written by gkim

Many men who are in Asia or who travel to Asia seem to enjoy the easily accessible sex industry, not to mention that my countrymen– Korean men– have been deemed as the number one seekers of child prostitutes in countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, or Indonesia. According to the Korean Institute of Criminology, one-fifth of Korean men buy sex at least four times a month. Most men seem to believe that if a prostitute is smiling at them and trying to lure them into paying for sexual services, this is what the girls actually desire. This is far from the truth. More than half of the sex slaves in Asia are children who may appear older, and they are being enslaved by traffickers, brothel owners, and pimps. They are usually threatened with violence and physical abuse, sometimes sexual abuse as well. These children then become so broken with fear and hopelessness that they begin to play along or actually believe that they are worthless creatures who will never be able to live normal lives. Many times, they are told that they will be killed or their families will be killed if they try to escape. Some have been sold by their parents because of poverty. Some young girls, as young as five years old, dream of becoming prostitutes and set their minds to become one no matter what. This is due to a lack of intervention and outreach in regions of Asia where children are extremely vulnerable.

The questions I always seem to get are, “Well, what about the girls who enter voluntarily when they’re adults? What about the women who do it to buy luxurious things? Should I feel sorry for them, too?” Whether entered voluntarily or forced into the sex industry, all of these human beings are victims and are victimized. Do I believe that some prostitutes who fight for the right to sell their bodies ruin it for the rest of the sex slaves? Yes, of course. However we cannot exclude them and simply label them as whores who love what they do. They are victims of the pitfalls of the sex industry as well. And most who enter voluntarily end up realizing they cannot leave voluntarily when they wish to. And it is much worse for a child who enters voluntarily or who is trafficked against his/her own will into the sex industry. The traction and mind control that a trafficker has over a young child are truly atrocious. Many times, traffickers tell these victims that they will be killed, mutilated, and stuffed in the gutter if they pursue an escape from the industry. There are also instances where these sex slaves are forcefully given drugs so that when they are eventually rescued, they actually end up going back to the brothels on their own due to the stronghold of the drugs which are overpowering their lives. They are being exploited in every which way possible, and the men who frequent these types of establishments either don’t care or are unaware. Let’s make them care! Let’s spread awareness! Even room salons (room bangs) or hostess bars which appear harmless are actually refined brothels. The majority of women who work in these types of establishments in the States are tricked and trafficked into the States under false identities.

Remember–just because there’s a happy-looking girl acting like she wants to have sex with a customer or even stating that she loves her job, nine out of ten times, this is a façade forced upon them by traffickers, brothel owners, or pimps.

This also trickles into the porn industry as well as strip clubs and online sex chat rooms. Sexual exploitation makes up 79% of human trafficking, including forced stripping, pornography, massage services, and prostitution. Behind closed doors, these sex slaves live in terror and without any hope. They are the most vulnerable humans on Earth. We must spread the word to help stop this injustice from continuing on! The complete abolition of sex trafficking in our lifetime is imperative and affects each and every person in the world today.