First ever sex festival to be held in South Korea is cancelled after Japanese porn stars due to attend feared they would be KILLED due to public outcry

A sex festival billed as the “first and largest” in South Korea has been canceled after public outcry caused venues to pull out and performers to quit amid fears they would be attacked or even stabbed if they attended.

Thousands of fans were expected to flock to see their favorite Japanese porn stars at last weekend’s ‘KXF The Fashion’ event, but it was canceled just 24 hours before it was due to start.

South Korea is known for its conservative approach to adult entertainment, with strip shows and public nudity illegal, as well as the sale and distribution of hardcore pornography.

Local authorities branded the proposed event as ‘morally damaging’, with organizers forced to look for new venues as they struggled to get permission, losing tens of thousands in revenue as they had to cancel tickets.

Meanwhile, a Korean women’s group protested the festival, arguing that instead of being “a celebration of sex,” it would encourage the exploitation and objectification of women.

Thousands of fans were expected to flock to see their favorite Japanese porn stars at last weekend’s ‘KXF The Fashion’ event

When organizers finally secured a venue, the actresses’ agent said they could no longer participate, fearing they would be attacked in response to the show having “reached fever pitch.”

Organizer Lee Hee Tae expressed disappointment that events had taken “such an unthinkable turn” and said he had received death threats.

“I have been treated like a criminal without doing anything illegal,” he told the newspaper BBCadding that this would have been within the limits of the law and that no sexual acts could have been performed during the event.

He said his goal was to provide South Korea with an adult entertainment culture similar to that existing in other countries, challenging what he described as outdated attitudes.

However, Mr Lee’s company Play Joker has been criticized for a series of provocative stunts it has carried out.

Members of Suwon’s Women’s Hotline protested the event last month, calling it ‘exploitative’

A shocking video last year showed a young woman being paraded through the streets of Seoul wearing nothing but a cardboard box, inviting passersby to put their hands inside and touch her breasts.

Campaigners have argued that, contrary to claims about equality, the festival is targeting men with its marketing, which features scantily clad young women.

In a country where sexism and gender violence are rife, they described the event’s cancellation as a “triumph.”

“No matter what the organizers say, this was not a celebration of sex, but the exploitation and objectification of women, and the sex industry encourages violence against women,” said Go Eun-cha, the director of Suwon’s Women’s Hotline, who protested the event last month.

Campaigners have argued that, contrary to claims about equality, the festival is targeting men with its marketing, featuring scantily clad young women

When the event was scheduled to take place in their city of Suwon, the group protested with signs saying the sex industry encourages violence against women.

The mayor condemned the event for taking place near an elementary school and threatened to revoke the venue’s permit, which led to the event withdrawing.

Mr Lee found a new venue, but his proposed event was again criticized by local authorities, causing the venue to be canceled again.

He then found a boat docked in Seoul where the promoter said he could hold the event, but the leaseholder threatened to pull the plug if it went ahead.

In 2023, organizer Play Joker organized an event that was not marketed as widely

After making significant cuts from the original 5,000 attendees he had planned, Lee settled for an underground bar with a 400-person capacity.

The Gangnam bar kept the event a secret and said it would go ahead despite the city writing letters to hundreds of restaurants in an attempt to prevent it. But the actresses decided to withdraw, citing safety concerns.

Nevertheless, the company has promised to hold the event in June, with Seoul’s mayor reportedly saying the city has “no intention of getting involved in the future.”