Nowadays, an open attitude toward sex is spreading all over the world. In Europe and America, sex is already a common topic of discussion and is thought of as a natural part of life. Europeans and Americans think of sex as a basic desire and feel no shame about it.
        Since the 1990s, there have been several noteworthy sexual controversies in Korea. First, there have been some movies that have contained controversial bedroom scenes; examples include Lies, Yellow Hair, and Happy End. The movies contained explicit bedroom scenes and even contained examples of sexual perversion. They caused Korean society to argue about whether they should be put on the big screen or not. Viewers expressed shock about the graphic sexual expression in the movies; they considered it to be harmful to teenagers.
        There was also a book, Sometimes I Want to Be A Leading Actress of Pornography, written last year by actress Seo Gap-sook. The work took most Koreans were taken by surprise. She revealed her sexual experiences, including those with her ex-husband and other men, in a frank manner. Furthermore, she wrote her feelings about and the situations leading to her experiences in great detail. Before the publication of her essay, Korean _ particularly Korean took the topic of sex from the shadows to the forefront of discussion. The essay was criticized, however, because it was considered by many to be too commercial.
        For a couple to live together before marriage is not unusual in Korea these days. One Korean newspaper, Hankyorae, reported on May 5, 2000, that the phenomenon of cohabitation before wedlock is growing among the young. One website even offers to act as a mediator between people who wish to live together before marrying. The surprising fact is that most of the visitors responded positively to the site. And commonly found on the bulletin boards of universities are advertisements containing phrases like, ``Want a roommate. Regardless of sex.''
        The year before last, there was a television program called A-u-song (``For Our Beautiful Sex''). It helped encourage Korean society to be more open to discussions of a sexual nature. Before the program, many Koreans thought that sex was something to be kept secret, but the program forced the subject onto its viewers, making it one of necessity. Korean people discovered the importance of sex education through the program. Unfortunately, one reason the show was so popular was because it was made for commercial purposes.
        Being open to sex-related topics is essential for Korean society. Korean people used to close themselves off from discussions of sex and this, in turn, yielded several side effects. On the other hand, an open attitude can prevent sex crimes and enables teenagers to learn correct information about sex from the start. However, we still need to consider the best direction to take. It would be wrong for directors to create movies containing an excess of bedroom scenes and television programs all about sexual matters in order to gain high ratings.
        We should open our minds to sex while also steering ourselves in the right direction. Sexual freedom does not mean self-indulgence. Koreans need to develop an open attitude toward sex in the proper way.