VZCZCXRO7603
RR RUEHVC
DE RUEHUL #0333/01 0620828
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030828Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3461
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 7864
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5314
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 9144
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 9249
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5422
RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR 1781
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 3959
RUEHVC/AMCONSUL VANCOUVER 0198
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 2968
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUACAAA/COMUSKOREA INTEL SEOUL KOR
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 SEOUL 000333 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, G-ACBLANK, INL, DRL, PRM, EAP/RSP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KS KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB
KTIP 
SUBJECT: NINTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT SOUTH 
KOREA SUBMISSION PART 1 
 
REF: SECSTATE 132759 
 
¶1.  (U) Post's submission for the ninth annual Trafficking in 
Persons (TIP) Report follows.  Responses are keyed to 
questions in Ref A. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Paragraph 23: South Korea's TIP Situation 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) A. The ROK Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is the primary 
source of governmental information on the status of combating 
trafficking in Korea.  MOJ takes the leading role in 
coordinating the government's efforts.  The ROKG's 
information -- particularly statistics -- is very reliable. 
Additional information in this report was gleaned from Korean 
media and solicited from NGOs, foreign embassies, and U.S. 
law enforcement authorities.  While the information MOJ 
provides is highly reliable, the ROGK often fails to 
aggressively track victims.  For example, in the case of 
women trafficked from Korea, the ROKG is unable to provide 
data that distinguishes between smuggled and trafficked women 
who enter foreign countries illegally and obtain jobs as sex 
workers.  On the issue of labor trafficking in Korea, MOJ 
prosecutes human rights violators aggressively, but has no 
statistical means of separating foreign and Korean victims. 
MOJ reports, however, it should be able to provide these 
statistics for next year's report. 
 
¶3.  (U) B. In 2008 the ROK remained a source, transit, and 
destination country for women trafficked for the purpose of 
sexual exploitation.  Prostitution in Korea continued to 
occur in a wide variety of settings, and there was reason to 
believe that some establishments moved underground following 
the enactment of the 2004 Act on the Punishment of Procuring 
Prostitution and Associated Acts and the Act on the 
Prevention of Prostitution and Protection of the Victims 
(NOTE: Together, these laws are subsequently referred to as 
the "Anti-Prostitution Laws").  These laws designated 
prostitution as a crime, and, as a result, according to a 
poll conducted in August 2007 (the latest available data) by 
the Ministry of Gender Equality (MOGE), 90 percent of 
respondents recognized that prostitution was a crime, up from 
30.4 percent before the laws went into effect.  Additionally, 
the ROKG reports that since the Anti-Prostitution Laws went 
into effect, women engaged in prostitution decreased by 59 
percent from 5,567 in 2004 to 2,282 in 2008.  The 2004 
Anti-Prostitution Laws called for prostitution preventive 
education in public schools, and in 2008 the law was revised 
to extend that training to public agencies and local 
governments. 
 
¶4.  (U) B. (contd) According to the Ministry of Justice, 
there is no evidence to suggest that international criminal 
organizations are involved in smuggling women to or from 
Korea.  Instead, most Korean women -- and increasingly men -- 
were smuggled to the United States via Canada or used visa 
brokers to obtain the false documents necessary to procure a 
U.S. visa.  These individuals are then employed in the sex 
trade after their arrival.  Most travel intending to work as 
prostitutes, but some are told they will be hostesses, 
entertainers, or students.  After their illegal entry into 
the U.S., these men and women are vulnerable to traffickers. 
The ROKG was unable to provide data on how many of these 
women were trafficked and how many were smuggled. Korea 
entered the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in November of 2008; it 
is as yet unclear what impact that will have on the 
trafficking of women from Korea to the U.S. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) B. (contd) Women continued to be trafficked into 
Korea from Southeast Asia.  Most of these women entered Korea 
on E-6 entertainment visas, and then were compelled to work 
 
