Medical Checks of Prostitutes End, Businesses around Red Light Street Suffer

With special laws against prostitution taking effect, the police are consolidating their efforts to crack down on prostitution, and strong criminal penalties are being levied on those involved in prostitution. However, some express worry that this stern action is, contrary to expectations, resulting in many side effects.

Following the announcement of the crackdown, the prostitution industry has shown a tendency to make inroads into residential areas, which is called a “bubble effect”--the phenomenon that if a part of something is compressed, another part will expand.

On top of that, experts predict the rapid spread of venereal disease because prostitution is becoming more clandestine. In fact, since the measures were implemented, the public health center’s system of checking the medical condition of prostitutes has practically been crippled.

According to a Dongdaemun public health center, which takes care of prostitutes in the Cheongrangri 588 area, a famous red light street, “Since a special crackdown was implemented, the number of prostitutes who visit the center for medical checks is none.”

According to data published by Korean Institute of Criminology in 2002, the prostitution industry generates 24 trillion won annually, and at least 330,000 people are working in the industry. Even some women’s groups estimate that the number is as high as 1.5 million.

Therefore, due to this strong regulation, other relevant businesses have also been hit hard. For example, beauty shops, restaurants, clothing ships, and accommodations that are located near red light streets are suffering from a serious drop in sales because their main customers, street girls, are no longer around.

Kim, 39, who sells coffee and beer in the 588 area, complained, “I used to earn anywhere from 50,000 to 60,000 won per day. But now my income has fallen to 10,000 or 20,000 won. I don’t know how to get by now.”

A number of accommodations have been put up for auction because their businesses have suffered great losses while at the same time, financial institutions are beginning to collect debts. Recently, a certain security corporation produced reports that worry about the increasing debt of the accommodation sector.

However, the opposite opinion is just as strong.

Wie Pyeong-ryang, a senior researcher for the Economic Justice Research Center of Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, said, “It is dangerous to predict the influence of a policy on the economy from just short-term phenomenon,” adding, “Downsizing the prostitution industry is expected to make our economy more competitive and healthy in the long run.”

Jin-Kyun Kil Yi-Young Cho sunjung71@hotmail.com