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omonatheydidThe pimps and prostitutes of Yeongdeungpo start the day as if preparing for a siege, stocking their brothels with flammable liquid and gas containers. Large, red-lettered signs warn police that they're willing to die to protect their livelihoods.
We can turn on the gas and light the flames," said a 47-year-old pimp who would only give her surname Sohn. "We know that we don't have much chance of winning ... but we're ready to die fighting."
Nearly seven years after tough laws began driving thousands of South Korean prostitutes out of business, the sex workers of the Yeongdeungpo red-light district in Seoul are fighting back, spurred by what they say is an unprecedented campaign of police harassment. Since April they've staged large, sometimes violent, protests that provide a glimpse of the tensions in this fast-changing country as ambitious urban redevelopment projects encroach on old neighborhoods once known for their nightlife.
Rallies by sex workers against police crackdowns crop up occasionally in South Korea, but the protests in Yeongdeungpo — which have drawn hundreds of other prostitutes, pimps and supporters — have been unusual in their size, organization and fury.
The district's 40 to 50 prostitutes describe their fight in life-and-death terms. At a recent protest, about 20 topless women covered in body and face paint doused themselves in flammable liquid and had to be restrained from setting themselves on fire.
The demonstrations come as new building projects around the country threaten gritty neighborhoods that are home to aging bars, street food stalls and brothels. If the prostitutes in Yeongdeungpo lose their jobs, they could struggle to find work elsewhere.
"We are the people who eat, sleep and live here. Where can we move?" prostitute Jang Se-hee said in an interview inside a large tent where sex workers were discussing how to resist police.
The 36-year-old Jang, who wore big sunglasses with plum-colored lenses, her hair tied up in a bun, said her earnings have plunged from as much as $9,200 a month to about $3,700 since police began harrying the brothels in April.
On a recent night, about 20 prostitutes stood in skimpy clothing behind pink neon-lit brothel windows, shouting out invitations to a few men walking along the street. Many brothels have suspended business because of the crackdown. Signs in those still open show their occupants' defiance: "We will die here," they read, or "I will pour fuel on my body and die gloriously."
Prostitution was banned in South Korea in 1961, but police rarely enforced the law. Tougher legislation was created, however, after a 2002 fire killed 14 women confined at a drinking salon and forced to entertain and sometimes have sex with customers.
About 259,000 people, 70 percent of them male customers, have been arrested since the new laws took effect in 2004. Nearly 4,000 prostitutes have left their brothels, while 1,800 remain, and seven of the country's 35 major red-light districts have disappeared, according to police records.
Prostitutes and pimps say police have taken a new and aggressive approach in Yeongdeungpo that has driven away most customers: stepped-up patrols, police cars parked visibly in the area and plainclothes officers watching with binoculars. Jang said police stormed the area three times in June alone, arresting three prostitutes and three customers.
"There hasn't been this kind of crackdown before," said Kang Hyun-joon, a former pimp who runs an association of prostitutes and pimps in South Korea.
Sex workers suspect the nearby Times Square department store pushed police to act against the brothels. Police and store officials deny the claim. The National Police Agency says officers are also clamping down on other districts as part of a routine nationwide crackdown.
One Yeongdeungpo police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because of department rules, said police decided to shut down the brothels because residents increasingly voiced worry about young students passing through the area since the upscale department store opened in 2009.
It is not the first time South Korea's development boom has sparked friction in older neighborhoods.
In 2009, a police raid on a building occupied by squatters near another Seoul red-light district led to a blaze that killed six people. Protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at charging police commandos, causing the fire. The building was eventually demolished to make room for planned new high-rise buildings.
Brothel workers and other critics say police crackdowns have unfairly targeted traditional red-light zones, while overlooking other sex businesses thriving in the shadows.
Among those are "kiss rooms," where men can pay for sex, and one-room apartments offering sexual services. Men can also buy sex at barber shops, massage parlors and karaoke bars on almost all major streets and through online social networking sites.
South Korea runs nine support centers offering vocational training and psychological counseling to former prostitutes where they can work for a monthly salary of about $460 to $920, according to government officials.