SEOUL 00000333  002 OF 008 
 
 
as prostitutes.  Despite U.S. Forces Korea's (USFK) zero 
tolerance policy on prostitution, many women -- particularly 
from the Philippines -- were brought into Korea to cater to 
U.S. servicemen, according to Dooraebang, a Korean NGO. 
These women were frequently employed at clubs near U.S. 
military bases in Pyongtaek, Songtan, Dongdoochun, 
Euijeongbu, and Daegu.  The Philippine Embassy estimates that 
about 3,000 Filipinos work as "entertainers" in Korea. 
Dooraebang reported that the women's passports are often 
confiscated and their wages are sometimes withheld.  In 
October 2008, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), 
formed by the government in 2001 to serve as a national 
advocacy institution for human rights protection, held a 
conference on how to protect the human rights of E-6 visa 
holders.  The NHRC recommended that the MOJ tighten standards 
on, and take steps to reduce fraud by, establishments that 
employ E-6 visa holders.  The NHRC also recommended extending 
social benefits to such workers as well as extending the same 
protections already afforded to migrant workers. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) B. (contd) An ongoing concern was the number of 
Southeast Asian women brought into Korea as foreign brides. 
Korean men, particularly in rural areas, increasingly look 
abroad for spouses as many young Korean women are unwilling 
to live a traditional life in farming communities.  The 
number of international marriages in Korea totaled 13.6 
percent of all marriages in 2007 (the latest year, for which 
statistics are available), up from 12 percent in 2006.  Forty 
percent of Korean men working on farms married foreign wives 
in 2007.  These women were brought into Korea with varying 
degrees of awareness about the expectations of their new 
Korean families.  Although many of these marriages are 
mutually beneficial, some of the foreign brides have been 
subjected to physical and/or psychological abuse.  Several 
high-profile cases of women committing suicide or being 
killed by their Korean spouses have thrust this issue into 
the media spotlight.  There are a significant number of NGOs 
working to help "foreign brides," and the Korean Government, 
acknowledging that this is a problem, is working to address 
abuses.  In 2007 the National Assembly passed the Marriage 
Brokerage Act, which regulated both domestic and 
international marriage brokers.  The law included provisions 
to prevent brokers from making false or exaggerated claims 
and encouraged local brokerages to register when they set up 
international offices.  The act has no specific punishment 
for offenses.  Although the issue has received media and 
political attention, the Center for Women's Human Rights 
(CWHR) notes that most ROKG-funded programs to help these 
women focus on enabling them to adapt to Korean society 
rather than efforts to stop trafficking violations and 
domestic abuse. 
 
¶7.  (U) B. (contd) Labor trafficking remains a problem in 
Korea, but a lack of awareness about this form of trafficking 
makes the problem difficult to quantify.  Foreign embassies, 
particularly the Philippine Embassy, reported that most labor 
trafficking victims are employed in small, rural factories. 
Korea tends to address the issue of labor trafficking from a 
human rights perspective.  Korea has a large number of 
illegal workers (estimated at 223,464 in 2007) and has 
instituted a mechanism to reduce this number and improve the 
conditions of legal foreign workers.  The Employment Permit 
System (EPS) is a highly structured method that allows the 
ROKG to employ and protect foreign migrant workers for up to 
a three-year stay in Korea.  EPS begins with a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) between the source country and Korea. 
Although the specific contents of the MOU are not public, it 
is said to include strict guidelines on how workers should be 
recruited and dispatched to Korea.  The Philippine Embassy 
estimated that 30,000 of the 50,000 Filipinos in Korea 
entered under the Employment Permit System (EPS). 
 
 
SEOUL 00000333  003 OF 008 
 
 
¶8.  (U) B. (contd) Under EPS, source governments are 
subjected to a high-level of public scrutiny and can be 
banned from the program if "irregularities" are reported. 
Upon arrival in Korea, foreign workers are given a three-day 
orientation that includes an explanation of workers' rights 
and Korean labor law.  The workers are also given contact 
information to report any concerns about labor or human 
rights violations.  Along with EPS, the Ministry of Labor 
funds three well-staffed Migrant Workers Centers to support 
the large number of foreign workers.  The centers provide a 
range of welfare services including free health care and 
legal support in addition to quality-of-life services such as 
Korean language and computer classes.  The centers also have 
bilingual counselors who take calls from migrant workers and 
help to resolve any complaints against employers in 12 
different languages.  According to the Ministry of Labor, as 
of late April, 377,032 foreign workers were employed through 
EPS. 
 
