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President Kim Should Tell the Truth
A Flourishing Sex Industry
02-06-2003
Row Over Secret Payoff to North Korea Escalating
No matter how much he may suffer and lose face, President Kim Dae-jung should
now tell the truth about the alleged $200 million payoff to North Korea which
was reportedly used as surety for his historic summit with North Korean leader
Kim Jong-il in June 2000 in Pyongyang.
Unfortunately, the president himself stirred up the nation with his surprising
statement at the end of last year that Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), which
reportedly handed over the money to the North a day before he landed in the
North Korean capital, should not be punished on the grounds that it was part of
his "governing activities."
His argument added fuel to circulating suspicions that he has paid more money
to North Korea and even purchased the Nobel Peace Prize, which he won in 2000
chiefly in recognition of his efforts to bring peace to the Korean peninsula.
Scheduled to step down on Feb. 25, Kim is facing pressure to reveal the true
nature of the payoff by two of his most-trusted disciples _ President-elect Roh
Moo-hyun and the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) Chairman Hahn Hwa-kap
_ as well as the majority Grand National Party (GNP).
The president not only objects to probing the scandal but is also bent on
keeping secret how much his administration paid Kim Jong-il while maintaining
the "sunshine" policy of engaging the North in the face of mounting criticism.
For his defense, he banks himself on the behind-the-scenes payment that Bonn
gave to Berlin for the reunification of Germany.
Seen as a move to protect Kim, President-elect Roh offered to have the issue
resolved through a political compromise under the pretext of safeguarding
national interest and diplomacy. But he immediately backed down because of the
outcry from the opposition GNP and ordinary citizens.
The devastating scandal is likely to be handled by a special prosecution team,
as demanded by the GNP and backed by Roh’s camp as well.
The investigation by an independent counsel is feared to erode national unity
and strength because of its long duration and enormous costs as seen in the
past cases.
In this regard, President Kim should reveal the true nature of the payoff
because he already acknowledged the transfer of $200 million to North Korea out
of HMM’s $360 million loan provided by the Korea Development Bank.
Although it is understandable that a lot of money has been used to engage North
Korea, payoffs to it without people’s knowledge and agreement cannot be excused
under any circumstances.
It is also beyond the authority of President Kim to ask for pardon for the
Hyundai company and other criminal suspects, including some of his confidants,
before the truth of the secret payment comes to light.
Serious Consideration Necessary for Licensed Prostitution
It is not surprising to hear a report that the total sales of the sex
industry reached to 24 trillion won ($21 billion) last year, and about 330,000
women, including foreigners, are offering sex for money.
The state-run Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC) Wednesday said in an
official report, the first of its kind, that the size of the sex industry is
similar to the agricultural and fisheries industry, making up 4.1 percent of
the gross domestic product and one out of 25 women aged 20-34 work in the
lucrative industry.
However, the KIC’s survey result is far from the reality because women who work
independently were excluded. If call girls and the so-called "freelancers" are
included, the number of women engaged in prostitution would reach nearly 1
million, according to women’s civic groups and experts.
Yet, the report shows the sex industry is very lucrative and the prostitution
is spreading in our society, hurting social morality and atmosphere.
Prostitution in Korea is illegal under the "tough" Anti-Prostitution Law that
punishes both sellers and buyers. In particular, "johns," if caught, will face
prison terms of up to one year or fines of up to 3 million won ($2,600) under
the law originally legislated in 1961 and revised in 1995 to that effect.
Considering that kind of potential punishment, who would dare visit
unauthorized red-light districts of traditional brothels or have unhealthy
relations with prostitutes via Internet chatting or at massage parlors,
barbershops, bars and elsewhere? But the reality is that both prostitutes and
their patrons think the law is ``ridiculous,’’ showing that, in reality, it is
no more than a piece of paper.
However, no one would claim that law enforcement authorities are violating the
law themselves and neglecting their given duty to fight illegal practices.
Instead, for all intents and purposes, they allow the sex industry to flourish
across the nation
The reality is that the buying and selling of carnal services is increasing
exponentially to the point where prostitution is almost a licensed business
despite the existence of the Anti-Prostitution Law.
Given this situation, we need to seriously consider decriminalizing
prostitution
In some aspects, the Anti-Prostitution Law that criminalizes prostitution is
responsible for the abuse of human rights of prostitutes because they work
illegally.
We need to learn a lesson from the cases of some Western countries that
successfully reduced sexual crimes, underage prostitution and sexual slavery by
legalizing sex-for-hire.
If the government has no will to crack down on the illegal but lucrative
business, allowing it to prosper, it had better authorize prostitution by
repealing the Anti-Prostitution Law, and instead introduce tough regulations to
control the "licensed oldest profession."
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