Women’s groups angry about first-ever ‘Sexpo’

Women’s groups are enraged about the first-ever sex expo in Seoul, a four-day event beginning tomorrow with promises of strip shows and lingerie exhibits.
“We will release a statement to condemn the event as obvious commercialization of women,” said an official at the Korea Women’s Associations United. The official said the group and other women’s groups would ask the Seoul Metropolitan City Government today to retract its approval for the event and the use of the center.
Sexpo Inc., the organizer of “2006 Seoul Sex Edu Expo,” said the event, to be held at the Seoul Trade Exibition Center in southern Seoul, would bring together 60 international and domestic companies, featuring sex products, lingerie, health products and more.
The convention has been held for about 10 years in Australia. “In China and Singapore, such conventions have been held for years and here we would censor the level of expression,” an official at the company said.
The event was originally scheduled for last month. However, the convention center got skittish because of an upcoming visit by new Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and abruptly canceled. Sexpo threatened to sue, and were allowed to hold the event this month.
The Seoul Business Center, the operator of the center, said, “We cannot control the contents of the convention. The police are responsible for obscenity inspections.” Police said the organizers’ plans for the event would not violate any laws.
The organizer also invited 11 adult magazine models from outside the country for strip shows and lingerie fashion shows.
“Many Korean actresses are now taking nude pictures and selling them. We thought that the trend shows that the sex industry is now recognized as an industry, not for the commercialization of women,” said Sohn Hyun-joon, an official at Sexpo Inc.

by Kim Soe-jung