¶9.  (U) C. According to the ROKG, trafficking victims were 
mostly kept watch over at boarding places and forced into 
prostitution by pimps.  The Thai Embassy reported many Thai 
women sign contracts for employment.  When they arrive in 
Korea they find their contracts are destroyed and they are 
forced to work 24 hours a day.  The Gwangju Immigration 
Center at the Borderless Village, citing data from Samsung 
Life Insurance which sells policies to migrant workers, 
reported 217 deaths among foreign workers over the last three 
years.  Of these deaths, 104 were confirmed to have died from 
heart attacks, strokes or sleeping disorders, reflecting the 
poor working and living conditions of foreign workers. 
Officials say foreign workers commonly work 12 hours a day 
without a break, seven days a week.  In addition to poor 
working conditions, the inaccessibility of medical treatment 
is also cited as a cause for these deaths. 
 
¶10.  (U) D. Young women residing illegally in Korea were 
particularly vulnerable to human trafficking.  Women were 
trafficked to Korea from the Philippines, Russia, China, 
Mongolia and South East Asia.  In addition to those 
trafficked to Korea explicitly for the sex trade, foreign 
brides are also vulnerable to trafficking.  The International 
Organization for Migration reported the South Korean Embassy 
in Cambodia saw a 500 percent increase -- a total of 1,759 
marriage licenses to Korean men marrying Cambodian women -- 
from 2006 to 2007.  These women were young, often illiterate, 
and from impoverished backgrounds.  While marriage brokers 
received up to US$20,000 from Korean men, the bride's family 
might only receive US$1,000.  Often unaware of the situation 
that awaits them in Korea, or discontent with cultural 
differences or language barriers or even abuse, these foreign 
brides are vulnerable to exploitation if they choose to 
escape these marriages.  (NOTE: It takes these women several 
years to obtain Korean citizenship even if they have 
children. END NOTE.)  According to a Korean foreign women's 
shelter, about half of the women who had stayed at the 
shelter had run away because of cultural differences, and the 
other half were in psychologically or physically abusive 
situations.  Although the number of abuses overall is small, 
there have been reports of debt bondage and forced labor 
associated with these marriages. 
 
¶11.  (U) D. (contd) Illegal migrant workers and those from 
countries that are not yet part of EPS were also vulnerable 
to labor trafficking.  Migrant workers in small factories 
consisting of five employees or fewer were particularly 
vulnerable.  Only 15.1 percent of such factories sign 
contracts with their workers, making abuses more prevalent. 
 
¶12.  (U) E. Traffickers in Korea were mostly unlicensed 
employment agencies or private moneylenders who conspired 
with entertainment operators to buy and sell women or girls 
 
SEOUL 00000333  004 OF 008 
 
 
to work in these establishments.  Among women trafficked into 
Korea for sex, their travel was often facilitated by "club 
promoters" who negotiated employment contracts for women to 
be entertainers.  When the women arrived in Korea, these 
contracts were not honored and the venue and type of work 
specified in the contract was altered, forcing them into 
prostitution and sexual exploitation.  The Korean Government 
had no evidence to suggest that these brokers are affiliated 
with international crime syndicates.  These brokers tended to 
target poor women and/or runaways, pay off their debts, and 
then use this as leverage to force them to work in the sex 
trade.  The Korean Government also had no evidence that 
travel agencies or marriage brokers were used as fronts for 
criminal elements engaged in trafficking, although NGOs said 
that, despite the ROKG's efforts, overseas prostitution is 
increasing, propelled in part by travel agencies' inclusion 
of prostitution as part of their tourism packages. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Paragraph 24: Background on ROKG Anti-TIP Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶13.  (U) A. The ROK acknowledges that trafficking is a 
problem and is committed to combating trafficking.  In 
particular, Korea has shown an impressive willingness to fund 
efforts to prevent sexual exploitation.  For example, since 
the Anti-Prostitution Laws were established in 2004, the 
funds allocated to support victims and prevent prostitution 
have increased to 15.4 billion won (USD 11.8 million) in 2008 
from only 2.9 billion won in 2003.  The ROKG subsidized 
facilities run by civic groups that provided physical 
protection, counseling, medical services, legal services, and 
rehabilitation for trafficking victims.  The government also 
runs the Korea Media Rating Board, which serves to vet 
foreign entertainers seeking visas to work as entertainers in 
Korea.  The Korea Media Rating Board evaluates if the 
applicant is actually an entertainer; this process takes 
place before the applicant is allowed to apply for a visa to 
work as an entertainer in Korea. 
 
