to 2004 when theAct on the Prevention of Prostitution Crimes and Protection of Victims
thereof and the Act on the Punishment of Procuring Prostitution and Accociated Acts was
established and also to 2005, the MoJ implemented a number of encouraging initiatives.
International conferences named Expert Group Meeting on Prosecution of International
Trafficking in order to prevent inter-country human trafficking were held several times
jointly organized by the MoJ and the MoGE to prevent prostitution within the Korean
society and to promote and educate the public on the issue. Local governments also laid the
foundation for anti-prostitution efforts by providing trainings for public officials and by
establishing committees to prevent prostitution.
There were many encouraging signs in the activities of the police in the fields:
establishment/ operation of interview rooms for children/women to protect human rights of
victims of prostitution; emergency hotline for prostitution victims; arrests of owners/
operators of prostitution establishments; and confiscation of profits from crime.
"Jone School" systemfor the buyers of prostitution was established and operated at each
probation offices. Such various efforts provided an important turning point in the
deep-rooted male culture of purchasing sex, corporate practices of providing sex as
entertainment which was previously ignored. The result is the general social conception that
buying sex is illegal and crime.
But the Korean government, especially the MoJ does not introduce enough protection
system for female victims of prostitution and sex trafficking whocame from other countries.
The MoJ attempted the following changes with the introduction of the Act on the Prevention
of Sexual Trafficking.
The MOJ strengthened immigration inspection at entry ports and visa issuance review, and
executed ‘Guidelines on visas and certificate of visa issuance for foreign entertainers in the
entertainment and service sectors’in June 2003 to suspend issuance of Korean visas to
dancers. Such efforts put an end to legal entry of migrant women from former Soviet
countries.
Supervision on companies dispatching foreign entertainers was strengthened to prevent
prostitution, sexual exploitation and to protect foreign migrants. Following initiatives were
taken as well:
- Prohibition of receiving or force submission of passport or foreigner registration
certificate of a foreign national as a means to guarantee performance under employment
agreement or debt (Article 33 of Immigration Control Act)
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