2nd ID Seeks to Curb Lap Dancing at Clubs

Stars and Stripes Pacific Edition ^ | 01/26/04 | Seth Robson

[Modernman]

CAMP RED CLOUD, South Korea - The 2nd Infantry Division wants lap dancing banned in Area I nightclubs frequented by U.S. soldiers, according to documents to be presented this week to the Korean Special Tourist Association and local mayors.

Club owners and mayors will have 30 days to respond to a proposed association and 2nd ID Good Commerce Practices Guide, which sets out standards expected of clubs near U.S. bases in Area I.

Last year lap dancing was explicitly authorized in an attachment to the 2nd ID's 2002-2003 policy. The proposed guide states: "Though lap dancing is authorized under 2nd Infantry Division policy, it has not been defined. For the purposes of good order and discipline, lap dancing will be defined here," and the definition integrated into conduct standards.

The proposed guide defines lap dancing as an activity that occurs "when a club dancer is approached by or offers to dance for a soldier … typically of the opposite sex. This interaction between dancer and soldier is typically done at very close quarters."

The guide then imposes such strict rules for the practice that it effectively bans it, stating, "This type of behavior does not honor either individual involved. Since soldiers are soldiers 24/7, they are not at liberty to lower their professional bearing after hours."

It suggests lap dancing be treated as "client-focused exotic dancing" and that club owners "prohibit any physical contact between dancers and customers" and "ban the practice of customers placing money/bills in dancers' garments: g-strings, bras, garters or other apparel." The guide also would "require that private dances in remote areas of the club be directly visible" to military police inspecting a club.

The man who wrote the guide, 2nd ID assistant chief of staff Lt. Col. Chris Bailey, said he researched lap dancing laws in the United States and Britain before preparing the policy.

"We are following trends in the U.S.," Bailey said. "Lap dancing has taken on a new level of interest in the American media. It is outlawed in Los Angeles and Las Vegas."

He said lap dancing is associated with other undesirable activity such as human trafficking, which the proposed guide also includes measures to prevent. The 2nd ID also has imposed other rules and procedures in recent years after media reports that suggested the military was doing too little to prevent human trafficking in South Korea.

The new policy also states that clubs for South Korean augmentees to the U.S. military should "not tolerate prostitution or human trafficking."

Sgt. 1st Class Stuart Greer, of the 2nd ID's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, told soldiers gathered at Camp Red Cloud for New Horizon Day earlier this month that hundreds of thousands of women are human trafficking victims each year.

The crime often involves women duped into moving to a foreign country, then forced to become sex workers there. Greer said he learned about human trafficking after meeting his Philippine wife when she was working in a South Korean nightclub.

"When I was dating my wife, I found out her sister in Bahrain hadn't been paid in 10 months. She was working 16 hours a day, six days a week. Through many e-mails and telephone calls we took this guy to court and he had to pay her and return her to the Philippines," he said.

Southeast Asia is a major source of human trafficking, as is the former Soviet Union, Greer said.

"In 2002, news organizations connected trafficking with the military in South Korea," he said. They suggested that U.S. military "courtesy patrols" were guarding establishments that engaged in human trafficking and condoned prostitution. Indicators of trafficking include money exchanged between soldiers and club employees for unexplained reasons or employees that cannot leave clubs and have no access to their passports, he said.

Greer said he is certain prostitution still happens at some clubs in Area I.

"My wife came here as a dancer. She went to dance school. The club owner said, 'You can dance and make $500 a month or you can sit with the customers and if they buy you a drink you will make more.' But I have heard of other people in clubs that actually engage in prostitution.

"In the club she sat next to me and talked," he said. "The other clubs, they do lap dances."

The Good Commerce Practices Guide will be presented at a Jan. 30 dinner to be attended by Brig. Gen. John Shortal, 2nd ID assistant division commander for support, officials said.

[Modernman]

Political correctness seems to have infected the military, too.

