South Korea 'love hotels' clean up act to woo youthful clients

Seoul

THE grimy windows, racks of adult videos and red bedroom lights are disappearing from South Korea's short-stay hotels as they move upmarket to lure young people who are shedding conservative attitudes in favour of more openness about sex.

Competition is heating up amid the falling numbers of the so-called "love hotels", which featured this year in television advertisements by smartphone app companies targeting young, privacy-seeking couples who form the bulk of customers.