Video by Choi Won-suk
Cheongnyangni 588, a red-light district in Seoul, has had its heyday. At its peak in the 1980s, the district housed some 200 brothels with more than 500 sex workers, and was reputedly the biggest and busiest sex-for-sale area in the capital.
Last year, however, the place was desolate and barren.
Most brothels were dark and empty. Big glass windows were painted with big red Xs and many were broken. Behind one such window were a broken hand mirror, a doll, mascara and an empty water bottle scattered across the floor and on stools once used by sex workers.