The sexual concerns of Korean men

Korean men are not very considerate of their sexual partners, but they are more interested in sex. They are also more willing than their counterparts elsewhere to treat sex problems like impotence, though it seems they do not back up their words with action by seeing a doctor for accurate diagnosis of their condition and taking the right medication. Those are the findings of a Bayer HealthCare team in charge of the erectile dysfunction treatment Levitra, who conducted a two-year extensive survey of 1,000 men in Korea between 2004 and 2005.

Are Koreans "vitalsexual"?

The term "vitalsexual" was coined to refer to men over 40 who put high priority on their healthy sex life. Vitalsexual men emphasize the satisfaction of their sex partners and a romantic and natural sexual relationship and are also willing to treat erectile dysfunction. This is the ideal role model for most middle-aged customers of the pharma giant. The concept was first introduced in Europe in a report titled "Sex and the Modern Man" in 2005 and came from a survey of a total of 8,500 men in Europe and South America.

Some 50 percent of men over 40 in Australia and 63 percent of men over 40 in Taiwan were classified as vitalsexual in a survey of Asian nations, but only 26 percent of men over 40 in Korea were vitalsexual. The figure is just half the Asian or Western average and shows Korean men as relatively passive and inhibited in thinking about sex. But when it comes to their sex life, which most vitalsexual men consider high on their priority, 89 percent of Korean men answered they believed it was very important, the same percentage as among Western men, and more than the Asian average of 85 percent.

Korean men are inconsiderate

Most men both in Western and Asian nations consider the satisfaction of their partners an important factor in their sex life. The figure was slightly lower for Asian men with 91 percent than Western men with 96 percent. But in Korea the figure was 87 percent, the lowest among surveyed nations. And while 60 percent of men in Germany answered that the satisfaction of their sex partners is a crucial thing to consider, only 30 percent of men in Korea agreed.

Asian men are more willing to treat impotence than their counterparts in the West. When asked whether they would actively consider taking medication for impotence, 75 percent of vitalsexual men in the West answered yes, but the figure was 100 percent in Korea and Asia.

Stress-related sexual problems

Stress turned out to be the greatest factor affecting the sex life of vitalsexual Koreans. Some 63 percent of Western men cited stress as the greatest factor in their sex life, as did 66 percent of Asian men. But among Koreans it was 70 percent. Other factors suppressing men's sexual desire included relationship problems, health problems and concerns over the dissatisfaction their sexual partners may feel. While a far higher number of Korean men chose stress as a cause for waning sexual desire, a relatively low 31 percent said relationship problems with their spouse affect their sexual desire. Concerns over their sexual partners' dissatisfaction was the second biggest reason after stress with 52 percent, more than twice higher than for Western men. That shows a clear contradiction in Korean men's attitude toward sex: They are less considerate of their sex partners but then worry more about any resulting dissatisfaction.

Another noticeable thing is that Western men expect more effective communication with their wives, a more romantic and natural sex life and more frequent sex after their sex problems are resolved, in that order. But for Korean men, better ability to satisfy their sex partners came first, followed by better communication with their partners and longer and more frequent sex.

"The survey shows that Korean men are more self-centered in many areas in their sex life than their western counterparts," says Kang Han-goo of Bayer HealthCare. "Sex issues concern not only men but both men and women as a couple, and Korean men need to care more about their sex partners." An official with the Levitra brand says, "Korean men are more willing to treat impotence, but they rarely try to see a doctor and consult them about their condition to treat it." He also warned of under-the-counter treatments, or inappropriate self-administered treatment.

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