¶14.  (U) B. The Ministry of Justice has the lead in 
anti-trafficking efforts.  In 2004 the ROKG formed the 
Monitoring Commission on the Prevention of Prostitution, an 
inter-agency task force to address the sex trade.  The task 
force is comprised of: the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry 
of Gender Equality (MOGE); the Ministry of Education; the 
Ministry of Government Administration; the Ministry of 
Culture and Tourism; the Ministry of Knowledge Economy; the 
Ministry of Health and Welfare; the Ministry of Labor; the 
Korean National Police Agency; the National Youth Commission; 
the Seoul Metropolitan Government Office; and the Office of 
Government Policy Coordination.  Additionally, the 
International Criminal Affairs Division of the Ministry of 
Justice conducts a meeting twice a year specifically to 
address trafficking; in 2008, however, only one meeting was 
held.  In these meetings, working level officials from the 
Prosecutors' Office, Police, Ministry of Gender Equality, 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Ministry of 
Labor discuss pending investigations and enforcement 
activities and coordinate efforts to reduce 
trafficking-related crimes. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) B. (contd) NGOs have been critical of MOJ's 
leadership in fighting trafficking.  CWHR reported that, 
although the MOJ is responsible for anti-trafficking, its 
efforts have been insufficient and insincere.  Dooraebang, 
another Korean NGO, said the police actively support victims 
but was critical of MOJ's role, saying that the ministry is 
passive and has not been an effective leader in 
anti-trafficking efforts.  According to Dooraebang, MOGE and 
NHRC as well as local officials in Gyeonggi Province have 
been very involved in anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
SEOUL 00000333  005 OF 008 
 
 
 
¶16.  (SBU) C. The real challenge Korea faces in addressing 
trafficking for both sexual as well as labor exploitation is 
awareness.  Korea, a traditionally male-dominant society, 
came late to the issue of women's rights and is still 
struggling to catch up.  NGOs report that the police are 
increasingly willing to investigate allegations of domestic 
violence, but convictions are rare.  Government officials 
tend to view sexual and labor exploitation as human rights 
violations, rather than as trafficking.  Nevertheless, 
Korea's strong commitment to protecting human rights has 
aided rather than thwarted anti-trafficking efforts. 
Corruption does not play a role in hindering anti-trafficking 
efforts. 
 
¶17.  (SBU) C. (contd) Most NGOs were established under the 
previous two Korean presidents' liberal administrations. 
When a new conservative president was inaugurated February 
2008, there was a shift in government support for these NGOs. 
 While the NGOs' budgets are largely funded by the 
government, the new conservative administration's policy has 
decreased government support to NGOs, according to CWHR. 
CWHR was among the NGOs that, as a result of budget cuts, 
were forced to greatly reduce staffing and programs. 
According to CWHR, the Ministry of Gender Equality began 
requiring NGOs that assist prostitutes to share personal data 
of their clients with the government or forego government 
support. 
 