Many women, however, find it hard to adjust to new lives and to resist the better pay of sex work. Despite the social stigma, they drop out of the centers and return to prostitution.
Source: ajc
We can turn on the gas and light the flames," said a 47-year-old pimp who would only give her surname Sohn. "We know that we don't have much chance of winning ... but we're ready to die fighting."
Nearly seven years after tough laws began driving thousands of South Korean prostitutes out of business, the sex workers of the Yeongdeungpo red-light district in Seoul are fighting back, spurred by what they say is an unprecedented campaign of police harassment. Since April they've staged large, sometimes violent, protests that provide a glimpse of the tensions in this fast-changing country as ambitious urban redevelopment projects encroach on old neighborhoods once known for their nightlife.
Rallies by sex workers against police crackdowns crop up occasionally in South Korea, but the protests in Yeongdeungpo — which have drawn hundreds of other prostitutes, pimps and supporters — have been unusual in their size, organization and fury.
The district's 40 to 50 prostitutes describe their fight in life-and-death terms. At a recent protest, about 20 topless women covered in body and face paint doused themselves in flammable liquid and had to be restrained from setting themselves on fire.
The demonstrations come as new building projects around the country threaten gritty neighborhoods that are home to aging bars, street food stalls and brothels. If the prostitutes in Yeongdeungpo lose their jobs, they could struggle to find work elsewhere.
"We are the people who eat, sleep and live here. Where can we move?" prostitute Jang Se-hee said in an interview inside a large tent where sex workers were discussing how to resist police.
The 36-year-old Jang, who wore big sunglasses with plum-colored lenses, her hair tied up in a bun, said her earnings have plunged from as much as $9,200 a month to about $3,700 since police began harrying the brothels in April.
On a recent night, about 20 prostitutes stood in skimpy clothing behind pink neon-lit brothel windows, shouting out invitations to a few men walking along the street. Many brothels have suspended business because of the crackdown. Signs in those still open show their occupants' defiance: "We will die here," they read, or "I will pour fuel on my body and die gloriously."
Prostitution was banned in South Korea in 1961, but police rarely enforced the law. Tougher legislation was created, however, after a 2002 fire killed 14 women confined at a drinking salon and forced to entertain and sometimes have sex with customers.
About 259,000 people, 70 percent of them male customers, have been arrested since the new laws took effect in 2004. Nearly 4,000 prostitutes have left their brothels, while 1,800 remain, and seven of the country's 35 major red-light districts have disappeared, according to police records.
Prostitutes and pimps say police have taken a new and aggressive approach in Yeongdeungpo that has driven away most customers: stepped-up patrols, police cars parked visibly in the area and plainclothes officers watching with binoculars. Jang said police stormed the area three times in June alone, arresting three prostitutes and three customers.
"There hasn't been this kind of crackdown before," said Kang Hyun-joon, a former pimp who runs an association of prostitutes and pimps in South Korea.
Sex workers suspect the nearby Times Square department store pushed police to act against the brothels. Police and store officials deny the claim. The National Police Agency says officers are also clamping down on other districts as part of a routine nationwide crackdown.
One Yeongdeungpo police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because of department rules, said police decided to shut down the brothels because residents increasingly voiced worry about young students passing through the area since the upscale department store opened in 2009.
It is not the first time South Korea's development boom has sparked friction in older neighborhoods.
In 2009, a police raid on a building occupied by squatters near another Seoul red-light district led to a blaze that killed six people. Protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at charging police commandos, causing the fire. The building was eventually demolished to make room for planned new high-rise buildings.
Brothel workers and other critics say police crackdowns have unfairly targeted traditional red-light zones, while overlooking other sex businesses thriving in the shadows.
Among those are "kiss rooms," where men can pay for sex, and one-room apartments offering sexual services. Men can also buy sex at barber shops, massage parlors and karaoke bars on almost all major streets and through online social networking sites.
South Korea runs nine support centers offering vocational training and psychological counseling to former prostitutes where they can work for a monthly salary of about $460 to $920, according to government officials.
Many women, however, find it hard to adjust to new lives and to resist the better pay of sex work. Despite the social stigma, they drop out of the centers and return to prostitution.
