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The U.S. State Department in a report on human rights released Tuesday said that although prostitution is illegal in South Korea it is widespread thanks to massage parlors and Internet-based sex services. A separate report also released by the State Department on Tuesday said that North Korea's dictatorship remains severely abusive towards its people.
The South Korea report said that while antiprostitution and antitrafficking laws passed in 2004 have helped to protect victims of prostitution and punish those engaged in the practice, some organizations are concerned that sex tourism to China and Southeast Asia is becoming more prevalent.
The report said that the antiprostitution laws have driven the practice underground, citing a study that says massage parlors have replaced traditional brothels for 60 percent of men who bought sexual favors. According to the State Department, the Internet was also used more frequently to arrange sexual encounters. It said that on average, only 15 percent of those booked for prostitution were actually prosecuted.
South Korea saw a rise in international marriages, the report said. In 2005 approximately 10 percent of marriages were with foreigners, but in 2006 the report said that figure increased to 14 percent. However, because of complicated naturalization procedures, those not ethnically Korean remained "foreign," and faced problems in finding employment in some areas.
Meanwhile, the report on North Korea said "the government's record on human rights remained poor, and the regime continued to commit numerous serious abuses." The report criticized Pyongyang for subjecting its people to harsh control. This annual report said there was very little change in the situation from the year before.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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