hue Massage is on the fifth floor of the neighboring building. It is accessed by an elevator with no advertisements at all. Still Hue is well marked. It has signs outside, in the building, in the elevator and in front of the door.

Hue Massage has no set hours. At times it may be open around the clock like some local competitors. At other times especially in the early morning hours it closes up shop. There are times especially in the off hours when Cool is open and Hue is closed or vice versa.

Hue has a large brown entrance that says “Well-Being Massage”. A door bell on the right side of the door is used by customers to gain entrance. Inside there is a long couch and a desk. Customers pay 150,000 Won ($131 USD) for a full service massage session. The management which consists of two older Korean women has a card explaining the price and service in non-native English.

There are a few women working at Hue. They are all Korean and in their late 20’s to 30’s. Some would be described as quite attractive by most. A few may not be described in that way. All wear form fitting dresses and have their hair and makeup done. Some smoke.

After paying for a massage customers are taken down a series of winding hallways to one of many available rooms. The rooms are lit with red lights and contain dressers, a bed and a large bathroom with a table shower.

Customers are washed from head to toe at the outset of their sessions. Various body parts are involved in the process though it stops short of the kind of “soapy slide” seen at some similar places around the world.

After showering and drying customers are taken back into the main room where they receive their service. Things tend to be mechanical as the women work with a lot of customers throughout the day. There can be exceptions but ultimately the ladies have a job to do and are there to work and earn money rather than make romantic human connections.

After the massage service customers are given a stand up shower and dried. They are then offered a free drink out of a small refrigerator in the room. Finally they are dressed and led through the winding hallways back to the lobby where they put on their shoes and head out the door.

Hue Massage. Unseo, Incheon, South Korea. Open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Click here for a map.

Red light districts in Seoul have never been particularly welcoming places for foreigners as many articles and user comments on this website can attest. One is now unavailable for foreigners and locals alike as it has all but been shuttered.

There have long been rumors of impending ends of nearly every red light district in South Korea. Usually they amounted only to speculation. In at least one instance an attempt to close a red light district and redevelop it into something else was stopped by people on the ground.

Now, finally, the sun has set on a prominent Seoul red light district. The large and long-standing 588 (Oh Pal Pal) redlight district in the Cheongnyangni section of Seoul is a ghost of its formal self. Many of the old shops where women once sat looking for customers have been torn down. Those that remain are dark even at night and devoid of women all together.

There are still a few windows standing here and there but they all look to be abandoned and marked for demolition. The days of 588 are numbered (no pun intended).

This doesn’t spell the end of prostitution in South Korea of course. It continues to flourish and recent reports suggest that a majority of Korean men still pay for sex. The destruction of red light districts like 588 just represents a new phase in the industry.

With sex sellers now able to advertise to millions online they no longer need to display sex women in windows. They can just post a picture up online. They can also operate out of discreet rooms in buildings that people from the street would probably never even notice. So they get access to more potential customers without putting themselves in eyeshot of do-gooders or law enforcement.

This seems to be the way things are going around the world. The internet has changed human society in major ways. The sex industry is only one among many sectors of human activity that has been heavily modified by modern forms of communication.

Juicy Bars aren’t the most common form of entertainment in South Korea but they are around. Located mostly in places frequented by foreigners and seemingly aimed at those who speak English juicy bars are very similar to the “girls bars” across the water in Japan.

To be more specific Juicy Bars seem to be oriented toward US soldiers stationed in Korea more than anyone else. The strange fact is that a lot of them are located in places where US soldiers are officially forbidden to visit by their command as this article clearly explains.

Juicy bars are basically just bars with women on staff to keep customers company. Customers pay money for drinks and a portion of that money goes to the women on staff. That’s about it. It’s like a hostess bar in Vietnam.

A lot of the women who work in the Juicy Bars come from other countries like the Philippines. The main reason seems to be that they speak English and that the Philippines is a poor country with a lot of people desperate for work.

Over ten million Filipinos work outside of the Philippines and send a lot of their income back home. It is a major source of the national revenue. When these overseas Filipinos work as maids little is said by anyone. At the same time when they work in places offering sex or even companionship it is sometimes described as human trafficking by those with an agenda.

The women who work in juicy bars in South Korea have to hook customers if they want to be successful. So they often flirt with customers and promise them things like love, relationships or even sex. In reality sex is almost never actually provided to customers outside of peculiar cases.

Apparently some customers have actually married women they met in juicy bars but this isn’t very common. Even when it exists it is unlikely to be a source of matches made in heaven.

If you remember Chris Rock’s song “No Sex In The Champagne Room” from the late 1990’s the line “no matter what a stripper tells you, there is no sex in the champagne room” could equally apply to the juicy bars scattered around South Korea. The women may promise the world in order to get a customer to order another drink.

In some juicy bars customers can get cozy with the women on staff. In others the women always staff behind the bar no matter what which is the policy of the aforementioned and legal girls bars in Japan. In all juicy bars the prices of drinks and lady drinks are much higher than what regular bars charge.

Some juicy bars are located at the top of Hooker Hill. Others are located in places like Ulsan, Busan, Osan, and Dongducheon that are close to US military bases. According to some reports juicy bars are becoming less common since the US military started cracking down on its members who visit the places regularly.

