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Mark Ryan
APMMF- Korea Coordinator

Case study and Situation of Filipino Women Trafficked in South Korea

On the night of November 29 at minus 6 degrees celsius, the leaders of KASAMMAKO, an alliance migrants community and associations in Korea called up and asked me to come immediately to Uijungbu district, south of Seoul. I was informed that there were women that we need to talk to because they just recently escaped from the prostitution club near the US bases that is forcing them to dance naked.

Its almost midnight when I reached the Uijungbu after me and my companion took the last train and bus for 2 hours from Seoul. We were greeted by Neneth, the woman that harbors the three woman for a day and contacted the cousin of one of victims. The women are a bit restless as they narrated their stories. Once they are hesitant, later as they told their experience the tone of their voices turn shaky and sometimes hysterical. They would even speak simultaneously just to prove their point. We felt stunned and speechless when one of them cried. Later, as the story goes on, they become more relax and laugh at the when they are telling how they run away and from the vicious Roxy club.

Sarah 27 yrs old, Judy-anne 27 yrs old, Francess 26 yrs old, Wendie 23, and Chelle arrived in Korea last November 24, 2001 hoping to work in a factory as they were promised by the recruiting travel agency. These women told us that they decided to "makipagsapalaran sa labas ng bansa" (decided to took the risk of working abroad) because of lack opportunities in the Philippines.

They scour different recruiting agencies in Manila for 2 months but to no avail Until finally, Sarah and Judy Anne went to an agency referred to them by certain Helen and introduced them to Cristy Malong, the recruiter working in Good Times Travel and Tours with office in Malate Manila. Sarah and Judy was hoping to go to Taiwan but they were encouraged by recruiter to go to Korea instead. It was also there that the 6 women met for the first time. They were asked to pay P130,000 pesos and waited for more than 3 months. The agency guised as a travel agency was actually a recruiting agency. At first, these six women were told that they were going to work in a garment factory and will earn $600 US dollars. They six women payed up the placement fee and waited again for another month. After the series of promises that they will leave soon to Korea, they decided to come again in the agency and saw many applicants lining up. Sarah said it is close to 50 applicants on that day when they arrived.

They confronted Christy Malong and finally they were told that they will leave to Korea on November 24 with a "Trainee visa". Most migrant workers in Korea can come and work legally only by the trainee visa. But the day before their departure, the six women received their passports and visa. They were surprised to see the visa, because instead of a D2 or D3 Visa ( trainee visa), they get a C3 or Tourist visa. Since their departure was the next day, the recruiter told them that they don't have to worry about it because their Korean broker whom they also met will be the one to arrange their jobs once they arrive in Korea. They were instructed that on their arrival in Korea they would tell the immigration that they will be having a training in a hair designing company. But when they arrived in Korea on November 24th they were held by the immigration for a day and they were told that they will be deported the following day. But the early in the morning the Korean Broker came and picked them up and later brought to their resident where they stayed for 2 days. The Korean broker, Mr. Tashin made a different offer this time, different from what were promised of US$800 when they were in the Philippines. He said that there are no available work in the factory any more beside that the pay will only be around 200 to 300 US dollars. So instead they are brought to the American club named Roxie in Ujungbu, and promised to receive US$400 plus tips from the costumers

The Korean broker convinced them claiming that all six of them will only be serving drinks to costumers but when they arrived in the club, the description of the broker is different from what they saw. There are many American soldiers in the club and kissing and holding the other women. That same night they felt that this is also what's going to happen to them as the manager brought them to their room and a Korean woman gave them instruction of what to do that night and brought them some bikini and baring clothes,. They were told that this were what they are going to wear as son as they start working. The women became suspicious and restless that they convinced the Korean woman and the manager that they will first observe and will star working the next night.

They cried all night when they went to their room as they know thy now fell victims and will become prey to the US servicemen and other costumers.

They next morning they went around the club and told the guard the manager that will just take a walk and see the place around the club. Once they got out they walk to store from afar where they met a Filipina and informed her about their dilemma. The Filipina woman then hid them and brought them to the members of KASAMMAKO.

The above story is just one of the concrete example on how the Filipinas are sex-trafficked. What's even terrible is the actual experiences of the many other victims.

