Chapter 1 — Modern Women Lighting Up the Dark Side

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination. All characters are adults aged 18 or over.

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A foreign English teacher's scandalous private life has recently come under public scrutiny. It has been revealed that unqualified foreigners are flooding into the country—not to properly teach English, but to sexually exploit Korean women.

The problem, however, isn't limited to the foreigners. Women themselves are complicit—chasing sexual fantasies with foreign men, wandering nightclubs in search of sex partners.

This scene is easily witnessed in places like Itaewon.

At a time when foreigners' debauched lifestyles in Korea are sparking controversy, there appears to be no sign of change. These clubs remain thriving, and foreign-only venues—de facto men-prohibited zones—are seeing even greater crowds.

Due to the lingering cold and a drop in tourism, foot traffic in Itaewon has dwindled. The streets, once bustling, now feel empty, even desolate. The vibrant nightlife of past years has faded.

The familiar sight of Koreans and foreigners mingling freely is now rare.

What about the clubs at this very moment? With the scandal surrounding foreign English teachers still fresh, has the atmosphere changed even slightly?

But the thought vanished the instant I stepped into Club C.

Club C is a foreigner-only club. It doesn't cater to one specific nationality. Its defining feature is that it draws primarily Black men from various countries. While not officially banning Korean men, the overwhelming presence of Korean women has made it, in practice, a "men-prohibited zone."

Inside, most patrons were Black men and Korean women. There were at least five or six groups scattered about.

Though it was a weekday, the club was lively—likely due to the night before a holiday. I arrived around 1:30 a.m. on the first of the month.

Though many came in groups, not all seemed to know each other. Judging by their broken mix of Korean and English introductions, they had just met.

Korean women didn't need to do much. The foreign men approached them first.

Three Black men at a nearby table struck up a conversation. One began speaking in halting Korean, then, seemingly frustrated, switched to English.

He introduced himself as an English teacher from Boston, USA.

He seemed aware of the recent controversy over foreign teachers' sexual misconduct in Korea. He waved his hands defensively. "We're not like those people," he insisted.

At the same time, groups danced wildly in every corner of the club. Korean women and Black men thrashed their bodies to pounding beats.

Some clutched beer bottles in one hand and cigarettes in the other, swaying precariously. One woman suddenly stumbled—on the verge of collapsing to the floor.

A Black man dancing with her caught her swiftly. With one arm around her waist, they continued dancing.

How long passed like this? The man suddenly leaned in and kissed her deeply. His hand on her waist slid lower, roaming over her body.

The woman, eyes half-closed, surrendered completely to his touch.

His hand drifted down, gripping her ass, while the other slipped under her skirt.

Her face flushed with pleasure, mouth slightly open. Scenes like this played out across the club.

Elsewhere, a couple swayed to a slow blues rhythm, contrasting sharply with the club's aggressive beats.

Their sticky, sensual movements continued until the music changed. After several minutes, they grabbed each other's hands and headed straight for the restroom.

Leaving their group behind, the couple disappeared into the bathroom.

I approached her, pretending to know nothing.

At first, she looked startled and wary. But when I introduced myself as a fellow woman just here to have fun, her guard dropped.

She said she was a 26-year-old office worker, employed at a major conglomerate's secretarial office. She had come out with friends to enjoy the night before a holiday.

I hurried back to my seat. The man who introduced himself as Boris shared his thoughts on Korean women.

"At first, I thought Korean women were conservative, but they're actually very open-minded. Sometimes they're even bolder than women back home—I'm shocked. Men seem very conservative, but when they actually let loose… well, it's not always like that. One thing's for sure—they're not what they seem."

A man at the next table chimed in.

"We talked about the recent controversy among foreign teachers at our academy. Sure, if some are doing bad things to students, that's a problem. But most are adults. It's their choice. Why are only the teachers being attacked? And do you know how bad racism is here?"

They pushed back fiercely, clearly annoyed by recent public sentiment.

The mood quickly turned rough. Another man from their group shifted the topic, sharing personal stories.

They downed pint after pint of beer without any food, and seemed to get drunk quickly.

A man sitting close gave me a sultry look and placed his hand on my shoulder. He asked me to dance.

When I firmly refused, their expressions changed. Feeling the atmosphere grow awkward, I decided to leave.