¶18.  (SBU) D. The ROKG operates the Monitoring Commission on 
the Prevention of Prostitution to monitor anti-prostitution 
efforts and address major issues.  The ROKG, through the 
Ministry of Gender Equality, conducts a nationwide poll on 
the status of the sex business and the prosecution of 
offenders every five years and most recently in 2007.  The 
results of this poll are made public.  In 2006, local 
governments started an annual review of local government 
policies to prevent prostitution.  In order to promote 
anti-sex trafficking policies in local areas, the Ministry of 
Gender Equality conducts a survey to determine the 
'Prostitution Cleanness Index,' and uses these results to 
assess local governments.  Successful local governments were 
rewarded in December 2008. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Paragraph 25: Investigation and Prosecution 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶19.  (U) A. Korean law prohibits trafficking for both sexual 
and non-sexual purposes.  Sexual exploitation by means of 
force, fraud, or coercion is defined as a crime under the 
Criminal Act, which prohibits the following activities: 
kidnapping and trading for profit; kidnapping, trading, and 
transporting to a foreign country; and receiving, concealing, 
or exploiting kidnapped or purchased individuals.  Additional 
laws are as follows: 
 
-- The Act on the Punishment of Intermediating in Sex Trade 
and Associated Activities (2004) prohibits human trafficking 
for the purpose of sexual exploitation.  This act also 
specifically provides for punishing individuals who force 
juveniles and the disabled to engage in sex trade activities. 
-- The Juvenile Sex Protection Act prohibits coercing, 
engaging in, and trafficking juveniles for sexual 
exploitation domestically or abroad. 
-- The Child Welfare Act prohibits buying or selling 
children. The act also protects children under 18 from labor 
exploitation. 
-- The Labor Standard Law prohibits labor exploitation. 
Employers who violate this law can be sentenced to up to five 
years in prison or up to 30 million won (USD 32,000) in 
fines. 
 
SEOUL 00000333  006 OF 008 
 
 
-- The Immigration Control Law prohibits employers from 
confiscating a foreigner's passport or registration 
certificate to secure employment contracts or payment of 
debts. 
-- TIP offenses can also be penalized under the Act on 
Additional Punishment for Specific Crimes (including 
kidnapping and coercion by fraud; the Immigration Law; the 
Passport Act; and the Stow-Away Control Law. Offenders can 
also be subjected to punitive civil sanctions. 
 
¶20.  (U) B. According to the 2004 Anti-Prostitution Laws, sex 
trade customers can be sentenced to up to three years' 
imprisonment and traffickers for more than three years.  The 
Anti-Prostitution Laws called for eradicating the procurement 
of prostitutes and commercial trafficking and the protection 
of victims' human rights.  Under these laws, the prostitute 
and client can be sentenced for up to one year in prison or 
subjected to a fine not exceeding three million won (USD 
2,300).  The pimp is subject to up to seven years in prison 
or a fine not exceeding seventy million won (USD 54,000). 
These two Anti-Prostitution Laws apply to Koreans abroad as 
well as Koreans and foreigners throughout Korea.  NGOs 
affirmed that prostitution laws are enforced, and noted that 
pimps tended to be punished more harshly; punishment ranged 
widely from three years in prison with a 30 million won (USD 
23,000) fine to 10 years in prison with a 100 million won 
(USD 77,000) fine.  There was a decrease in prostitution 
cases by over 5,000 -- from 39,705 in 2007 to 34,511 in 2008. 
 
 
¶21.  (U) C. The Immigration Control Law prohibits employers 
from confiscating a foreigner's passport or registration 
certificate to secure employment contracts or payment of 
debts.  Violators can be sentenced for up to three years in 
prison or be fined up to 20 million won (USD 15,000).  Under 
the Labor Standard Law, employers who withhold payment of 
salaries can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or 
fined up to 20 million won (USD 15,000).  The Labor Standard 
Law also stipulates that employers cannot use violence, 
threats of violence, confinement, or psychological or 
physical bondage to control workers.  Violators are subject 
to up to five years in prison or a fine not exceeding 30 
million won (USD 23,000).  Deception, fraud, or the use of 
sex in the course of recruiting workers is punishable under 
Korea's Criminal Law.  Employers who confiscate workers' 
passports or travel documents, switch contracts without the 
worker's consent, or withhold payment of salaries are subject 
to punishment under Criminal Law statutes prohibiting the 
fabrication of private or official documents or the use of 
threat.  If such allegations involve forced labor, the 
offences could also fall under the Labor Standard Law.  The 
Korean National Police investigate cases of employers 
violating the Labor Standard Law and bring criminal charges 
against them. 
 