Prostituted women in Korea

Based on the study conducted by the Saewoomtuh or Sprouting Land a Center for prostituted women near the US bases, the number of migrant women working in the sex industry is rapidly increasing especially near the US bases and facilities. In fact may club owners want to develop and encourages more migrant sex workers. Most owners and club operators are earning much money in the industry that is why they even import migrant sex workers aside from the demands of the US Servicemen stationed in the bases.

According to them " sex industry is being developed especially in many areas near the US bases like Pyongtaek, Osan, and Paju. They claimed that the local government efforts to develop such area. If more than 1,000 tourist would come in any area, it is supposed to be develop into "special tourist area". But the group said that there are many areas that registered more than a 1,000 tourist. It the area was not transformed into the special tourism area. "This means that the government is only supporting the sex industry. Because of the areas are being developed as special tourist area by the government, this institutionalizes sex trafficking and is even expanding in the nearby areas.

In Pyongtaek alone, most of the costumers in the clubs are US army servicemen and the others are Korean seeking exotic sex

Migrant sex workers are being recruited and sent to Korea using the E6 visa. Since 1994, there is a rapid increase of migrants given an E6 visa. In 1994 there were 250 came to Korea in E^ visa, and in 1997 the report registered 1,365. Today it is estimated that prostituted Filipino women is around 2,000 to 2,500. There are also a number of prostituted women who are being sent to Korea on different channels aside from E6 visa. It as also noted that there is an increase of the number of Filipinas on the same period. The Survey showed that almost 85% of the all entertainers are Filipina. Recently, the number of Russians, Kazakstan, is also increasing relative to Filipinas. These women having E6 or entertainers visa are actually working in many clubs in strip show.

Base on the Data gathered, almost 50% of the women in the sex industry are Migrant or foreigners out of which the Filipinas registered the highest

(Area) (Filipina) (Other Nationalities)
Tonduchon(Ujungbu) 189 women 61
Pyongtaek 231 77
Uijungbu 19 10
Paju 2 1

TOTAL 441 149

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Fun girls in South Korea

According to a news paper article published in Manila Times many Filipinas end up as fun girls in South Korea.

When KASAMMAKO members conducted an investigation in Osan City, South West of Seoul, they learned that many clubs allow the women to be taken out for as long as they pay as much as 120,000 to 200,000 won. Worst, recently, we learned that in some bars that catering to GIs, and have not enough money pay to bring the women out, they can ask the women to masturbate them using the woman's hand or lick their testicles in the club and will cost them twenty to thirty thousand Korean won.

Clubs that provide services to US soldiers are reminiscent of Fields Avenue, once the red-light district of Angeles City, when American troops were still stationed in Clark Air Base. Women dance naked for customers and provide sexual favors

According to the report, "For $200, they will perform all imaginable sex acts for clients. They only get 30 percent of the fee, what their Hajuma or Mama San calls their “commission. ” Most got jobs through the Manila representative of the Korean Special Tourist Association, the private organization authorized by Seoul to recruit entertainers for South Korea ’s hotels and bars, the report said. Usually the women shares a room with other women. According to the 6 victims that the KASAMMAKO met they all share the same room with the Russian entertainers in Uijungbu.

Philippine and Korean officials say there is little they can do in the absence of a law against human trafficking. Immigration officials insist they are only concerned with the veracity of travel documents and working papers. What happens to the women in their destination is no longer the bureau’s concern, they claim.

Korean officials curtly deny the existence of white slavery despite charges raised by Seoul-based religious and civic groups. The report added that it is not the first time Korea has figured in reports of white slavery and human traffic. On Nov. 27, 1999, The Times ran a story on 600 Filipino women sold as sex slaves to the South Korean provinces of Dongduchon-shi and Pyon’ taekshi. The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific and the Korean Church Women United then accused Philippine officials of colluding with Korean recruiters.

Its very ironic that the Philippine Embassy officials claimed that these women are “willing” practitioners of the trade when in fact the Philippine government has much to say on its Labor Export Policy. In fact the Philippine government makes sex trafficking more easier. The government even coined the term " cultural performers" for women OFW's working as entertainers. It has even launched formal training for these so called cultural performers under the Department of labor and Employment.

This has implicitly admitted by the Philippine government that it failed to provide livelihood for its people. To quote Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: "the Philippine Economy will, for the foreseeable future, continue to be heavily dependent on overseas workers remittances.

With the total OFW remittances expected to hit US$ 6 billion this year, a perishing economy such as the Philippines, cannot stand to lose half of this income. For this the Philippine government is willing to overlook the fact that many of these women will be sexually exploited.