According to the US State Department on Monday, based on the law for protecting victims of slave trading, the country provided
shelter to 230 foreign victims in 2005 and Koreans accounted for the largest
portion at 23.5 percent.
Korea was followed by Thailand, Peru and Mexico in terms of the number of the
victims who were offered shelter. It also said that a sudden increase in
Koreans seems to be related to the 2004 crackdown.
Although victims of labor exploitation are included in the victims of slave
trade, most of the Korean victims were involved in the sex trade, according to
the officials.
Yoon Won-ho, a lawmaker of the ruling Uri Party who has been leading an
investigation into the Korean sex trade in the United States, said it was
highly likely the illegal activity was enjoying a rebound in Korean communities
abroad through underground means, such as massage parlors, bars, private homes
and the Internet.
``I have been shocked by the fact that there are an increasing number of young
Korean women in their 20s and 30s going to the United States to earn money
through prostitution after the anti-prostitution law went into effect,'' said
Yoon. ``Unfortunately, we do not yet have specific statistics, which show how
closely the crackdown on prostitution is related to the increase of the Korean
sex trade abroad. I will try to enact a law which strictly punishes those who
recruit Korean women through the Internet for prostitution abroad, or coerce
them to perform work for their personal gain.''
Yoon's seven-member investigation team has been discussing the issue with
Korean residents in the US as well as officials from human rights organizations
there.
Skeptics have argued that the strengthened crackdown on prostitution opened the
doors to other venues for the sex industry, which law enforcement authorities
find it harder to deal.
Meanwhile, ``Hanyoyon,'' an association of female sex laborers from 10
red-light districts dotted with brothels including Chongnyangni, Chonho-dong
and Miari yesterday held a press conference in central Seoul to urge the
government to abolish the anti-prostitution law and Seoul's urban redevelopment
project which entails pulling down brothels.
``The government should abolish the anti-prostitution law and should listen to
the voices of sex laborers. The city's redevelopment project chases sex
laborers away to the streets, making our lives more miserable. Brothels are our
precious workplace through which we can make our future better,'' the workers
said with sunglasses on. ``The government should show how much of its budget
was specifically spent for rehabilitation and welfare of women in the sex
industry after the anti-prostitution law went into effect.''
The organization also pointed out
that there is a lack of disease control for sex laborers
who have come back to the country after being expelled
from foreign countries for prostitution.
