On June 26, the Korean Council participated in a one-person protest in front of Seoul City Hall, calling on the city government to implement concrete support measures for women in the "Mia-ri District," which is a "Prostitution District."1
As demolition plans for the area accelerate, the local government in Seoul—responsible for the area—must take meaningful action. Once the largest "prostitution district" in South Korea, Mia-ri housed over 360 establishments and 3,000 women in the early 2000s. Today, about 200 women remain across 50 businesses, but the area is scheduled for demolition starting in July as part of the Sin-Wolgok 1 redevelopment project. While owners and landlords—who have long profited from the exploitation of these women—are receiving compensation, most women are excluded from such benefits due to a lack of official residency or income records.
Although the Seoul Metropolitan Government Seongbuk-gu Ordinance on the Prevention of Commercial Sex and Support for the Rehabilitation of Victims (established in 2017) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance of Prevention on Violation Agasint Women and Protection and Support of Victims (amended in 2020) provide a legal basis for supporting victims of commercial sex, no budget has ever been allocated to implement these ordinances. As a result, they remain nominal without substance and ineffective. The government and the city of Seoul must move beyond rhetorical commitments and implement concrete policies, allocating funding to support the lives and recovery of victims.
1. A “prostitution district” refers to a concentrated area of businesses that have openly operated for the explicit purpose of prostitution over many years. These zones were effectively state-condoned brothel districts, created solely for the sale of sex and allowed to exist under the government’s tacit approval. - National Solidarity against Sexual Exploitation of Women – April Activities Update(25.04)
On June 26, the Korean Council participated in a one-person protest in front of Seoul City Hall, calling on the city government to implement concrete support measures for women in the "Mia-ri District," which is a "Prostitution District."1
As demolition plans for the area accelerate, the local government in Seoul—responsible for the area—must take meaningful action. Once the largest "prostitution district" in South Korea, Mia-ri housed over 360 establishments and 3,000 women in the early 2000s. Today, about 200 women remain across 50 businesses, but the area is scheduled for demolition starting in July as part of the Sin-Wolgok 1 redevelopment project. While owners and landlords—who have long profited from the exploitation of these women—are receiving compensation, most women are excluded from such benefits due to a lack of official residency or income records.
Although the Seoul Metropolitan Government Seongbuk-gu Ordinance on the Prevention of Commercial Sex and Support for the Rehabilitation of Victims (established in 2017) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance of Prevention on Violation Agasint Women and Protection and Support of Victims (amended in 2020) provide a legal basis for supporting victims of commercial sex, no budget has ever been allocated to implement these ordinances. As a result, they remain nominal without substance and ineffective. The government and the city of Seoul must move beyond rhetorical commitments and implement concrete policies, allocating funding to support the lives and recovery of victims.
1. A “prostitution district” refers to a concentrated area of businesses that have openly operated for the explicit purpose of prostitution over many years. These zones were effectively state-condoned brothel districts, created solely for the sale of sex and allowed to exist under the government’s tacit approval. - National Solidarity against Sexual Exploitation of Women – April Activities Update(25.04)