18% high school boys have had sex

Among all Korean high school boys, 17.9% have had engaged in sexual intercourse, according to a recent study.

The fact came to light through interviews and questionnaires conducted by the Seoul YMCA Sex Education Counseling office for two months starting in July and targeting 916 high school males.

Of the 899 high school boys still in their teens, 161, or 17.9%, admitted to having had sexual intercourse. Comparison by type of school revealed that the students in technical high schools were more likely to engage in sexual activity than students in academic high schools -- 21.2% and 13.6% respectively.

Concerning their sexual partners, 70.9% stated that their partners were their girlfriends, while 22.8% stated that it was a one-night stand. Of those with sexual experience, 80.7% revealed that their first experience was between the first and middle years of high school, between the ages 14 and 17.

When asked for the reason, 23.9% stated that it was out of love, and 59.1% admitted it was spontaneous and out of curiosity or impulsiveness.

jyw11@donga.com