Eixo do Mal#1

Nuclear test inflates condom sales as SKoreans find solace in sex

SEOUL, Oct 31, 2006 (AFP) - North Korea's nuclear test has boosted condom sales and bookings at South Korean "love" hotels," a newspaper said Tuesday. Some experts told the Chuson newspaper the developments reflect widespread jitters over the October 9 test, with many people seeking solace in sex. Convenience stores reported that condom sales rose by up to 28 percent in the week after the test, it said. Family Mart, a leading chain of convenience stores, sold 1,930 condoms every day compared to an daily average of 1,508 before October 9, the newspaper said. Sales of instant noodles and fuel gas jumped 9.6 percent year-on-year during the October 9-15 period -- a sign that people are stockpiling, it said. Bookings at hotels have risen sharply, with pay-by-the-hour "love motels" in some business districts enjoying an exceptional flood of guests, according to an online hotel reservations site cited by the newspaper. "The desire to break away from normal life appeared to be increasing in our society in reaction to widespread concerns about North Korea's nuclear program," Dongkuk University professor Lee Yoon-Ho was quoted as saying. The test sparked international condemnation, strong UN sanctions against the reclusive regime and hiked tensions on the Korean peninsula.