[boxerblues]

No more soju (sp) and a quick lap dance for my son....yea right

[ladtx]

How things have changed. I can remember going to the O club for lunch in the early 70's for the great roast beef sandwiches and, oh yeah maybe a glimpse of the topless waitresses.

[boxerblues]

lol most of the boys get suckered into at least one round of drinks and a dance. The girls will come sit on their laps and drink the soju, charge em 20 bucks and move on, only the really deserate will do it twice.

[boxerblues]

lol most of the boys get suckered into at least one round of drinks and a dance. The girls will come sit on their laps and drink the soju, charge em 20 bucks and move on, only the really desperate will do it twice.

[Travis McGee]

Kimchi breath is SO enticing.

[Askel5]

=== Political correctness seems to have infected the military, too.



Huh?

What is it you find "politically correct" about a measure to reduce the saturation of men (and women) in this society with sex which -- clearly -- only cheapens both parties?

Decry it if you wish but it's not a PC move by a long shot. "Politically correct" is a Supreme Court who issues specific protections covering for-profit porn -- including childsex -- as Free Speech.

So long as the cyber children are "faked" who are used to elicit real ejaculations from the more criminal of the voyeurs who fund our gabillion dollar sex industry.

[af_vet_1981]

Political correctness seems to have infected the military, too.

Honor, duty, and country do not require pagan debauchery. It demeans the individuals, brings discredit to the Service organizations, and reflects poorly on the nation's values.

[LN2Campy]

A lot of folks want to turn the military into the boy scouts.

Sorry, but if you're stuck in Korea, a little "rub and tug" action should not be punished.

Not to deny that a lot of real bad characters are involved in the sex biz, and a lot of the gals are exploited. To my mind the better answer is to face reality regarding the "oldest profession", and just straighten out the bad guys.

[XJarhead]

What a joke. The guys are 6000 miles from home, and some self-righteous staff goodball wants to ban lap-dancing. Talk about living with blinders on....

[wwcj]

PC is right. What happens over there is very terrible, however the demand will not be changed. The way the article is presented gave me a chuckle with every other paragraph. Especially how "sfc" met his wife. An officer would not admit to the same. Everyone who has been there knows what really goes on.

[Modernman]

What is it you find "politically correct" about a measure to reduce the saturation of men (and women) in this society with sex which -- clearly -- only cheapens both parties?

It seems silly that the military would waste time on something like this. These soldiers are sitting a couple of miles from about a million North Koreans who could come over the border at any minute. I'm not going to question how they choose to relieve that stress.

[Modernman]

No more soju (sp) and a quick lap dance for my son....yea right

I imagine if they tried to enforce this, half of the 2nd ID would be in the brig.

[eastforker]

Thats why if one person eats kimchi, everybody eats kimchi,hehe.What is papasan going to do if he can't sell his little girl into prostitution anymore, what ever happened to free enterprise. Back in the 70's when I was over there prostitution in the village was a way of life for many. Not just around bases either. Go out into the countryside, stop and have 5-6 beers and papasan will probably offer you a bed and his daughter. Women are still subservient in SK, away from the big city that is.

[wwcj]

Bingo

[Modernman]

It demeans the individuals, brings discredit to the Service organizations, and reflects poorly on the nation's values.

I would say, to a large extent, this type of behavior reflects the nation's values.

[wwcj]

took the words right out of my mouth

[boxerblues]

I would say, to a large extent, this type of behavior reflects the nation's values.

The history channel recently had a prg about the history of sex, during WW II the "ladies" in Hawaii had the GI's lined up for blocks, this is nothing new

[Feckless]

I was stationed at CRC in 88-89. Never got a lap dance in the Eagles Bar, the best Classic Rock bar I've ever seen. Mr Shim could produce ANY rock song from 1960 to present at a moment's notice.
The girls weren't strictly prostitutes but they would take you home to meet Hy-monie.

[Modernman]

Sorry, but if you're stuck in Korea, a little "rub and tug" action should not be punished.

Soldiers hiring prostitutes? Good lord, this is news to me! I'm sure this wasn't going on during the siege of Troy.