SEOUL – A woman walking around in a box in southern Seoul’s popular Gangnam district has sparked criticism online.

On Friday, an online community posted a thread titled “Real-time Apgujeong Box Girl”, showing pictures of a woman who appears to be wearing only a cardboard box in Gangnam’s Apgujeong neighbourhood.

She can be seen guiding the hands of men and women through holes on either side of the box, apparently to allow them to touch her breasts.

Responses to the thread varied widely. Some people responded with humour – “This is why you must live in Seoul” – and advocated for a more open sexual culture.

On the other hand, there was criticism that the woman’s performance constituted obscenity and the objectification of women.

The woman, referred to as “Apgujeong Box Girl”, was revealed to be a South Korean adult video actor and model named Ain. Ain put up a post on Instagram expressing gratitude for what she labelled the “Angel Box event”.

Ain herself has called it a form of performance art, saying in an interview with local media that it was meant to challenge double standards in how male and female bodies are perceived in society.

Ain also explained that she was encouraged by her agency’s chief executive, who suggested it as a way to challenge South Korea’s conservative sexual culture for promotional purposes.

In August, women wearing bikinis were detained by police in the Gangnam area for “excessive exposure” while on motorcycles. Their publicity stunt was said to be for a magazine promotion.

These instances of women publicly participating in sexually suggestive behaviour for promotional purposes have raised concerns about excessive exposure and obscenity, sparking increased interest in the legal consequences of their actions.

Under South Korean law, publicly exposing significant parts of one’s body in a way that causes discomfort or embarrassment to others may constitute an excessive exposure offence.

Violating the law can lead to fines of up to 100,000 won (S$100), detention or disciplinary action. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK