Koo's popularity has led to TV talk show appearances and this commercial

March 15, 1999
Web posted at: 4:53 p.m. EST (2153 GMT)

From Seoul Bureau Chief Sohn Jie-Ae

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- In a country where people don't like to talk about sex, South Korea's Koo Sung-ae has become a celebrity by pushing them to discuss it anyway.

"The problem with sex education here was that there was none," said Koo, a former nurse and midwife. "Our children were growing up in a world full of sex, and no one to answer even simple questions like 'Where do babies come from?' "

South Korea is a conservative, Confucian society. But with abortions approaching 2 million a year and a growing number of teen pregnancies in the country, Koo -- the mother of a teen-age son herself -- has taken it upon herself to educate South Koreans about sex, and in the process she has become a national sensation.

Koo's late-night television lecture, "For the Beautiful Sex of Our Children," has drawn a record-breaking audience. The exposure that brought her led to many TV talk show appearances. She has sung and danced on variety programs and won a TV commercial deal, the proceeds of which were donated to her women's foundation.

The lectures are based on her distinctive philosophy about sex.

"It's not about technique. It's really about the harmony between life, love and joy. If we can look at sex-related problems through these standards, there is really nothing we can't talk about."

She talks to teen-agers about subjects such as pornography, rape and abortions; she tells mothers how to talk to their sons about sex and how to help daughters who are sexually molested; and she tells soldiers what it means to be a father and a loving husband.

But there are subjects Koo would rather not discuss -- including contraceptives. South Korean society is just not ready for that, she said.

Koo has connected solidly with her audience, many of whom realize their country needs more and better sex education.

"It's really hard to talk to my children about sex," one Korean mother said. "But since she has brought it out so explicitly, I feel I can do it now."