[Opinion] Human Trafficking

Mankind has a long history of human trafficking. The most primitive form of trafficking in human beings was taking young people as slaves when a country won a war against another. Then, the young people were mostly used as labor force. In modern age, the U.S. and European countries trampled down Africa and traded people as slaves by force. There were not a few salve traders engaged in kidnapping and selling black people.

▷“Roots,” an epic story written by African American writer Alex Haley, was about the sad history of Africans forced into slavery. The novel was adapted into a TV series, which enjoyed phenomenal popularity. It centers on “Kunta Kinte,” an African young man who was captured and sold to America, and succeeding generations. He was exploited and tortured by white farm owners, rediscovered himself, and in the end, witnessed the Emancipation.

▷At that time, slavery prevailed due to growing demands for labor force. Therefore, male slaves were traded at much higher prices than female ones. Although young women often fell prey to white male owners, labor exploitation was the main purpose of the system. Now, however, young women have become a major target of human trafficking because of thriving illicit sex businesses. Despite government efforts in many countries, sex trafficking has not dwindled. Instead, smugglers increasingly prey on young girls. According to a statistics released by the International Labor Organization, thousands of young women are being sexually exploited across the world.

▷We are no exception. Our young daughters as well as women from Russia and Philippines are being trafficked into brothels located near U.S. army bases. Against this backdrop, the government has reportedly sent to U.S. State Department a report downplaying sex exploitation in Korea, prompting backlash among women’s organizations. Although the government continues to deny the charge, some outraged female activities even plan to testify before a U.S. congressional hearing set for next month.

Human trafficking is a crime against humanity that deprives people of a right to live a decent life as human beings. We cannot talk about being a world-class country without paying due respect to female human resources. What if a Korean female author in the future writes Korean version of ‘Kunta Kinte,’ a story about her grandmother forced into sex salvery.

Song Young-eon, Editorial Writer