The evolution of sex industry after the 2004 anti-prostitution law

By Kim Ye Ran
SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- Human activities evolve with changing environment and the
sex industry is no exception.

As crackdown on brothels is intensified after the
special anti-prostitution law passed in 2004, the owners become evermore cunning and
find ways to lie below the police radar. They offer illegal sex services in unlikely
businesses or change the service itself to just dodge the law. Authorities are
facing difficulties in taking control of the situation as the problem expands out to
unlikely areas.

The special anti-prostitution law passed in 2004 penalizes both the dealer and
client of sex service, while also providing social and legal assistance to the women
who once practiced it. It completely outlaws the practice and this appears to have
deflated the industry.

According to a triennial study conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality in 2007,
the number of traditional red light districts in Korea decreased 41%, from 1,679 to
992 businesses. Also, those participating in the sex industry decreased to 2,523
people, which is a 55% decrease from 5,567 sex workers in 2004.

These numbers, however, do not paint the entire picture of sex trafficking. A police
data illustrates that the number of questionable businesses engaged in sex trade,
such as hair shops, karaoke rooms and massage parlors, actually grew in number.
While there were only 5,481 of these sketchy facilities in 2005, this figure
expanded to 9,451 in 2007.

"Balloon effect accompanies the special anti-prostitution law. The participants in
the sex industry rearrange themselves in different ways to avoid the law when
crackdown becomes suffocating. This is why the number of red light districts
declined but other forms of sex services appeared rapidly," said Song Ki-hwan, a
member of Nationwide Movement for the Banishment of Prostitution (NMBP), Tuesday.

While the above mentioned activities are simple makeover of sex trade from
conventional red light districts to more veiled businesses, an entirely new form of
sexual service is on the rise. One of these services is known as "kiss bang" or
kissing room, where men pay to kiss the lady workers there. According to one of the
"kiss bang" websites, it asserts that it does not offer any other sexual services
that go beyond kissing. Such a service does not violate the 2004 sex law since
kissing is not prostitution.

The concern with these altered sexual services is that secondary arrangements that
lead to prostitution can be easily made. "We don't know how many of these 'kiss
bang' there are, but they proliferate quickly. There is a high chance that
additional sex service arrangements are made at these places," said Shin Hei-soo,
co-representative of NMBP and associate professor at Ewha Women's University's
Graduate School of International Studies.

This is not, however, to say that the special anti-prostitution law did not improve
the troubles caused by the sex industry. The triennial government study conducted in
2007 shows that reported cases of human right infringement decreased 64.6% since the
enforcement of the law. Also the number of counseling on extricating oneself from
the sex industry has increased to 33,839 cases, which is a 28% increase since the
law came into effect.

Government assistance towards ex-prostitutes also showed progress. The study also
revealed that between 2004 and 2007, the government spent a total of 58 billion Won
to provide the women with medical, legal and educational support so that they can
stand on their own. As a result, the number of support cases all combined nearly
doubled to 34,348 in 2007 from 17,360 in 2004.

Yet the government does recognize that the special anti-prostitution law
unintentionally bred the problem of altered sexual services that cannot be punished
by the law. "For now, the only thing we can do about 'kissing rooms' is
strengthening the crackdowns and suspending their businesses for related sexual
acts. We are looking for ways to penalize these establishments," said Kim Ga-ro,
director of Women's Rights Planning Division at the Ministry of Gender Equality.

Administrators are not the only ones that are facing difficulties regarding these
mutated sexual services. The police who actually participate in the crackdowns say
that it's not easy finding these businesses as the owners become more clandestine.
"It is hard to locate where these shops are and they have strict entrance rules. We
don't have enough men and there are not enough reports from citizens," said a
policeman who asked not to be named.

Realizing the gravity of the situation concerning these sexual services, some
citizens have decided to clean up the streets themselves. On June 2, Nationwide
Movement for the Banishment of Prostitution was launched. Individuals and various
business associations participate in this movement to seek out illegal prostitution
shops.

"We have decided to take part in this movement because numerous massage parlors are
involved in the sex industry. It is important that the parlors return to their
original business and refuse involvement," asserts Song, representative of National
Massage Association.

In the last two months, NMBP created a map marking all the establishments involved
in prostitution in Yeoksam-dong, an area in the business and entertainment hotspot
of Gangnam, Seoul. The map was handed over to Gangnam Police Station. "The Gangnam
map is only a start. We are planning on making a Gangbuk very soon and hand it over
to the authorities for punishment," declares Shin.

Since 2004, when the special anti-prostitution act was passed, much has been
achieved in expelling the sex industry from Korean societies. Before the enforcement
of the law, Korea was placed in Class 3 according to the Trafficking in Persons
Report by the United State's Department of State, but now it has been upgraded into
Class 1.

yerankim@yna.co.kr
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