South Korea: Sex Workers Rally To Protest Stricter Laws (Photos)

SEOUL, South Korea — Hundreds of South Korean sex workers have rallied to call for the abolishment of laws that toughened the punishment for prostitution.

About 1,600 prostitutes and pimps chanted slogans calling for the laws to be scrapped at a rally in Seoul on Thursday. The prostitutes mostly wore baseball caps, sunglasses and masks to hide their identities.

Police said the rally was peaceful.

Prostitution is illegal in South Korea, but is widespread despite repeated government crackdowns.

South Korea enforced tougher anti-prostitution laws in 2004, driving thousands of prostitutes and pimps out of business.

Earlier this year, police launched intensified crackdowns on several brothels in Seoul and other cities, sparking violent protests.

Photos from the protests:

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Comments

[rdschuler]

06:58 PM on 10/04/2011

What is the difference when a man takes a woman out for the evening; and for the evenings expense it comes to a couple hundred bucks and the date wants to jump in bed on the first date?He could have taken her to Mc Donalds and gotten the same results in this time and date .The country has gone sex crazy ,and it is very difficult for men and women who have been brought up with good moral ethics to connect with the same values .

[caporral1]

11:21 AM on 10/03/2011

Prostitution is legal in the state of Nevada, United States of America.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but is illegal elsewhere.

[duey35]

10:49 AM on 09/30/2011

I wasted a few minutes of my life reading these posts, and my conclution is, its what they want to do, its what they are good at, and if by choise, they prefer it. Speaking of the sex workers, not the fridged wives or ex wives that don't like competion on controling the male species.

[fivehole84]

09:19 PM on 09/28/2011

Im sorry but picturing an Asian pimp dressed as Huggy Bear is cracking me up too much to write anything of importance.

[jpokergman]

11:22 AM on 09/28/2011

They would all be voting for Ron Paul. imo. If they could. I say live and let live.

[Sol76]

01:17 AM on 09/26/2011

Very dissapointing slide-show.

[texasaaa]

12:25 AM on 09/26/2011

I want the one with her tounge hanging out. muwahhh!

[Minotti]

06:38 PM on 09/25/2011

First of all people have to understand the political issue of prostitution. There is no more pleasure than sex and love. How many in the audience just had sex for sex? What about the people that society thinks as not popular, ugly , fat , different , quiet? Should they not enjoy the touch of another person ever, imagine the lonliness of never getting human contact. The degrading to woman part is all crap. prostitution the oldest profession and is the oldest profession for a reason. There are plenty of woman and men making a good living in prostitution who exercise and eat right to make their product more appealing. It does help humanity by making people happier, only the laws against it make it bad. Control it , use it ,people should be able to choose.Tell me how many people get into trouble after having sex. Look at the titulater called porn, the claims to get you a sex partner site, its OK to lie and cheat the lonely but not service them.Just lie to a person just to use them for sex. Prostitution seems more honest and human. I'm in favor in prostitution, and maybe it will lower the sex crime thing. Finally there is a difference between a person being a prostitute because they have no other choice to make a living, and those who choose the trade to make money.

[John Alastair]

03:16 PM on 09/25/2011

I think those are balloons they're holding. Am I right?

[wiseman103199]

12:45 PM on 09/25/2011

Get a different job people!! This so-called profession does nothing to help humanity and only further victimizes and degrades women.

[VtPoet]

02:24 PM on 09/25/2011

What's degrading to women is presuming to tell them what jobs they can and can't do.

[wiseman103199]

12:45 AM on 09/26/2011

Nice spin. won't fly though.

[mathomps]

09:26 PM on 09/25/2011

It's a very popular profession that comforts the lonely, provides jobs and poor and rewards beauty. The law creates the "victims" by making the profession illegal and arresting and jailing thousands and thousands of them each year.

[wiseman103199]

12:40 AM on 09/26/2011

Hate it.

[wiseman103199]

12:44 AM on 09/26/2011

Popular.....I am supposed to care about that?

[irrenmann]

08:34 AM on 09/25/2011

Hookers protesting "We demand less severe penalties for breaking the law!" Hard to take that seriously.

[Avatarius1]

11:08 AM on 09/25/2011

Why should it be a crime?

[jack Winn]

07:13 PM on 09/25/2011

what makes you so sure they're not protesting penalties on their customers?

[Cincity Cin]

03:54 AM on 09/25/2011

Wow, at first I didnt know how to take this in. but all I can say now is. I hope they use protection.

[Kim Moore2011]

07:13 PM on 09/24/2011

I'm sure they are out there standing on corners selling their bodies for the whole country to see, don't get the covering the face up part.

[Jeff D M Fawcett]

02:36 PM on 09/24/2011

What a day we live in, when Criminals can protest laws....

[jack Winn]

03:11 PM on 09/24/2011

Yeah, it's terrible. Anybody who is ever suspected of a crime should lose their right to free speech.

Say, have you ever gotten a traffic ticket?

BTW, what kind of mindless authoritarian are you?

[wiseman103199]

12:45 PM on 09/25/2011

A smart one!

[texasaaa]

12:29 AM on 09/26/2011

So girls I can pick up for free every night are just humans acting freely? It's such BS. What crime? Think about that the next time you whack off to some porn, on video or your own mind.

[The Corporate Champion]

03:03 PM on 09/23/2011

South Korea should do the right thing and enforce these "strict" laws. Immorality has no place in a society.

[moutonnoir]

07:37 PM on 09/23/2011

google the name "Gannon"

[TRene11]

10:19 AM on 09/24/2011

First result is some catholic college... further down the list someone misspelled the boss from "The Legend of Zelda"....

I know which one you meant though... just being obnoxious.

[Asmodean1]

11:35 AM on 09/24/2011

Its a supply and demand issue. Its obviously in demand. Make it legal - heavy taxation - strict control as to health issues - harsh penalty's for failure to comply.

[Chockolate]

01:08 AM on 09/26/2011

Heavy taxation is a bad idea. It simply makes people avoid paying taxes and take more risks. The idea is to regulate it in a functional, controlled manner, not tax it out of existence!