I headed to Club B nearby. This place, a hybrid of bar and club, wasn't officially labeled as such, but was widely known as a "men-prohibited zone"—again, due to its clientele: mostly foreign men and Korean women.

At this club, one weekday is designated for free cocktails for all female guests. No wonder women keep coming.

A staff member said, "There are many similar establishments in Itaewon. To catch foreign men, you have to catch Korean women first."

He added, "Just look at how many couples with Black men there are lately—Black men's popularity is rising day by day. Women prefer their muscular, toned bodies."

A waiter at a hotel nightclub in Itaewon said, "With the rumor spreading that Black men are 'strong and big,' they've become increasingly popular among female college students and office workers alike. Women seeking exotic experiences flood in, especially on weekends. I remember reports from years ago about Japanese housewives and office women flocking to clubs in Yokohama just to date Black men. Now, it's our women—unmarried, young, not even sexually experienced housewives, but office women and female students—who are actively seeking out these exotic encounters. How do you explain that? I guess our society has really changed."

"You see couples with Black men everywhere in nightclubs now. They meet, dance, chat briefly, then disappear to the next location. You don't need me to say where—motel, right? And the number of women specifically looking for Black men has sharply increased. Before, it was mostly 30s housewives who knew about sex. Now, even unmarried women are enjoying these fleeting, flashy romances with Black men."

While touring the Itaewon area, I witnessed a shocking scene.

At one establishment's restroom, a sight too disturbing to watch unfolded. Through the crack of the door, four entangled feet were visible.

Occasionally, heated moans leaked out. It wasn't hard to imagine what position they were in.

Ms. Jang, who accompanied me that night, reacted indifferently. She frequently visits Itaewon with foreign friends and knows the area inside out.

"I'm in an English hobby group with foreign friends. After our study session, we always grab a light beer at a club. Every time, we see groups pairing up with foreigners and heading straight to the restroom. At first, both my foreign friends and I felt embarrassed—we couldn't even look each other in the face. But since it's so common now, it's no big deal."

She added, "Since they're all adults, I guess it's up to them. But shouldn't adults know better than to act indecently in public? I feel more concerned about the women. Why are they doing this…?"

She feels frustrated whenever she sees couples partying until dawn. And when she sees women coming to clubs night after night, changing foreign partners daily, she feels inexplicably ashamed and can't even lift her head.

"People keep complaining about unqualified foreign teachers polluting Korea, but some women are accomplices too. If people saw what's really happening in these 'men-prohibited spaces,' they'd be stunned."

A woman I met there, a third-year student at a women's university, said she had come with classmates from her English conversation class—what they called "conversation practice." She took the hand of a Black man who approached her and left her seat, almost pulled along.

I followed discreetly, making sure not to be noticed. They started to leave, then turned back and headed to the restroom—the very same one.

I confirmed they went in together and locked the door. I waited silently in the adjacent stall.

There was rustling, then loud sounds.

I was baffled by what I was hearing.

On my way back, I tried to capture such a scene on camera. The moment I pressed the shutter, as if they'd been watching, several large, darkly dressed men rushed toward me.

"Why are you taking photos?" Their hostile tone stopped me from pressing the shutter again.

Even amid controversy, the ease with which foreigners and Korean women meet might be due to a strong protective barrier. The "men-prohibited club" felt surrounded by an invisible iron curtain—one that even scandal couldn't penetrate.

This forbidden zone, off-limits to Korean men, blazed with nightlife—fueled by office workers and female students chasing exotic thrills.

Here, women barely fluent in English mingled with Black men, practicing conversation in the most physical way possible.

They were immersed in exotic practice—experiencing firsthand the rumored strength and size of Black men.

There's even a common saying: once you've been with a Black man, you can never marry an Asian man again. The body adapts to Black men, and Asian men can never satisfy you afterward.

I was baffled—how could Korean women so easily adapt to Black men's massive cocks, something even Western women often struggle to accept?

Every woman I met insisted she was still in school, even going so far as to call it "cultural exchange."

They seemed confident, even proud, of living freely as women. One office worker from a major company even said it was the perfect way to release all her workplace stress.

But she added, "I don't want to disappoint my parents. When it comes to marriage, I'd definitely choose a Korean man."