Bars hiring foerign female workers face harsher rules
By Kim Se-jeong
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said it will begin inspecting entertainment businesses that hire foreign female workers on E-6 visas.
Bars around Itaewon, Dongducheon and Osan near U.S. military bases will be the main targets of this new measure.
To prevent female foreign workers from falling victim to sex trafficking and to ensure their dignity, Park No-kyoung, director of the women’s and youth rights planning division at the ministry, said the inspection already had its first round earlier this month, raiding 16 places in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province.
“This inspection will be undertaken every three months.”
Park refused to reveal details of March’s inspection results for the article. Laws on the prevention of sexual trafficking and protection obliges business owners hiring female workers to offer workshops on sexual trafficking prevention and to put up posters in work places. A minimum fine of 1.5 million won will be imposed on violators.
The inspection team will also conduct individual interviews with female employees for possible sexual assaults which could lead to police investigations.
Statistics show that there are 379 bars nationwide, employing approximately 1,500 female foreign workers. This accounts for almost a third of the entire number of females on the E-6 visa which is issued to artists, musicians, dancers, singers, performers, actors/actresses and models.
Wednesday’s announcement was welcomed by Rep. Jasmine Lee, who pushed the ministry last year to take action. Nearly 70 percent of the E-6 visa holders are from the Philippines, where Lee was born.
“We welcome the ministry’s initiative,” one of Lee’s aides told The Korea Times.
The inspection is one of several new initiatives by the ministry aimed at cracking down on sex trafficking.
