Asia in 3 minutes: Penis whitening the rage in Thailand, a killer’s rage in India, Palestinian rage stifled in Singapore
The first woman to become South Korea’s president faces bribe charges and a YouTube star apologises to Japan
Thais take skin whitening to new high – or low – with latest phallic fad
A Bangkok clinic that has drawn 100 men a month to its penis whitening service has caused a stir in Thailand, with social media users both baffled and alarmed by the phallic fad. The Lelux Hospital, renowned for its body whitening expertise in a country obsessed with skin colour, began offering the unconventional treatment six months ago after a male customer complained of “dark parts” on his groin. The procedure, which uses laser whitening, got wide play on Thai television and social media on Thursday after the hospital released images of a man undergoing the treatment. Most clients were aged between 22 and 55-years-old with many from Thailand’s LGBTQ community. The same hospital stirred controversy last year for touting beautification treatment called a “3D Vagina” in which the customer’s own body fat is used to make genitalia more plump.
What next? Whitening and bleaching are not uncommon in other parts of the world and are widely offered online. But they are particularly sought after in Thailand, where skin-whitening ads have caused outrage and accusations of racism.
Former South Korea president accused of taking bribes from spies
Ousted South Korean president Park Geun-hye will reportedly be charged with accepting millions of dollars worth of bribes from the state spy agency. Park allegedly received between 50 and 200 million won (now US$47,000 to US$188,000) from the National Intelligence Service every month from soon after she was sworn in early 2013 until mid-2016, prosecutors told South Korean media. The cash – said to total 3.8 billion won – was reportedly delivered by NIS agents to Park’s aides in car parks or back alleys near the presidential Blue House. The money came from the spy agency’s “blind budget”, millions of dollars of special funds that can be spent without receipts for anti-espionage activities, Yonhap news agency reported.
What next? The country’s first female president is already on trial for 18 charges including bribery, coercion and abuse of power for offering governmental favours to tycoons, and prosecutors will add a 19th count to the indictment regarding the payments, reports said.