Source: ajc
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no subject
Date: 2011-07-06 11:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-06 11:18 pm (UTC)I'm kind of amazed at the lengths some of the sex workers are willing to go to protect their job. I've never heard of such violent opposition to police raids, and I live in the US where sex work is mostly illegal.
Of course, I wish sex work could be legal everywhere. But I agree with the critics who say it's unfair for the police to only raid the red-light-district as if there aren't more subtle ways sex is sold.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-06 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-06 11:48 pm (UTC)http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=zizeum&logNo=150109149586
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 12:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 01:05 am (UTC)oO believe it or not having sex for money or other benefit was not deemed immoral until the westerners propagated their mindset upon us.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 04:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 01:45 am (UTC)Well, I'm all for women's rights. This is tricky since women agree to this "career" so as long as they're fine serving men, I have nothing to go against.
The fact that these gentlemen's clubs in Korea today are still in business really baffles me
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 03:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 01:46 am (UTC)My only problem with prostitution is when underage girls are involved and the brothels also turn out drug consumption places.
It is also important to make sure the sex workers are receiving their money rightly and the pimps are not getting all of their money.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 04:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 04:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 04:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 04:30 am (UTC)and ... wait for it!
"but maybe it is my hopeful thinking" as in not a fact ( I am not this ignorant, some people are disgustingly sick and there is no amount of anything to fix them)! but maybe by some miracle some pervert or person in dire need of sex-man or woman-would (just out of ... I don't know) go to a man or woman in this profession as opposed to ... idk , but like I said hopeful thinking!
I am allowed to express my opinion without having someone trying to teach me a lesson, right? I KNOW THAT LIFE IS NOT THIS EASY! I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 20+ YEARS.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 04:58 am (UTC)The "but maybe it is my hopeful thinking" I didn't take as fact. You certainly are allowed to express your opinion and I'm not saying you can't. I’m only responding to what you’ve posted. Anyways...
Doesn't matter if it's such a small number. It's not like rapists need a certain amount of sex otherwise they "can't help themselves". That's bullshit. It's a poor excuse used to try and get away with what they did. Not to mention it doesn't do their genders any favors in perpetuating that. The only solution is to put out the message of "DO NOT RAPE" instead of allowing for any excuses like that or placing blame on victims. Disclaimer that I'm not saying you're suggesting that last part. Sex workers aren't a solution for a decrease in rapes. Also, rape can happen to sex workers too. Considering that sex work is still technically illegal in S. Korea, it could be a hairy situation on whether a sex worker could even report any kind of sexual assault without getting charged too. Not to mention from previous accounts their police are pretty shit when dealing with these cases as victim blaming is pretty big over there. This would be worse considering their current career. So any kind of catering would just be a chance for any opportunists.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 07:33 am (UTC)I am not trying to make excuses for rapist ... I never said that they could ever be satisfied, nor should they be catered to. I also know that most "sexy" workers do not fit the ideal of rapist, but what I was trying to say is that people fail to see this as a possibility (maybe it wont happen in this life time or the next, who knows if it could!).
I am trying to make sense out of this line of work the beast way that I can by trying to see what it could (not saying that it will) do for this world, trying to find the good in something that seems so ...
I also acknowledge that sex workers have it pretty bad and think that monitoring is a good idea, but that might be as hard to pull off as my idea, when people want to break the law they will. Same goes for the "DO NOT RAPE" if a person is sick ("mentally," which I think is bull, but I am not mentally sick so I cannot speak from experience) or just disgusting ... this is only going to encourage them or it wont make sense since they are "sick."
Please note that me trying to find the good in prostitution is so that it make sense to me as a profession not to excuse or cater rapist. Hopefully you will understand a bit of what I am trying to say. I have a bit of a hard time with the idea of selling something so precious for money. I know that bills don't pay themselves and when there is no food on the table one is forced to do the unimaginable ( I have been lucky to be so blessed with an incredible mother) with my naive mind the whole concept of prostitution is still hard for me to grasp even if it is willing or forcefully (by this one I mean the ... there really was no other option so they had to do it to put food on the table).