¶22.  (U) C. (contd) The Ministry of Labor announced a revised 
bill on July 9, 2008, that outlined more supportive measures 
for migrant workers.  It allows the employer and employee to 
decide on the renewal periods of their employment contract 
within a three-year term.  Under current legislation, migrant 
workers have to renew their contracts every year, a process 
deemed unnecessary by some unionized migrant workers. 
According to the Ministry of Labor, there were 223,464 
illegal foreigners in 2007 and 211,988 in 2006.  In 2008 MOL 
pledged to implement measures to prevent such delays in wage 
payments, protect underage workers, encourage firms to abide 
by the minimum wage standards and have all firms sign written 
contracts with their workers. 
 
¶23.  (U) C. (contd) The police and courts are responsible for 
handling crimes of fraud, exploitation, entrapment, 
fabrication of official documents, and physical and 
 
SEOUL 00000333  007 OF 008 
 
 
psychological threats.  In cases in which salaries are 
withheld, the Ministry of Labor, under the supervision of the 
prosecutors, is in charge of the investigation.  The 
Prosecutor's Office and courts decide the punishment -- 
usually fines or prison sentences. 
 
¶24.  (U) D. The Criminal Law stipulates that those who commit 
rape or forced sexual assault can be sentenced to at least 
three years in prison.  Additionally, those who commit 
obscene acts can be sentenced for up to 10 years in prison or 
fined up to 10 million won (USD 7,700).  Sexual assault can 
also be punished under the Act on the Punishment of Sexual 
Violence Offenses and Protection of Victims.  The penalties 
for crimes of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation 
are at least three years in prison, the same sentence as rape 
cases.  Rape, however, is punishable under the law only when 
the victim files a charge, whereas this is not the case for 
crimes of trafficking for sexual exploitation.  Although the 
penalty for rape is a prison term of three years to life, in 
2008 a Busan court sentenced a rapist to 12 years in jail, 
which some observers have noted is part of a trend toward 
stiffer sentences for rapists. 
 
¶25.  (U) E. Sex trafficking: In 2008, among the 220 
trafficking offenses the ROKG investigated, 55 individuals 
were prosecuted for using fraud to sexually exploit women for 
profit in accordance with the Criminal Act and Act on 
Additional Punishment for Specific Crimes.'  No statistics 
were available on how many of these offenders were convicted 
or on their sentences.  There are no plea bargains in Korea 
nor are these crimes punishable by fines under Korean law. 
The government has no specific statistics, but when 
convicted, barring any special circumstances, offenders serve 
the full sentence. 
 
¶26.  (U) E. (contd) Labor trafficking:  Under human rights 
protection laws, the ROKG punishes employers who withhold 
wages, confiscate passports, or use coercion.  The MOJ, 
however, does not disaggregate statistics according to 
foreign or Korean victims.  From next year, MOJ said, these 
statistics will be available, but for this reporting period, 
there are no figures on the number of labor traffickers 
sentenced.  According to the Ministry of Labor (MOL), in 2008 
there were 4,204 cases of reported nonpayment of wages to 
foreign workers.  MOL data also revealed that 6.7 percent of 
workplaces that hired underage workers violated the minimum 
wage standards and only 15.1 percent of companies with fewer 
than five workers signed written contracts with their 
workers.  MOL pledged to expand the number of support centers 
that facilitate recovering delayed wages from the current 20 
to 27 this year. 
 
