Government’s Distortion of Sex-Trafficking. Raising Disputes

Women’s rights organizations allege that Korean government artificially raised its ranking from the bottom 3rd to 1st on a list numbering countries according to their efforts to prevent the trafficking. They argue that Korea has sent to US Department of State a report wherein its preventive measures were bloated and the severity of domestic sex-trafficking was lessened.

But related Ministries such as Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Ministry of Women and Gender Equality (MOWGE) refuted the argument, saying, “We have never downplayed the size of the sex-trafficking. What the organizations have argued is from the confusion of the law with the reality.” Thus, a dispute is brewing up.

Women’s and civil rights organizations like Korean Women’s Associations’ Union (KWAU) plan to hold on August 29 in the building of National Human Rights Commission in Seoul a “Round Table Discussion for Status and Prevention of Sex-Trafficking.” Through the discussion, they intend to point out what is wrong with the government report.

The KWAU pinpointed on August 27, “In the answers the MOJ has sent to US, it was reported ‘victims of sex-trafficking is not detained or indicted as a co-conspirators.’ On the contrary, many victims have been detained and indicted.”

Regarding the government’s supporting measures, the organizations also contend that what institutes the government regard as shelters for sex-trafficking victims are not used by the victims in most of cases.

In response, the MOWGE counter-argued, “When we sent the report to US, we also notified them that the facilities we cited are for victims of sex-trafficking as well as for victims of prostitution, pursuant to Act Against Prostitution (AAP). We also sent the data on government supporting policies. It is absurd to ague that the facilities are not for those victims just because the victims seldom use it.”

In addition, the MOJ explained that their answers to the question by US Department of State, “Have the victims of sex-trafficking ever been detained as co-conspirators or indicted for charges of violating other laws?” were as follow: the victims have never been detained as co-conspirators; the victims have not been indicted for violation of other laws if they were deceived or forced; but, if the victims acted out of free will, those victims were indicted pursuant to the AAP.

The MOJ said, “The women’s rights organizations seem to have confused the cases of victims with those of the indicted due to their free will.”

shchung@donga.com