From living in SK and seeing a little tiny bit of how they think (I tried to learn the language and it helps a little as to how they do think), I can see them buying (I have this crazy idea that they buy into alot of dumb things, for goodness sake look at kpop) into this as a way to prevent or discourage rape. Thus prostitution, is not such a bad thing, there.
It is my hopeful and naive thinking but I can see SK buying into it easier than anyone else! Not because they are dumb, not at all but they see things so ridiculously different sometimes. Hence my idea might not be so incredulous, I think!
This makes me think of those post we read and roll our eyes at by SK net-citizens :this is that so then it must be this sort of deal/attitude.
:)
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 03:39 pm (UTC)Oh dear. I didn't realize disclaimer could be taken for the end of the "or" part when I was meant the second half of the sentence. Here I am placing it to try and avoid the suggestion and it fails!
I never called sex workers "sexy". Cause sex work isn't meant to be glamorized. I think many fail to see the possibility of sex work as a solution, myself included, because it gives rapists the excuse "I didn't get my daily dose of sex - so I had to rape!" There is no leeway on this.
Instead of trying to equate sex workers with a solution of less rapes, how about less stigma over having sex. Also a promotion of safe sex when regulated to require sti/hiv testing and the use of condoms and other birth control. Also a promotion of having sex in what would be considered a safe area, with no pressure on the person paying for it. They could have a positive environment to explore different things without worrying the other person will make them feel ashamed or embarrassed. Legalizing sex work could eventually show that a person can do what they wish with their body with little fear over being shamed.
Yes, sex workers in many countries have it bad legally and socially. Legalizing sex work would actually help in monitoring since those that are with the correct license aren't going to try and hide from the authorities. Then said authorities could concentrate a crackdown on the underground sex trade that has the vile things going on like forced prostitiution, generally by trafficked men and women.
I'm not sure how saying "Do not rape" is an encourager when you're saying, plain and simple, don't rape. Do not rape is the same as saying do not kill and people don't see that as an encourager. By also teaching do not rape it focuses on the actual rapist instead of placing the blame on the victim. Because right now the teaching is that would-be victims should be the ones preventing rape. This creates victim blaming, which is pretty damn horrific. So "sick" or not, it removes blaming the victim for "allowing" or "causing" the situation to instead be focused on the rightful person, the rapist.
What's so precious about sex? It's not sacred to the point someone will be struck by lightning for sleeping with someone else in exchange for something. Certainly people are able to decide what it means for themselves, but when it comes to telling/judging others for what they do with their bodies, it crosses a line since not everyone has the same definition of what sex means to themselves. Besides, how is trading sex for money any worse than deciding to sleep with someone after a date? Both are an exchange of something for sex. While there are those who are desperate that go into the sex industry (especially when it's illegal) there are then those who find it no worse than working in an office. Plus, as noted in the article, there are facilities to train anyone in a trade that really does not want to work in the industry. Granted, not sure how livable that wage is.
Awesome! I've been going through flashcards for Hangeul/vocab, reading some blogs, and watching dramas basically. The grammar still baffles the hell out of me, especially informal versus formal. Haha, kpop is a prime example of absurd. Yes, S. Koreans certainly aren't dumb. The issue though with that is S. Korea, socially, already doesn't consider it the rapist's fault. Instead they consider it's the victim's fault for not "fighting hard enough", "dressing in a certain way" or any number of excuses. Which is what sex workers would wind up being, another excuse. Or worse yet, they (not every single person in the entire country) would say a sex worker deserved being raped if it happened because they're a sex worker.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 09:06 pm (UTC)I really do think that you are trying to see my opinion in a different way! and disclaimer does not end it ... if you say something and I am not satisfied with it (like putting words in my mouth), I am allowed to respond. You responded to mine and after I try and explain MY opinion you make me sound like an a$$ whole!!! LOL. You are putting words in my mouth and so I respond, that is all.
