No, I’m not talking about board games or stuffed animals.  I’m talking about the other kind of toys.  You know… the battery-operated ones, the ones you hide in your underwear drawer, the ones that keep you going through the lonely nights.

I find Korea in general to be a very sexually repressed country.  Even though prostitution is frequently (albeit illegally) practiced here, frank conversation about sex is rare and bringing up your late-night escapades will cause most Koreans to blush and giggle nervously.  

But hey, we all got needs, right?  And since it would probably be pretty awkward to ask your co-teacher where to get some battery-assisted help, I thought I would just help ya out.

While it is quite embarrassing to write this knowing that my parents will probably see this… I am not too ashamed because people are people and humans have biological needs.  (By the way — hi mom and dad! i love you!)  

ANYWAYS…

Where to go in Daegu to purchase a disease-free and low maintenance good time?

I shall tell you.  Obviously, there have to be numerous places around Daegu but since I am located in Suseong-gu, I shall recommend the following place:

Adult Department Store 25
성인 백화점 25 

HERE IS A MAP 

The store is not classy or shiny.  It is not high-end, nor does it try to be.  Located along a busy street, this hole-in-the-wall is unassuming.  I lived walked by it every day for almost 6 months before I realized what it was with the help of a Korea friend.  

The yellow banner and neon are not enough to distinguish it from any other Korean business… with the exception of the neon heart-and-arrow.  And the number 25 in the name… although that’s not even the age you need to be to enter.  The windows and doors are covered in paper/blacked out.  There is a small notice on the door to knock and/or call a phone number to be let in.  I would definitely knock on the door before entering… I’m assuming sometimes they lock it.  If no one answers, feel free to call the number on the door.

I have been there numerous times with different friends (male and female), and have never left disappointed.  The store is much smaller than you would expect, maybe half the size of your Korean one-room apartment.  The lighting isn’t great, the selection is random (sometimes hysterical), and the shopkeepers speak no English.  

However, what it lacks in aesthetics and English skills, it makes up for in novelty and customer service.  The shopkeepers are knowledgeable and can recommend popular choices or different options.  The shopkeepers have no qualms about showing off their latest import on the shelf.  They have no shame yet are very professional.  They will gladly take toys out of the package and put in batteries so you can feel (with your hands) the various speeds/strengths.

They have everything from bullets to rabbits to dildos to lube to lotions to male enhancers and male toys and extensions.  That’s right, extensions.  This place is definitely not just for female clientele.  For those men that are… ahem… lacking, there are a variety of extensions for you.

There are no price tags — everything is negotiable.  I once had a friend get a toy knocked down from $140 to $90!  (All it takes is some basic Korean, pouted lips and your best eye-batting.)  I believe that the place is cash only.  

So while the Adult Department Store 25 is nothing to write home about, it makes for an interesting visit and hopefully you find a new “friend.”