By UPDATE: Thanks to Brendon in the comments section who pointed out the Stars & Stripes mis-read the orginal Chosun Ilbo article. Rest easy Korean men, your gochus are not getting smaller, but actually bigger. So all that western food isn’t so bad after all.
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That is one of the things Korean condom experts are set to discuss next week:
Five hundred condom experts will meet at South Korean’s Jeju Island next week to talk about condoms, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper.
The focus of the convention: quality and shelf life.
Condoms typically are in circulation for five years, but that period may be reduced to three to four years. The Chosun Ilbo said that could increase the effectiveness of condoms against AIDS, and increased quality standards could help South Korean condoms compete against cheaper condoms from China, Malaysia and India.
South Korea produces 30 percent of the 12 billion condoms manufactured worldwide each year.
The Chosun reported that condom sizes won’t really be an issue because global standards exist. According to the report, small condoms are 1.9 inches wide and 6.6 inches long; medium condoms are 2.08 inches wide and 6.6 inches long; and large condoms are 2.24 inches wide and 8.07 inches long.
Large condoms are typically sold in the U.S. and Europe.
The Chosun Ilbo reported that the most popular size of condom in South Korea changed from medium to small several years ago. [Stars & Stripes]
Draw your own conclusions.
11:38 am on October 6th, 2007 1
"The Chosun Ilbo reported that the most popular size of condom in South Korea changed from medium to small several years ago."
Well, they can't blame western food for this one.
2:35 pm on October 6th, 2007 2
They can blame environmental hormones in the water and food supply, and Korea ain't the only country whose people and wildlife whose bodies are being polluted by endocrine disrupters and artificial hormones.
http://www.andrologyjournal.org/cgi/reprint/19/1/…
Fat is also an endocrine disruptor, for fat cells don't just store fat; they also pump out hormones, hence, the growing problem of man boobs among overweight men.
I also suspect that the male ego may be a factor in the sales of large condoms and that America is a multiracial country. It might not be white boys buying up all those large sizes. :b
2:49 pm on October 6th, 2007 3
We could also blame American education for poor reading proficiency. The English-language story on the Chosun Ilbo's website says "…to medium from small…"
4:57 pm on October 6th, 2007 4
Look and see what obesity and environmental hormones hath wrought among Western men:
http://www.manboobs.co.uk/submissions/topten
Some of those guys are bustin' some juicy rack. I am jealous!
5:29 pm on October 6th, 2007 5
I've never seen a Korea with man-boobs, Sonagi.
1:05 pm on October 7th, 2007 6
It’s not news…
…it’s Stars & Stripes!
O.K. I’m having fun with this… but, come on… Condoms in Corea(tm) is not military-related news…
…well, unless one was used in the recent GI-on-KATUSA buttrape that mysteriously didn’t show up in S&S.
Not to say this isn’t interesting and all… but that’s what the Korea Times/Herald are for. And cribbing their reporting isn’t really reporting… even if the facts are changed… heh.
I could make an Orwellian dig on S&S that black is white, war is peace and… ahem… big is small… but I imagine it was an honest mistake.
Sonagi,
Don’t knock environmental hormones! It seems that it is causing gochus to become LARGER after all! A massive gochu coupled with manboobs means that I wouldn’t ever need to leave home… just walk around the house in my Spandex tube top and my buttless leather chaps and gaze at myself lovingly in the mirror as I grope and caress my new hormonally-modified body.
Yeah, baby!
…now, if I could just find a way to get environmental hormones to do the dishes.
Sorry, everyone… I know… contemplation of the above image requires a heavy session of mental flossing.
J!
8:58 pm on October 9th, 2007 7
[...] tip- ROK Drop. Thanks GI for the Korean vocabulary lesson. I now know what a Gochu [...]
9:12 pm on October 9th, 2007 8
The Knucklehead of the Day award…
Today’s winner is Stars and Stripes….