Some people are told not to do things and call me crazy they still do it, like people who are on parole and still rape after they have been told not to. If you live in the U.S. you should know this, when people fail to monitor sex offenders they commit more rapes ... when they have obviously been told that it is a crime, wrong, and to not rape because they will go back in jail. Why they do it ... is beyond me, but I know that saying "do not rape" is not a solution. At least not one that makes sense to me. Look at some cases in the U.S. where these criminals have been let out on parole and they rape again one did it for 18 years, he held a girl captive (caged her like an animal and she had two of his children)and it all happened because he was not monitored properly. She received millions from the government for this, she was a child when he took her.
And sex is sacred to me! this is not to say that those who choose to have sex will burn in hell, NOT AT ALL!!! My whole point was that I think that prostitution is a good thinggggggggggggggggg for those who want to be in it! those who are not need to learn to respect it even if they have to lie to themselves in order to do it!!!!!!
You are really argumentative and I guess that is a good thing but like I said ... this is my opinion. Please do a closer reading of comments before you reply or before putting words in my mouth :)
And about the Hangeul, it is awesome, but the best experience you can have is by being there, TRY IT!!! You will come back enlightened about Korean culture. If you wanna learn a bit more about Korean culture, watch the movies (not the cutesy ones) dramas as you already know are incredibly unrealistic. Kpop is a whole other experience when you are there. Some Hangeul, blogs, and dramas are no where enough in order to understand such a complex culture. If you are in college you should totally go, I went as an undergrad :)
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 11:55 pm (UTC)Unlike the sexy part. That I clearly bungled and do apologize for that. Though I do stand by that sexy glamorizes the profession in a negative fashion. Yes, prostitute is considered offensive. Sex worker is the generally preferred industry term, so I have been using sex worker.
Certainly you can respond! It's what I'm doing too after all. I've no intention of making you appear an asshole (Are swear words offensive to you or do you just censor yourself online by the way? Figure good for future reference.), but to respond to what you've written.
Yes, not everyone does as they're told. That's why people are punished by the law when they do such things. Same here that it's beyond my capability on why they do it. Saying "do not rape" isn't going to be the ultimate solution I agree, but there is no general discourager towards rape like there is for stealing, murder, littering, etc. This gives a twisted, subtle, social cue that should the opportunity be there, it's of no fault of the rapist. The rapist is instead punishing a victim for not following a social rule. By actually addressing would-be rapists with "no not rape" there's a clear social cue that rape isn't tolerated. Then blame is reassigned from the victim to the rapist as I said earlier. That would be a huge step in the right direction. That example definitely shows how poor monitoring is, especially of rapists and you're right, some won't stop themselves from raping like others won't stop themselves from murdering and stealing. However, as I'm pointing out, this would change social cues on what's not tolerated and also reassign blame. There are many, many rape victims who don't come forward because of "don't get raped" being the social rule. Or if they do, the rapist is forgotten but the victim is always remembered for being the one who broke the "rule".
Excellent. I was worried you were heading down the "sex is sacred to me so it should be for everyone" road because of the general tone and language from that section your post. :)
Random fact :D! Jail actually isn't where sentencing of punishment is served, but instead when initially arrested and awaiting trial. Prison is where inmates are placed when serving their sentences.
I definitely plan to! It won't be until next fall at the earliest as I'm getting my teaching license and I've a brother graduating. I've mainly been watching action movies and dashes of horror. It's the only way to sucker myself into watching something that would have a sad ending. In that way I'm a sap. Though Antique Bakery is my guilty pleasure. Oh dear lord the dramas are! I can only handle one at a time besides reading javabean/girlfriday's recaps. Funny thing is I'm all over newb for Kpop besides recognizing band names. Yet I love reading omona haha ^^;. Oh, I'll never be able to fully understand the culture I'm sure! I'm crossing fingers that by reading and watching I should avoid initially some huge screw ups.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 04:30 am (UTC)If it's really about keeping children from seeing the sex workers while they're on the clock, then it's a matter of visual regulations. Regulations instead of banning would work out better as it would allow more of a focus on the underground while letting any sex worker who has faced criminal anything to go to the police instead of bearing it because they'd be charged too. Granted, they'd then need to officially put it on the books as legal I'd imagine.
At least the sex workers are the few that have access to some kind of mental help facilties compared to the vast majority of S. Korea? If they're not some awful shaming facility disguised as a mental health facility.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 08:21 am (UTC)