Philippines bans women coming to U.S. servicemen bars in Korea

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- The Philippine government has stopped giving work
permits to its women seeking to work at bars and clubs near U.S. bases in South
Korea amid concern they often fall victim to prostitution, a U.S. military paper
reported Thursday.
The Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for U.S. forces overseas, said that the
government in Manila has decided to reject requests from recruiters seeking
authorization of Filipino women to work at the so-called "juicy bars" prevalent
near U.S. military bases in Songtan, Dongducheon, Osan, Pyeongtaek and
elsewhere.
These Filipino bar workers are hired to serve U.S. servicemembers and talk them
into buying them expensive juice drinks in exchange for their continued company
and conversation. Those who failed to meet their juice-sale quotas are often the
subject of "bar fines," meaning they must sell sex to customers to make up the
shortfall.
After securing "entertainer visas" from South Korea, these women must get their
proposed employment contracts approved by the Philippines government.
Many of these women actually come to Korea believing they are being hired to sing
and dance, rather than sell drinks, let alone sex, to U.S. servicemembers,
according to the Philippine Embassy.
While the number of Filipino bar workers has dropped by 40 percent after the
Philippines crackdown, women from elsewhere, including Russia, are quickly
replacing them, according to My Sister's Place, a non-profit organization working
to help juicy bar employees forced into prostitution.
On another side, U.S. military officials have been moving to discourage human
trafficking and prostitution at base-area establishments, placing any institution
found engaging in prostitution off limits.
Osan Air Base officials recently declared four bars near the base off limits, the
newest in about 50 base-area bars that have been categorized as illicit.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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