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==Historical context== ==Historical context==
With the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945, state-registered prostitution was made illegal by the governing United States authority in 1947, and the law was re-confirmed by the new ]n parliament in 1948{{Fact|date=February 2008}}. Nevertheless, prostitution flourished in the next decades as the law was not treated seriously;{{Fact|date=February 2008}} it continued in much the same basic forms as it had before, though with US soldiers replacing Japanese as the foreign military customers.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} The Korean War saw the rise of prostitution centers in the Jongno-3-ga area, ], and ], which was the last stop for many Korean soldiers before the front lines.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} With the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945, state-registered prostitution was made illegal by the governing United States authority in 1947, and the law was re-confirmed by the new ]n parliament in 1948{{Fact|date=February 2008}}. Nevertheless, prostitution flourished in the next decades as the law was not treated seriously;{{Fact|date=February 2008}} it continued in much the same basic forms as it had before, though with US soldiers replacing Japanese as the foreign military customers.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} The Korean War saw the rise of prostitution centers in the Jongno-3-ga area, ], and ], which was the last stop for many Korean soldiers before the front lines.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}

In the 1970s Japanese ] shifted their focus from ] to South Korea due to the normalization of the relation with Japan by the ] signed in 1965 and the resumption of the diplomatic relationship between Japan and mainland China by ] signed in 1972.<ref name=yakuza233>], Alec Dubro (2003) ''Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld: Expanded Edition'' ], p. 233-238. ISBN 0-520-21562-1</ref><ref>] , '']'' issue 245, July 1993.</ref> Government-registered ''] houses'' were set up in every major South Korean city. Along with official ''kisaeng houses'' arose hundreds of brothels and tens of thousands of prostitute, and the ''kisaeng parties'' impressed Japanese men. Korean tourism officials even sponsored lectures for the prostitutes about patriotism and the importance of the foreign exchange they earned. In 1979, 525,326 Japanese annually visited South Korea and 93.7% were men mainly for ''kisaeng tourism''. The women were sold as little as $200 and forced into a life of prostitution with label as ''unpersons'' in ''kisaeng houses'' with slave market atmosphere.<ref name=yakuza233 /> In 1984, Korean Church Women United condemned them as "an auction block whtere girls are bartered in exchange for foreign money."


==Human trafficking== ==Human trafficking==

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Prostitution in South Korea is a $20 billion-a-year industry. The Korean Institute of Criminology estimated that prostitution comprises 4.1% of South Korea's GDP, just behind Agriculture at 4.4%.

In December 2006, The Ministry for Gender Equality, in an attempt to address the issue of demand for prostitutes among, offered cash to companies whose male employees pledged not to pay for sex after office parties. The people responsible for this policy claimed that they want to put an end to a culture in which men get drunk at parties and go on to buy sex.

Historical context

With the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945, state-registered prostitution was made illegal by the governing United States authority in 1947, and the law was re-confirmed by the new South Korean parliament in 1948. Nevertheless, prostitution flourished in the next decades as the law was not treated seriously; it continued in much the same basic forms as it had before, though with US soldiers replacing Japanese as the foreign military customers. The Korean War saw the rise of prostitution centers in the Jongno-3-ga area, Mia-ri, and Cheongnyangni 588, which was the last stop for many Korean soldiers before the front lines.

In the 1970s Japanese sex tourism shifted their focus from Taiwan to South Korea due to the normalization of the relation with Japan by the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea signed in 1965 and the resumption of the diplomatic relationship between Japan and mainland China by Japan-China Joint Declaration signed in 1972. Government-registered kisaeng houses were set up in every major South Korean city. Along with official kisaeng houses arose hundreds of brothels and tens of thousands of prostitute, and the kisaeng parties impressed Japanese men. Korean tourism officials even sponsored lectures for the prostitutes about patriotism and the importance of the foreign exchange they earned. In 1979, 525,326 Japanese annually visited South Korea and 93.7% were men mainly for kisaeng tourism. The women were sold as little as $200 and forced into a life of prostitution with label as unpersons in kisaeng houses with slave market atmosphere. In 1984, Korean Church Women United condemned them as "an auction block whtere girls are bartered in exchange for foreign money."

