More migrant women engage in selling sex

by bhenshoot Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:24 am

Some migrant wives resort to prostitution to make ends meet after leaving their abusive Korean husbands. / Korea Times file

By Lee Hyo-sik

An increasing number of foreign women who come here to marry Korean men are running away from home and engaging in prostitution to earn ``easy money,” creating a daunting task for the immigration authorities.

Substantial numbers of migrant wives decide not to live with their Korean husbands and their families, due to financial hardship among other reasons. They then try to stand on their own feet by normally working as helpers at restaurants or other low-paying places.

But some of them choose to sell sex in karaoke bars, massage parlors and other late-night entertainment establishments, lured by larger sums of money.

Several groups of migrant women over the past few weeks have been caught engaging in the sex trade, not only in Seoul and its adjacent cities but also in rural areas.

They are normally deported back to their home countries.

Experts say that the Korean government should tighten the rules on Korean men seeking to tie the knot with foreign women, as well as ensure that foreign wives are properly treated by their husbands and in-laws.

To help foreign wives adapt to new surroundings here and refrain from engaging in prostitution and other illicit activities, the government should provide multicultural families with comprehensive support measures.

On Jan. 20, the police raided a brothel, disguised as a barbershop, in Ulsan where two Chinese Korean women in their 40s sold sex. Investigators booked a 50-year-old Chinese Korean who manages the place, the two women and a man buying sex at the time of the raid. The brothel has been operating since December last year and was found to have earned over 24 million won.

According to the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency, the two women entered the country by marrying Korean men. But soon after, they left homes and became prostitutes to earn money for their families in China.

``A large number of Korean men tying the knot with foreign women grapple with financial hardship. Many of the women run away from home to make money. Some work at restaurants and other low-paying service businesses, while others engage in prostitution,’’ a police officer said.

He said another establishment suspected of selling sex was raided on Dec. 23 and 10 foreign women employed as prostitutes there were deported back to their home countries.

Kang Sung-hea, chief director of the Emergency Support Center for Migrant Women, said the government should make it more difficult for those who sexually exploit migrant women.

``I know that some foreign wives come here to make easy money by selling sex. They should be deported to their home countries immediately. But many are forced into prostitution against their will or just to make ends meet. We should first look into why they have to run away from their husbands and sell sex for survival,’’ Kang said.

The center, established in 2006 to help foreign women cope here, is affiliated with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Besides its headquarters in central Seoul, there are six other branch offices across the nation.

The chief director then said law enforcement authorities should give harsher punishments to those taking advantage of foreign wives.

``Foreign women forced into prostitution by their husbands or others should be given a second chance to live a descent life here. They should not be indiscriminately deported back to their home nations.’’

There are no official statistics on how many foreign women are currently engaged in prostitution, Kang said, adding their number will likely increase down the road.

``About 140,000 non-Korean women currently reside here. Last year alone, a total of 25,000 foreign women came here mostly as brides to Korean men. Our centers, along with Multicultural Family Support Centers, should be given more resources to provide a comprehensive package of solutions to migrant women and their family members for a more stable life,’’ she said.

by bhenshoot Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:26 am

Manila asks for tighter screening on Korean grooms

More migrant women engage in selling sex 110125_p01_manila

Philippine Ambassador Luis Cruz

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

The Korean government should implement a stricter screening of interracial marriages between Korean men and foreign women, especially those from the Philippines, said Philippine Ambassador to Korea Luis Cruz, Tuesday.

In an interview with The Korea Times, Cruz suggested a consul be assigned to the Korean Embassy in Manila to check the F-2 visa applications of Filipino spouses of Korean citizens.

“We hope that Seoul can send a consul to the embassy, where they can screen the applicants better,” he said.

Cruz met with Minister of Gender Equality and Family Paik Hee-young last week, along with envoys from China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, Thailand, and Mongolia to discuss the issues regarding interracial marriages and multicultural families.

The ministry is sending a consul to the Korean Embassy in Vietnam in February to screen the applications of Vietnamese women who are marrying Korean men. Last year, a young Vietnamese woman was murdered here by her psychologically troubled Korean husband.

