Child and Adolescent Victims of Prostitution Support Center Fully Operational... Emergency Relief Fund Provided

Helping Recovery, Protection, and Independence Until Adulthood
Providing 50,000 Won per Session for Accommodation and Food Expenses

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will officially operate support centers that help child and adolescent victims of sex trafficking recover and become self-reliant until they reach adulthood.

On the 25th, Kim Kyung-sun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, will visit a support center for child and adolescent victims of sex trafficking located in Seoul, operated by Pyeonghwa-ui Saem. There are two support centers in Seoul, and she will visit the one operated by Pyeonghwa-ui Saem to discuss operational plans and encourage the staff.

The support centers for child and adolescent victims of sex trafficking provide counseling, protection, treatment, recovery, and support for self-reliance and self-sufficiency until the victims reach adulthood. The centers offer programs tailored to individual characteristics, such as career and academic guidance and self-reliance education, and connect victims with professional mentors for follow-up care until they become adults. For adolescents at risk of exposure to sexual exploitation environments, emergency support funds of 50,000 KRW per instance are provided for accommodation and meal expenses.

The support centers have been established and operated since this year under the Juvenile Sex Protection Act, which came into effect in November last year. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to operate 17 support centers this year, with the selection process for the remaining six centers underway. Although the ministry has supported prevention education and counseling through its treatment and rehabilitation projects for adolescent victims of sex trafficking, it determined that systematic services from the perspective of self-reliance and self-sufficiency are fundamentally necessary, leading to the operation of centers that provide comprehensive support including medical, legal, and recovery services.

Currently, 11 support centers for child and adolescent victims of sex trafficking are in operation. The regional implementing organizations are ▲ Seoul Teenage Women’s Human Rights Center, Pyeonghwa-ui Saem ▲ Busan Youth Comprehensive Support Center ▲ Incheon Human Rights Hope Ganggangsullae ▲ Gwangju Women’s Human Rights Support Center ▲ Daejeon Women’s Human Rights Tium ▲ Gyeonggi Suwon Women’s Hotline ▲ Gangwon Chuncheon Giljabi’s House ▲ Chungbuk Women’s Human Rights Counseling Center ▲ Jeonbuk Women’s Human Rights Support Center ▲ Pohang Women’s Human Rights Support Center. The central support center oversees the projects in coordination with regional centers and develops education and counseling programs.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will also establish legal grounds for punishing 'online grooming,' which involves luring children and adolescents for sexual exploitation.

Kim Kyung-sun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stated, "It is important to firmly protect and support the recovery of child and adolescent victims of sexual exploitation, while helping youth build self-esteem and discover their potential. We will reflect field opinions and make policy efforts to ensure that child and adolescent victims of sex trafficking can enjoy their ‘right to grow up safely’ through strong protection and support."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.