Human trafficking

See also: Human rights in South Korea

South Korea is both a source and destination country for human trafficking; mainly Russian and Southeast Asian women are brought into the country for prostitution, many of whom are tricked into thinking they will have a legitimate job. Many of them serve the local US military population, though not all of them sleep with their clients. Many female migrant workers who are recruited by Korean employment agencies to come to the country to work in factories, are often later deceived and forced into prostitution .

Though as recently as 2001 the government received low marks on the issue, in recent years the government has made significant strides in its enforcement efforts. Human trafficking was outlawed and penalties for prostitution increased; the 2004 Act on the Prevention of the Sex Trade and Protection of its Victims was passed, toughening penalties for traffickers, ending deportation of victims, and establishing a number of shelters for victims. As of 2005 there were 144 people serving jail time for human trafficking. US forces in Korea have cooperated with the government's initiative. Though United States Forces Korea cooperates with Korean authorities, many accuse of it failing to do enough or even of shirking its duty.

However, despite the efforts to crackdown on the industry and human trafficking, the sex trade in Korea evolves around the new laws that come in to place, with new variations, such as bangseokjips (방석집), where prostitutes rent apartments in residential areas, and their clients continue to visit for sexual services.These Korean women and new forms of prostitution also get exported to the US and other countries, contributing to the global human trafficking problem.

Regarding the global human trafficking problem with Korean prostitutes, a US Immigation official conceded in 2006 that "There's a highly organized logistical network between Korea and the United States with recruiters, brokers, intermediaries, taxi drivers and madams".

Modern Prostitution

Today, while a number of prostitutes do work in brothels that do little to conceal their activity, most are believed to work in much more sophisticated settings, where sex might take place only at the discretion of the woman herself. A "room salon" or a "hostess bar" is a venue where groups of middle-aged businessmen, usually using the company credit card, can drink with young hostesses. No sex takes place on the premises but negotiations for further services are often made elsewhere.

Massage parlors offering sexual services sometimes distinguish themselves from legitimate parlors by advertising with the word "anma" (안마, 按摩), sometimes quite openly with large neon signs. Following the enactment of the Special Law in 2004, there was a crackdown on red-light districts; while many of the brothels in those areas were forced to close, the crackdown came as quickly as it went, with the result that prostitution was driven more underground but also became a more competitive business with lower prices and more services Well-known redlight districts full of "glass houses", where girls wait for customers in small rooms with curtains, still exist in Busan and Suwon. As of Feb 2008 some still exist in Seoul around the Yongsan Electronics Market.

References

  1. "Changing attitude toward sex threatens South Korea". San Francisco Gate. Retrieved 2008-01-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  2. "S Koreans offered cash for no sex". BBC News. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ David E. Kaplan, Alec Dubro (2003) Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld: Expanded Edition University of California Press, p. 233-238. ISBN 0-520-21562-1
  4. Yayori Matsui The sex tourist's yen, New Internationalist issue 245, July 1993.
  5. Donald Macintyre/Tongduchon. "Base Instincts". TIME magazine.
  6. "Base Intentions: The US Military Whitewashes the Exploitation and Trafficking of Women in S. Korea". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  7. Lee Hyang Won. "Reality of Women Migrant Workers in South Korea". 평화만들기. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |2= (help)
  8. David Scofield (25). "Korea's 'crackdown culture' - now it's brothels". Asia Times. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. Stars and Stripes. "USFK committed to zero tolerance on prostitution crimes, LaPorte warns". TIME magazine. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  10. Moon, Katharine H.S. (1997). "Sex Among Allies:Military Prostitution in U.S./Korea Relations" (PDF). Columbia Press. Retrieved 2006-10-27. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  11. "Marmot's Hole". Retrieved 2008-01-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  12. "하루면 '미국의 밤' 물들여" (in Korean). Naver News. Retrieved 2008-01-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  13. "Sex Trafficking". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  14. Deanne Fitzmaurice. ""Sex Trafficking" (Video). The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-07-11. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

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