Jeonnam Province Opens 'Local Dedicated Support Center' to Protect Children Victims of Sexual Exploitation

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced on the 3rd that it has opened a Regional Dedicated Support Center to protect children and adolescents victimized by prostitution and support their growth into healthy members of society.

Last month, through a public contest evaluation, the Jeonnam Province selected the Yeosu YWCA Yeosu Women's Human Rights Support Center as the project executing organization.

The center will establish and operate a comprehensive service support system including early detection, emergency rescue, counseling, protection, self-reliance and self-support, treatment, and recovery to help children and adolescents victimized by prostitution smoothly reintegrate into society.

Such support activities will continue until the victimized children and adolescents reach adulthood.

This follows the revision of the "Act on the Protection of Children and Adolescents from Sexual Abuse" in May last year, which redefined children and adolescents involved in prostitution not as "target children and adolescents" but as "victims," and provided the institutional basis for establishing support centers for children and adolescents victimized by prostitution.

Previously, children and adolescents involved in prostitution were defined as "target children and adolescents" subject to punishment and protective measures, which made it difficult for them to report victimization and escape the structure of sexual exploitation.

However, with the legal revision, when the police discover children and adolescents victimized by sexual exploitation, they notify the province, which then coordinates with the Regional Dedicated Support Center to provide support for children and adolescents victimized by prostitution.

To use the Jeonnam Prostitution Victim Children and Adolescents Support Center located in Yeosu, one can visit directly, call, or use social networking services (SNS).

Kim Jongbun, Jeonnam Province Women's and Family Policy Officer, said, "As the age of children and adolescents victimized by prostitution tends to get younger, there is a need to approach and support them differently from adults due to their immature values and judgment abilities," adding, "We will do our best to prevent prostitution and support victimized children and adolescents."

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