Human Trafficking in [South Korea] [other countries]Street Children in [South Korea] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [South Korea |
Child Prostitution The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children In
the early years of the 21st Century
- 2000 to 2010 gvnet.com/childprostitution/SouthKorea.htm
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CAUTION: The following links and accompanying text have been culled
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FEATURED ARTICLE *** NGO Warns Of Spread Of 'Enjo Kosai' In Asia Yoshimi Nagamine, Yomiuri Shimbun, May 5, 2004 At one time this article had been archived and may
possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 24 July 2011] In South Korea, 222 girls aged 18
or younger were arrested for enjo kosai in 2000, and 63 percent of them were 16 or
under. Although ***
ARCHIVES *** ECPAT Global Monitoring Report on the status of action
against commercial exploitation of children - SOUTH KOREA [PDF] ECPAT International, 2006 www.ecpat.net/A4A_2005/PDF/EAP/Global_Monitoring_Report-SOUTH_KOREA.pdf [accessed 24 July 2011] South Korea has one of the highest
numbers of Internet users in the world: nearly 80 per cent of the population.
Research conducted in 2005 by the Naeil Women’s
Centre for Youth (the ECPAT group in the country) showed that the Internet is
now a more popular venue for trading in sex than ‘ticket tea houses’
(escort-type services offering prostitution). The non-governmental organization
(NGO) Korean Women’s House reports an average of 100,000 runaway children and
youths per year, many of whom are employed in entertainment establishments
for adults and are sexually exploited. Research conducted by the Naeil Women’s Centre for Youth confirmed that runaway
children are at a high risk of being sexually exploited commercially. Of the
442 runaway youths (326 females, 116 males) interviewed, 81 per cent were
aged between 13 and 18, while 19 per cent were over 19 years of age.
Forty-three per cent of the 442 runaway youths had been approached to engage
in the sex trade, and 24 per cent had experience of commercial sex after
running away. Friends’ houses and jiimjiibang
(sauna/bath houses which operate 24 hours a day and provide sleeping
facilities) were cited as popular places for the runaways to sleep at night
as they are relatively safe and cheap. However, recent legislation prohibits
underage customers, without accompanying adults, from staying in the jiimjiibang after 10 pm, thereby increasing the vulnerability
of runaway minors to violence and sexual abuse, as few other safe options
exist. Human Rights Reports » 2005
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61613.htm [accessed 23 December 2010] CHILDREN - The Youth Protection Law
provides for prison terms of up to three years or a fine of up to $17,680 (20
million won) for owners of entertainment establishments who hire persons
under the age of 19. The Commission on Youth Protection also expanded the
definition of "entertainment establishment" to include facilities,
such as restaurants and cafes, where children were hired illegally as
prostitutes. Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of
the Child (CRC) UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 31 January 2003 www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/korea2003.html [accessed 23 December 2010] [54] The Committee welcomes the
enactment in 2000 of the Juvenile Protection Act, which aims to penalize
those purchasing sexual services from children. However, the Committee is concerned
that this Act is not being effectively implemented, and that there is limited
data available on the prevalence of child sexual exploitation. It is also
concerned at reports of the widespread phenomenon of "Wonjokyuje" in which adolescent girls engage in a
sexual relationship with older men for money. Kang Shin-who, The Korea Times, 2007-09-13 www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/10/113_10113.html [accessed 24 July 2011] An Indonesian government leader
has asked Koreans to show respect to her nation, referring to foreigners
reportedly using child prostitutes in ``We hope to have a dignified
relationship with Korea and want Korean people to respect Indonesia. There
are many foreigners who look for child prostitution in Bali, although having
sex with children is subject to severe punishment,’’ the minister said in an
interview with The Korea Times Wednesday.
The minister’s remarks indicate that the Indonesian government wants
to prevent sex trade in the country by asking other countries to take a more
active role, instead of his country metering out severe punishment to sex
tourists. Child sex traders or abusers
can be sentenced to a maximum 15 years in prison in Indonesia, but the
country is rather lenient on foreigners as it is concerned that the strict
control of foreigners would damage the tourism business. Kang Shin-who, Asian Sex Gazette, 8 September 2006 www.asiansexgazette.com/asg/korea/korea02news89.htm [accessed 23 December 2010] Indonesia traffics children who
often become sexually enslaved, said the report, and women and girls as young
as 10 years old from Kyrgyzstan are transported for sexual exploitation and
end up in countries like South Korea, the report said. Five Years After ECPAT: Fifth Report on
implementation of the Agenda for Action ECPAT International, November 2001 www.no-trafficking.org/content/web/05reading_rooms/five_years_after_stockholm.pdf [accessed 13 September 2011] [B] COUNTRY
UPDATES – KOREA (REP.) – The recent Act on Protection of
Children from Sexual Exploitation came into effect on July 1st 2000. The
substantial feature is the public disclosure about persons convicted under
the Act. Under the new law, brokers in
the child prostitution business, producers of child pornography and those who
commit sexual crimes against children will also be subject to severe
penalties. Clients convicted of having sex with child victims will be subject
to maximum three-year imprisonment. Child victims are immune from criminal
prosecution though they will undergo rehabilitation, counseling, and/or
protection. Moon Gwang-lip, The Korea Times,
8 September 2004 www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=14444 [accessed 23 December 2010] South Korea should conduct
comprehensive research on the present condition of child prostitution in the
nation in order to prevent distorted or exaggerated foreign reports on the
problem, a visiting Dutch legal expert on human trafficking said. The matter is not the number itself. The situation of children being exploited
in the sex industry is a huge problem.
In that sense, the Korean government should come up with solutions,
not just protest against the reports. NGO Warns Of Spread Of 'Enjo Kosai' In Yoshimi Nagamine, Yomiuri Shimbun, May 5, 2004 At one time this article had been archived and may
possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 24 July 2011] In All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial,
nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE
RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES.
Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin, "Child Prostitution –
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Human Trafficking in [South Korea] [other countries]Street Children in [South Korea] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [South Korea