Prostitution in South Korea

Prostitution has existed in Korea since ancient times. In the era of Koryo, a special class of female entertainers ( kisen ) appeared, which, among other things, provided services and sexual nature. During Japanese colonial rule, many Korean girls were forced to provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers .

Today, prostitution in Korea is very common and a lucrative business. The import of women into South Korea for prostitution brings enormous financial benefits to international criminal organizations. It is noted that the US military bases serve as a transshipment point for the transfer of sex workers from the Asian region to the USA and South Korea ^[3] .

Despite the struggle of the authorities with this phenomenon, in many cities of the country openly exist “red light districts” in which girls stand in shop windows illuminated by an intimate pink light and expect customers.

There is also a large number of so-called massage parlors, room salons, hostess bars and even hairdressers , in which girls from the attendants also provide paid sexual services.

According to the Institute of Criminalistics (2003), about 20% of Korean men under the age of 30 use prostitute services more or less regularly. About 80% of hard liquors are delivered to brothels, and on average, a Korean man uses paid sexual services 25 times more often than a European.

A large number of girls from other countries, mainly Southeast Asia , primarily the Philippines , China and the CIS countries , as well as Uzbekistan, are engaged in prostitution in the country. There are several hundred thousand Chinese prostitutes (both true Chinese and Chinese prostitutes of Korean nationality) ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]} . A number of prostitutes specialize in serving American soldiers, a large number of whom are stationed at US military bases in South Korea. At the same time, one of the largest groups of foreign sex workers who are engaged in prostitution there are girls from Ukraine (see prostitution in Ukraine ) ^{[8] [9]} .

Despite the official prohibition of such activities, girls involved in prostitution are carefully monitored - they are required to undergo a regular medical examination.

In 1947, the U.S. military government in Korea issued a decree outlawing prostitution. Then a similar regulatory act was issued by the South Korean government. But in reality, the law was not complied with and over the next 66 years, the authorities looked through the fingers at prostitution. Even special orders were issued that forced girls involved in the sex industry to undergo regular medical checks, which de facto meant the legalization of prostitution.

The criminalization movement began in 2002 after 14 women died during a fire in a brothel - pimps locked the doors to the brothels from the outside, they were opened only to let clients in.

In 2004, the government passed the Law on Prevention of Sexual Trafficking and the Protection of its Victims, which criminalized the maintenance of brothels (for up to 10 years, with the possibility of substituting a fine), and the provision of paid sexual services (although a reservation was made for which prostitutes and their clients are considered victims of the system). The law was followed by rallies of prostitutes , the most massive of which took place in Seoul on October 7, 2004. About 3000 people participated in it. The girls' faces were covered with white bandages, which were inscribed "We want to eat!"

In 2004, the South Korean government criminalized demand for sex trade, and now clients face a year in prison or a fine if they are caught paying for sex.

This measure has led to a huge decline in sex trade in a country where prostitution once brought in $ 21 billion a year - 4% of the country's gross domestic product. Now the "red light districts" are mostly empty, but in numerous state shelters for former prostitutes there are usually no empty seats. (The South Korean government has allocated significant funds to help women who want to leave the industry).

Since October 11, 2004, the government began to pay bonuses in the amount of about 2 thousand US dollars for information about the illegal brothel.

The head of the resistance against the persecution of the sex industry has become the organization "Khantho", a kind of union of prostitutes, which includes about 30 thousand members.

• Kisen
• "Samaritan woman"

• "Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Korea"
• “From mobile sex to group sex, Korean sex industry thrives despite — or because of — Special Law”
• South Korean government against prostitution
• Ladies of the 1950s Nights , Andrei Lankov , The Korea Times, January 2, 2006.
• The government of South Korea took up the moths