Share of men who have ever paid for sex drops from 51% to 38%, linked to fewer work drinking parties

The share of men who have ever paid for sex has fallen from roughly one in two a decade ago to about two in five last year, according to a new government survey.

More than half of all paid sexual encounters involved foreign women, the survey found.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family released the "2025 Sex Trade Survey" on Friday, showing that 37.7% of 1,500 men aged 25 to 59 said they had paid for sex at least once in their lifetime.

The figure was 50.7% in 2016 and 42.1% in 2019, marking a significant decline, though it was little changed from the 37.4% recorded in the 2022 survey.

Among those who had paid for sex, 45.4% said their first experience occurred between the ages of 20 and 24, and 24.2% between 25 and 29, meaning nearly 70% had their first encounter in their 20s. Those in their early 30s accounted for 17.1% — a share higher than the 9.6% recorded in the 2022 survey.

"Curiosity" was cited as the top motivation for a first purchase at 41.7%, followed by "encouragement from friends, colleagues or sunbae" at 29.5%, "sexual urge" at 26.9%, and "ahead of a major life event such as military enlistment" at 26.0%.

"Going together after a company dinner or drinking party" ranked fifth — down from second in 2016 and third in 2022. The shift was attributed to a weakening of the culture of group sex purchases at workplace gatherings, reflecting broader changes in how company dinners are conducted.

Some 8.5% of respondents said they had paid for sex in the past year, a sharp drop from 20.9% in 2016 and 14.0% in 2019.

However, the 128 men who reported recent purchases recorded a combined 1,422 transactions, averaging 11.11 visits per person, indicating a pattern of repeat use.

Among venues visited in the past year, hybrid establishments such as karaoke bars, room salons and massage parlors were the most common at 39.1%, followed by dedicated sex trade venues including red-light districts and similar establishments at 20.1%, and online channels at 7.3%.

One in two men with sex-purchase experience said they had encountered a foreign woman. The proportion was higher for sexual intercourse-equivalent acts at 59.7% and for intercourse at 52.8%.

Nearly half of respondents — 45.9% — said they had found sex trade venues through friends, sunbae or other personal acquaintances.

Some 5.9% of respondents said they had paid for sex abroad. By contrast, 32.0% said someone in their social circle had done so — a striking gap.

Among those who reported overseas sex purchases, Thailand was the most common destination at 31.5%, followed by Vietnam at 28.1%, and the Philippines and China each at 21.3%.

Over the past three years, 4.6% of respondents said they had provided sexual entertainment in connection with work, while 5.8% said they had received it.

Awareness that paying for sex is illegal rose from 86.1% in 2016 to 94.0% in 2025, suggesting that most adults now know the practice is against the law for ordinary citizens.

The survey was conducted between April and December 2025 via online and other channels, covering 2,000 adults — 1,500 men and 500 women.