¶27.  (U) F. The Ministry of Justice conducts a training 
program for government officials to heighten their 
understanding of prostitution prevention policies and educate 
them on practical aspects of investigating and prosecuting 
trafficking.  In 2008, 320 public officials took part in the 
training.  Prosecutors and investigators also took part in 
international conferences on investigating trafficking.  The 
Korean National Police Agency educates police officers on 
victim protection.  In 2008, 32 officers attended the 
preventive education courses offered by the Korea Institute 
for Gender Equality Promotion & Education under the Ministry 
of Gender Equality in order to raise awareness on anti-sex 
trafficking policies and to provide instruction on 
appropriate support for victims.  For criminal investigators, 
the ROKG provides a course on investigating crimes against 
women and children.  The course covers comprehensive sex 
trafficking issues, relevant laws and case studies of sex 
trafficking. 
 
¶28.  (U) F. (contd) On September 22, 2008, the Prostitution 
 
SEOUL 00000333  008 OF 008 
 
 
Laws were revised to obligate preventive education by MOJ on 
prostitution in government agencies. 
 
¶29.  (SBU) G. According to the ROKG, the Korean police 
cooperate in investigations and information-sharing with 
Interpol and foreign security authorities.  Officials from 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report that the 
ROK cooperates closely on international investigations.  Both 
DHS and the U.S. Embassy's Fraud Prevention Unit regularly 
received reliable, real-time information from Korean National 
Police and Korean Immigration Services.  This information has 
successfully assisted in dismantling prostitution rings and 
led to information on several potential trafficking cases 
currently under investigation.  Between January and August 
2008, the Korean police arrested 24 visa brokers, dismantling 
several visa fraud rings.  More than 50 percent of the 
brokers' clientele were young Korean women in their 20's and 
30's, attempting to travel to the U.S. to work as hostesses, 
prostitutes, and masseuses.  According to DHS/ICE, a very 
small number of fraudulent visas and smuggling investigations 
turn out to be trafficking cases.  Usually the women and, DHS 
reports, increasingly men know they are going to the U.S. to 
work in the sex trade. 
 
¶30.  (SBU) G. (contd) DHS Customs and Border Patrol (DHS/CBP) 
stations officers at Incheon International Airport as part of 
the Immigration Advisory Program in which DHS/CBP officers 
work alongside Korean Immigration Service officials, 
cross-referencing U.S. and Korean databases to stop illegal 
travelers transiting as well as originating in Korea. 
According to Embassy Lima, a recent raid of Peruvian 
smuggling operations turned up several forged Korean 
passports that smugglers were using to smuggle Chinese 
nationals into the U.S. through the Visa Waiver Program 
(VWP).  DHS/ICE reports that the ROKG has been "a tremendous 
help" in trying to crack down on individuals transiting Korea 
using fraudulent passports.  Korean authorities provide real 
time information on Chinese nationals transiting Incheon 
International Airport. 
 
¶31.  (SBU) G. (contd) DHS officials estimated smuggling and 
trafficking cases dropped in 2008 as Koreans waited for the 
VWP (effective November 17, 2008), but said the cases of 
smuggling and trafficking could increase as these individuals 
attempt to travel under VWP.  DHS/ICE officials in Seoul 
speculate that, although it is far too early to tell what 
affect the VWP will have on smuggling operations, it is 
likely that the program will reduce the numbers of Korean 
nationals entering the U.S. illegally through Canada.  The 
officer said that these networks may still be open to 
individuals who are unable to travel on visa waiver, but for 
all others the risk of being caught and then unable to use 
visa waiver would be too great.  According to DHS/ICE 
officials, Korea's entry into VWP did not diminish the 
political will to cooperate closely and be aggressive about 
pursuing trafficking violators. 
 
¶32.  (SBU) G. (contd) Although Korean authorities have an 
excellent track record of cooperating with U.S. law 
enforcement, other governments do not enjoy the same working 
relationship.  The Philippine Embassy claimed to receive no 
cooperation in the investigation or prosecution of 
trafficking cases.  The Thai Embassy admitted they rarely 
attempted to cooperate with ROK authorities on issues of sex 
or labor trafficking as victims often opted to return home 
rather than pursue the lengthy process of prosecution. 
STEPHENS