Cruz hoped the ministry can do the same for the embassy in Manila, especially in light of the recent alleged suicide of a Filipino woman, Cathy Deocades, in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. Deocades was abused by the Korean husband she met through a marriage broker in the Philippines.

While marriage brokers and mail order bride agencies are allowed in Korea, the Philippines has a law prohibiting organizing or facilitating marriages between Filipino women and foreign men.

However, this has not stopped illegal marriage brokers from arranging marriages between Korean men and much younger Filipino women.

“Another way to address this is to require Korean men to undergo cultural orientation in the Philippines, so they can also learn about the culture,” Cruz said, adding this may lessen misunderstandings.

Fr. Alvin Parantar, head chaplain of the Hyehwa-dong Filipino Catholic community in Seoul, suggested temporarily suspending marriages between Korean men and Filipino women until stricter regulations are imposed. He also pushed the Philippine government to crack down on illegal marriage brokers.

“The Korean Embassy in Manila should also have some kind of system to monitor and control these arranged marriages. They should try to check the qualifications and psychological status of the Korean men before they enter into a complex relationship like marriage with a foreign wife,” Parantar told The Korea Times.

“The Korean government should not just concentrate on programs teaching Korean language and culture for foreign wives, but also make Korean men more aware of their wives’ respective cultures.

“The government’s multicultural programs are all about ‘Koreanizing’ the women, but the men should also learn and respect their wives’ cultures. It shouldn’t be just a one-sided thing, but it should be a mutual process of learning for both husband and wife,” Parantar said

by johayo Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:13 pm

prevention is still the best solution to any problem.......to all our pinay kababayan who wants to marry Korekong,,,pls think 1 million times or more before doing so.........ur life is at stake.......

Likewise Korean government must do something to ensure the safety of all woman who will indulge into this kind of agreement..............

My deepest sympathy for them......

Keep fighting with ur PRAYERSSSSSSSS..........

by leilani Mon Jan 31, 2011 5:41 pm

Thanks po sa info...
Makakatulong po ito samin mga may boyfriend na korean.. Very Happy

Mas maganda nga na mag implement cla ng bagong rules before marrying a foreign woman..I think both side must be undergo screening...
getting married is kind of a serious thing in our life..
Getting married is because you love each other..
Im engaged and we are more than 3 years na po..maybe after 2 0r 3 years more before we get married...wish me luck..hehehe hanga

by erektuzereen Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:11 pm

leilani wrote:Thanks po sa info...
Makakatulong po ito samin mga may boyfriend na korean..
Mas maganda nga na mag implement cla ng bagong rules before marrying a foreign woman..I think both side must be undergo screening...
getting married is kind of a serious thing in our life..
Getting married is because you love each other..
Im engaged and we are more than 3 years na po..maybe after 2 0r 3 years more before we get married...wish me luck..hehehe

uyy gudluk po..sna mging masagana at masyang buhay pra s inyung 2..gudluk "CRUSH",hehehe Shocked

by leilani Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:16 pm

erektuzereen wrote:
leilani wrote:Thanks po sa info...
Makakatulong po ito samin mga may boyfriend na korean..
Mas maganda nga na mag implement cla ng bagong rules before marrying a foreign woman..I think both side must be undergo screening...
getting married is kind of a serious thing in our life..
Getting married is because you love each other..
Im engaged and we are more than 3 years na po..maybe after 2 0r 3 years more before we get married...wish me luck..hehehe
uyy gudluk po..sna mging masagana at masyang buhay pra s inyung 2..gudluk "CRUSH",hehehe

Thank you po!!! Very Happy

by aastro Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:22 pm

ano b yan....dapat lng din na mag implement ng rules para sa mga bagay n yan....kc yong mga kakilala kong filipina n may asawang korean kawawa....lagi bugbog ang abot sa asawa nya....kaya yong filipina tinkasan ang asawa....nakipag bf sa pinoy ano ba yan....mag ingat na lng kayong mga may bf na korean....mas maganda sana if Christian...

More migrant women engage in selling sex

More migrant women engage in selling sex

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