Women of Wanwoldong
Wanwoldong in Busan is a place that is difficult to access except by men who buy sex, sex dealers and workers, and nearby merchants. It is a lonely, concealed place that is alienated from the outside world and a place where injustice and unlawfulness prevail. Some activists from Salim, a women’s human rights support center, entered Wanwoldong, a place that everybody knows but turns away from, to meet the “sisters” (a term that the activists use to express friendliness and well-meaning towards prostitutes) who live there and are unable to break away from the fetters of exploitation. Part 1 describes how the author studied women’s studies and established Salim and how Salim activists entered and met the sisters, who are prostitutes in the area. This part also describes the sisters, who strive to stand on their own feet against the contempt and prejudice of the world towards the prostitutes in the shelter that was created for them. Part 2 describes Wanwoldong, which was the first state-regulated prostitution district on the Korean peninsula, created under Japanese colonial rule. During the Korean War, it became infamous for being the largest area of prostitution in Asia. Part 3 describes the sisters, who have to live with the stigma of being prostitutes. They have difficulty even in managing their ordinary lives, like riding the bus or shopping, and they struggle to overcome the stigma put on them by society. Part 4 describes the activists who travel across the nation to meet the prostitutes whose human rights are infringed. From rescue operations that could be taken from a James Bond movie to a dangerous fake employment sting to catch the owner of a prostitution house, the activists do not hesitate to act, and continually wait for the sisters to open their hearts. Some activists enter prostitution houses as sex workers to collect proof of illegal activities, such as forcing women into prostitution and extorting them, while other activists end up in trouble while attempting to help a sister escape. The stories of the sisters and the activists are a part of history that needs to be recorded and remembered. The author hopes that through this book, readers can feel the whole-hearted passion and efforts of the activists who always stayed by the sisters’ side as the dreadful chain of sexual exploitation, that seemingly could not be severed, was finally broken when Wanwoldong was shut down and an ordinance was issued in 2019 to help women escape from prostitution.
