"SKorea to host conference on condom size" (from the 'You Can't Make This Stuff Up' file)

SKorea to host conference on condom size

SEOUL (AFP) — Fresh from summit diplomacy with North Korea, South Korea's government now faces an entirely new challenge -- trying to set international quality and size standards for condoms.

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"The size of South Korean condoms now meets international standards, helped by an increase in the size of men's penises here," he was quoted as saying.

Globally, 80 major companies are capable of producing 12 billion condoms a year but annual demand is just eight billion, he said.

Citing the good quality of South Korean condoms, he said his company would lobby for the World Health Organisation and other participants to adopt Korean standards.

Condom Experts to Gather in Korea

Around 100 experts in the area of condom standards from over 50 countries around the world will gather in Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju next Monday. They will attend a five-day long conference organized by the International Organization for Standardization to discuss the quality and size of condoms. Korean firms account for the lion’s share of the condom industry around the world, a factor that has led Korea to host the conference. Globally, 80 companies have facilities to produce 12 billion condoms a year, equivalent to W1.1 trillion (US$1=W916). Of the 80 companies, Korea’s Unidus, Dongkuk Trading and Hankook Latex account for 30 percent of the global market, making Korea a sure no.1 in the world.

The conference is expected to focus more on enhancing quality and safety of condoms rather than size, since there already exists a global standard for large, medium and small condoms. At present, condoms 49 mm in width and a minimum of 170 mm in length are small, 53 mm by 170 mm medium, and 57mm by 205 mm large. Large ones are generally being sold in the U.S. and Europe. In Korea, the most popular size changed to medium from small about five years ago.

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