SKorea offers prizes for prostitute-free New Year

Seoul, Dec 26: The South Korean government is handing outgifts for office workers who promise not to visit brothels this holidayseason.

''If you promise yourself to make it a healthy night out at theend of the year, and if you recommend this to others, we are givinglots of prizes,'' the Ministry of Gender Equality said in an Internetposting.

The ministry is offering to pay companies whose employees pledgenot to buy sex after what are typically alcohol-soaked, year-endparties.

A ministry spokesman confirmed the campaign but declined to answer questions about it.

But a ministry official told the Korea Times daily: ''Koreancorporate culture that includes heavy drinking is also what makesbuying sex acceptable as a way for male-bonding, which is proving to bea hard-to-break ritual.'' The ministry is offering movie tickets basedon the number of employees who pledge not to visit prostitutes as wellas a cash prize of 1 million won (1,077 dollars) for the company whichenlists the most employees in the campaign.

Many South Koreans were bewildered by the plan, saying it was awaste of money and gave the impression that South Korean men cannotkeep away from brothels.

''Do they really think men buy sex every time they have a dinnerparty?'' wrote one Korean on a comment page of the South Korea'slargest daily Chosun Ilbo.

Reuters