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November 2014December 2014 The off switch Hallasan blues Have yourself a carnal Christmas feast October 2014 Evolution, devolution, revolution See you in Sejong Korean punk struggles forward Korea’s media malaise Settle down there Eating alone with friends pictured yeo-ni, sex worker and activist, giant girls Network for Sex Workers’ Rights Cover photo by Dukhwa Cover design by park Seong-eun O u r P a s t t h r E E I s s u E s “The work environment is getting worse. It’s becoming more under- ground and more dangerous,” says Kim Yeo-ni, a sex worker for the past seven years. Although prostitution has been illegal in Korea since 1961, the industry still enjoys unceasing demand. Women like Kim are joining the industry by choice, but sweeping laws that aim to fight trafficking are putting sex workers in danger and threat- ening their livelihoods. They are fighting for a freer life, against vi- olence at the hands of authorities and against their marginalization. C O V E R Read the story on page 36. I sell sex and I have rights, too ThE INbOx & COvER T H E I N B O X After reading about the Canadian teacher who was raped and who is now being accused of false reporting, I have decided to make my personal story public, as they share a few things in common. Since I arrived to Korea five years ago, a chain of unfortunate events happened to me. First my dog was stolen and the po- lice did nothing to help me, and in retaliation I was reported by the person who stole the dog to Immigration. As a result, I got fined and threatened with deportation. Soon after, I was the victim of an assault in Hongdae, and as my Korean clients didn’t pay a large amount of money while conducting business, I was advised by lawyers to just forget about both incidents, as I didn’t stand a chance. Last year I was the victim of an attempt of extortion by a girl- friend who, on a jealous revenge plot, falsely reported me for rape. As the evidence clearly showed that her story was a lie, I wasn’t even arrested, and after the police investigation concluded the case was dismissed by the Prosecutor’s Office. I was the one who called the police in the first place to report her for attempted extortion and assault, but the officers totally ignored me. As I was a foreigner she knew they would side with her, and they did. The treatment I received by the police at the Yongsan-gu central police office was denigrating, dis- criminatory and unacceptable. She was also provided with a free lawyer by the Korean government, and I was advised by the police to hire one. I hired the law firm Hwawoo and they charged me the exorbitant amount of 40 million won, just for legal counseling in a case where I was clearly innocent and that didn’t even make it to court. Falsely reporting rape is a crime, and they let her go totally unpunished. During my frequent visits to the sexual crime unit of the Yong- san-gu Central Police Station, I witnessed many occasions where foreigner males were either arrested, being questioned or in custody, but not once did I see a Korean male (receive the same treatment). Any kind of sexual assault or false reporting should be thoughtfully investigated, and if there is evidence, (the guilty party) should be prosecuted and punished. Howev- er, in Korea, who you are and where are you from seems to matter more than what you did. We constantly hear news about Global Seoul, and how the Korean government goes beyond their means to bring quali- fied foreigners over to make Seoul a global city and to improve the image of the country. Instead of wasting public money on propaganda, the government should ensure that the basic rights, freedoms and safety of foreigners are respected, so highly qualified foreigners will stay in the country instead of leaving in extreme disappointment to never return. Ivan Pazos President of Ivan Pazos Architect PLLC, New York Former assistant professor at Hanyang and Korea University To submit a letter, email opinion@groovekorea.com