Running Head: Human Trafficking In South Korea

Human Trafficking In South Korea

Literature Review
Amber M Barrio
University Of Texas at El Paso

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Introduction
Human trafficking also known as modern day slavery is an issue that involves the trade
of humans for drugs or prostitution. Innocent people mostly women and children are the victims
of this horrendous crime, sometimes these victims are promised a good job and a new life but
they end up being exploited. Since this is a global issue South Korea is no stranger to human
trafficking, the majority of victims are women who are being forced into prostitution and it is a
problem because there is such a high demand not only in South Korea but in other countries as
well including the United States.

What causes human trafficking to exist in South Korea?

How is the United States contributing to solving the problem?

What has the South Korean government done to address the issue?

What are some of the most effective methods for preventing or solving this issue?

This paper will answer four research questions regarding this issue in South Korea using research
attained from reliable sources.
What causes human trafficking in South Korea?
According to the U.S Department of State The Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) is primarily
a source for the trafficking of women and girls within the country and to the United States (often
through Canada and Mexico), Japan, Hong Kong, Guam, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and
Western Europe for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation (2008). The cause of human
trafficking in South Korea is that there is a great demand for it in many other countries and that
means that there is also a lot of money involved. According to authors Sung Jiyoung and Myong-

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Hyun of the online article, Resettling in South Korea: Challenges for Young North Korean
Refugees. They included a graph that shows the comparison of South and North Korean refugee
girls according to their age who are victims of human trafficking. The graph shows that there is a
higher demand for young women who are 18 years of age in South Korea than in North Korea.

Figure 1 Source: (Pak, 2010, Table 3, p. 388)

How is the United States contributing to solving the problem?

The United States has done many things to try and stop human trafficking not only in this
country but also in other countries as well. -- President Barack Obama
On September 25, 2012, President Obama issued Executive Order (EO) 13627 in order to
"strengthen protections against trafficking in persons in federal contracting."[ 53] Emphasizing
the Government's zero-tolerance policy and the burden of preventing the expenditure of tax
dollars on human trafficking, the administration called for three major changes: ( 1)
reestablishing the zero-tolerance policy and providing additional tools, training, and clarity to
contractors to comply with regulations; ( 2) anti-trafficking provisions that would be added to the
FAR within 180 days from the promulgation of the Executive Order; and ( 3) guidance and
training to be promulgated for agencies in order to enforce said regulations.[ 54] (Grimmer
2013). This policy will not only help prevent the human trafficking in the U.S, which is the

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biggest contributing factory in the human trafficking industry. According to order 13627 the U.S
government has created a zero-tolerance policy for human trafficking, there isnt a specific link
to the government just protecting North Korea its a general law to try to stop trafficking in the
U.S so it could be stopped in other countries as well.

What has the South Korean government done to address the issue?
The Korean government doesnt condone human trafficking it is a crime and many
innocent people are being kidnapped and forced against their will to participate in drug
smuggling, or prostitution. Young women are the number one target for human trafficking in
South Korea. Some women are made false promises of a better life for themselves in the United
States, they are than smuggled into the U.S through Mexico or Canada and sold. In order to put
an end to human trafficking the Republic of Korea (R.O.K) government has devised a law that
will minimize the amount of human trafficking and eventually put an end to it.
According to the U.S Department of State website, The Government of the Republic of
Korea furthered efforts to protect victims of sex trafficking over the last year. The R.O.K.
government spent $19 million in support of a network of 53 shelters and group homes for
foreigners, providing victims with a variety of services, including psychological and medical aid,
counseling, and occupational training. Counseling centers that are subsidized by the central
government provide medical and legal aid to trafficking victims. The Republic of Korea is
trying to prevent the situation from getting worse than it already is, their main goal is to help
those who are victims of human trafficking in South Korea. Since many people do not know

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about human trafficking, therefore awareness is part of the solution to the problem if the more
people are correctly informed about the situation then they are able to help prevent it.
What are some of the most effective methods for preventing or solving this issue?
Human trafficking has been around for a long time but it isnt a well-known topic, if
people dont know about it or understand the problem is just going to get bigger. The most
effective method to preventing this issue would be awareness. David Karas the author of an
article titled Human trafficking: Corporate America enlists in the global fight explains that
human trafficking starting to be very common in airports, The girl, who was about 4, started to
speak, but the man whisked her off to the restroom. When they returned, the child appeared
unconscious. McPeak, suspecting she had been drugged, alerted flight personnel. Authorities
later confirmed that the man had been apprehended for human trafficking. Because of this
incident the U.S government has demanded that airline employees be trained in understanding
and knowing the signs of a possible human trafficking situation.
This kind of awareness will help save the lives of many victims who are being
transported through commercial airplanes. Many anti human trafficking awareness organizations
have campaigned to end human trafficking by teaching people what human trafficking is and that
it can happen to anyone whether its in the U.S or in South Korea anyone can become a victim.
That is why awareness of the situation is important for the prevention and eventually the solution
for the issue.
Lack of awareness among Americans is one of the most challenging aspects of the fight
against human trafficking, says Representative Smith, who chairs the House subcommittee on
Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights. Organized crime, street gangs, and pimps are

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increasingly engaged in international sex trafficking, an "extremely lucrative undertaking" that

can net a trafficker $200,000 per victim, he said June 13 at a subcommittee hearing (Karas
2011).
Conclusion
In conclusion human trafficking in South Korea and around the world is in high demand,
it is a very wealthy business that is driven by money. The U.S government has issued several
laws in order to contribute to preventing the issue at hand, if the situation stops in the U.S there
wouldnt be such a high demand for it. The Korean government has made it a priority to assist
the South Korean victims of human trafficking and spread awareness of the situation. Awareness
is going to help prevent and eventually solve human trafficking.

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References
Cho, H. (2002). Human Rights in Korea at the Crossroads: A Critical Overview. Korea Journal,
42(1), 204. Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=7140045&site=
ehost-live&scope=site
Cross, A. L. (2013). Slipping Through the Cracks: The Dual Victimization of HumanTrafficking Survivors. Mcgeorge Law Review, 44(2), 395-422. Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=89580943&site
=ehost-live&scope=site
Grimmer, C. (2013). Procuring Protection: Using The False Claims Act To Combat Human
Trafficking By Government Contractors. Public Contract Law Journal, 43(1), 127-144.
Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=92632346&site
=ehost-live&scope=site
Hansen, C. (2007). Modern-Day Comfort Women. Violence Against Women, 13(9), 923-926.
Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=26362865&site
=ehost-live&scope=site
Hughes, D. M. (2008, March). Response to Cheng. Violence Against Women. pp. 364-365.
Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=29964039&site
=ehost-live&scope=site

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Karas, D. (2011, July 13). Human trafficking: Corporate America enlists in the global fight.
Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=62608302&site
=ehost-live&scope=site
Sheng, J. C., & Weinberger, K. A. (2012). Editors' Note. Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal,
13(2), i-ii. Retrieved from http://0web.b.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=83a9f8f3-792e-400989d0-f8624d044d57%40sessionmgr112&vid=4&hid=109
(2008). Trafficking in Persons Report. U.S Department of State Diplomacy in action. Retrieved
from http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/105388.htm
Hyun-M,. Jiyoung S. (2014). Resettling in South Korea: Challenges for Young North Korean
Refugees. Retrieved from http://en.asaninst.org/contents/resettling-in-south-koreachallenges-for-young-north-korean-refugees/

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