Humans have been using all kinds of methods to meet others since the beginning of time. As the years passed by, new ways are discovered which make the process easier than the next. A perfect example has been the explosion of social media platforms. Most of the dating apps and sites integrate with programs such as Facebook to make the experience better for everyone. The past few years, a new methodology has come into play which is changing the dating process all over again.

Augmented reality is the latest mechanism being implemented into dating sites. To understand how AR works, one doesn’t need to go far or be a rocket scientist. The highly popular game Pokémon Go is a perfect example of how AR works. It is by far one of the most recognized games which are made better by using augmented reality. The technology allows computer-generated images to be superimposed on real-world situations. The result is the user getting a composite view of things. In some instances, the AR images can be objects or bits of valuable information.

Based on the success which AR provided for Pokémon GO, companies began implementing it on their dating applications. A user can download a dating AR app and start using it right away. Once they do so, they can see other people using the app. The others appear in the form of faces created via augmented reality. Individuals can pass others by as they walk down the street. Since the apps use face recognition software, the faces of members pop up as you walk by them. Each time someone using the application is nearby, an augmented reality image comes onto your phone screen. The image will contain not only the other person’s face but also pertinent info. That includes their age, sex, and name.

The best part about augmented reality apps is that they can work from wherever you are. A person can be at a bar, gym, on the train, at work or anywhere else. Every time a person you may be interested is in your area, a balloon pops up. From there, what you do next is entirely up to you. The user can click on the augmented reality image and begin interacting. That can mean texting, chatting, calling or meeting them face to face. Some compare this type of technology as being on an Easter egg hunt. But instead of eggs, you are finding other adults just like you for dating and sex. More importantly, you don’t have to guess where the individuals are hiding. In fact, their physical location is provided to you in actual time.

In case you may be worried that no one is close to where you are, there are ways around that. You can choose any area on the map or planet for the matter. This can be great in case you may want to hook up with someone who lives in another part of town. Or if that person lives somewhere, you plan to visit soon. The popularity of AR is similar to that of virtual reality. Both methods of technology are growing in use for the past few years. But virtual reality seems to be used in broader numbers as far as dating and sexually related issues are concerned. For instance, the number of people using VR technology to view adult content has been growing rapidly. Virtual reality porn is one of the fastest growing genres in the adult world.

More and more companies are adopting both AR and VR technology based on the success the adult entertainment sector is having. One issue some folks have with AR dating apps is how slow the responses sometimes come. Most end up getting too anxious and leave the application before the other person answers them. To be fair though, this often happens with regular dating sites or other apps as well. That’s because we live in a world where people want instant gratification and immediate responses.

Nonetheless, augmented reality is changing how folks meet and the entire dating game. No one would have ever imagined that innovative breakthroughs in the tech field would lead to this. What’s more, the whole process is still new which means things are bound to get better.

One significant difference between AR and VR dating apps is that the former uses real-time interactions. AR also uses interactions which are based on real life. They allow people to meet without having to be there in person. This can be wonderful for those who are hesitant about the awkwardness which comes from dating. First-time dates or meetings tend to be awkward which is why most hesitate to do it in the first place. Still, AR dating apps help break through most of that.

As more people begin to discover and use AR and VR dating apps, the process will get better. Companies will continue investing more money which will lead to discoveries. Coincidentally, that will make AR dating apps as mainstream as Netflix or the hamburger.

Cheongnyangni 588, also know by the Korean way of reading the numbers or “oh pal pal”, is a well known and rather obvious red light district in Seoul. 588 is accessed by going through exit 5 of Cheongnyangni Station, making a slight left and crossing over a side street.

Cheongnyangni 588 takes up a rather large area and contains numerous display windows that look a lot like the famous De Wallen redlight district in Amsterdam. Women sit dressed in nighties or bikinis in red lighting behind clear sliding glass doors while men stroll through the streets. There are usually only one or two women in each booth.

Most of the women at 588 are attractive but average by Korean standards. More than a few show signs of wear. Others show signs of obvious plastic surgery. A few women look absolutely stunning and there are also a handful of big girls around.

The women who work at Cheongnyangni 588 call out or wave to the guys they would like to take on as customers. For the most part this does not include foreigners. Women working at oh pal pal will usually just ignore foreigners.

A few women working 588 will accept foreign customers. A group of older overweight women working on the edge of the district go out of their way to signal to foreigners that they are open for business. Some of the better looking women may also accept a foreign customer from time to time if no one else is around to see it.

Once customers enter a room they quickly discuss prices and head through a door to a small room in back with a bed where services are provided. There are no set prices but 80,000 Won seems to be an average price for a short session of full service for those who are accepted. Condoms are usually used but some women will do some things or even everything without them especially with repeat customers who request that.

Curtains are pulled in front of the glass windows when women are busy. Sessions normally last fifteen minutes or less and customers are politely but swiftly shown the exit after completing. There are exceptions.

Cheongnyangni 588 is open throughout the day and night. During the early morning and daylight hours there are only a few women around. At night many more women show up though there are always some rooms that stay empty.

The streets are wide and open, regularly patrolled by police and fairly well lit for a redlight area. Problems are rare but there are reports of occasional fights sometimes even including foreigners.

A few elderly women work a corner of the district. They call passing foreigners in with broken English promises of sexy girls. Guys who follow these old bags through the alley and into a building with the idea that they are mamasans quickly find out that it is the grandmothers themselves offering services.

Here’s a map of Cheongnyangni 588.

Update: as reported here in September 2017, the 588 redlight district has been all but destroyed.