Korean female celebrities forced into sex

Yet another sex scandal has rocked the Korean entertainment industry, well-known for its "casting couch" practises of trading sexual favours for opportunities. This time, a series of over 30 sex videos featuring a number of A- and B-list female Korean stars have been leaked and circulated on the Internet. The actresses are reportedly from Korea's 107G channel and have starred in several popular K-dramas. However, none of them have been identified. The leaked videos also feature a man who is believed to be the same person. The background of most videos are also similar. It is believed the stars were secretly filmed while offering sex to the man, said to be a high-ranking official in the country. The videos were apparently exposed after a particular high-ranking official's residence was broken into in June, reported the Chinese media. One of the most famous victims of such practises is Jang Ja-Yeon, a Korean actress, who died at the age of 29 after she took her own life in March 2009. She had apparently committed suicide when she could no longer cope with the "casting couch". Several reports claimed that she apparently left letters claiming that she had been forced to have sex with more than 30 industry people more than a hundred times. However, in March this year, reports also surfaced refuting the authenticity of those letters. Netizens have said that the "casting couch" practice is an open-secret in Korea's entertainment industry. An earlier survey showed that about 60 per cent of female artistes in Korea have had to exchange sexual favours for casting opportunities. Source: Asiaone While "casting couch" does not happen to all Korean celebrities, many know of someone who has had to do so.