By Kim Rahn
“You will get 410,000 won if you promise not to buy sex during year-end drinking sessions.”
This is a campaign a male rights group is promoting in a bid to criticize the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s anti-prostitution policies.
But the campaign is causing a stir, as the prize money is fake and the ministry’s policies which the group stated have been non-existent.
The group, called Man of Korea, launched the “White Stockings Campaign” Thursday and sent its members an email introducing the movement. It said the campaign is supported by the ministry.
The group said the campaign is aimed at lampooning the ministry’s support program for former prostitutes. They claimed that under the ministry’s plan, if a female prostitute decides to quit selling sex and receive job training through support centers, the ministry provides her with 410,000 won per month for up to three years along with legal and medical services.
“We wanted to show that the ministry’s support program for former prostitutes is not effective. The ministry spends about 11-12 billion won per year on the program. But such support is given to any women who claim they were prostitutes, and the ministry is unable to verify whether they were really engaged in the sex trade or not,” said Sung Jae-gi, the head of the group.
As the group didn’t clearly state whether it would give 410,000 won only to women or men as well, it was flooded with phone calls from men who were inquiring if it was true.
Regarding the campaign, the ministry said the campaign is apparently fake and has nothing to do with the ministry.
“We have never launched any campaign named ‘white stockings’ and are not supporting any of the group’s activities,” the ministry said in a press release.
The ministry also said giving 410,000 won to those promising not to be involved in the sex trade is groundless and it is also far from the ministry’s actual policy.
“The support program is not about giving cash but about financing support centers, which provide former prostitutes with legal and medical services as well as job training,” ministry director Seo Young-hak said.
Seo said the ministry temporarily offered cash to such women after the special law banning prostitution took effect in 2004. “As such women suddenly couldn’t make money, we provided around 300,000 won monthly in living expenses for up to six months to those who took counseling and completed job training programs. But we don’t offer cash anymore.”
The ministry is considering taking legal action against Man of Korea for spreading false information as well as using the ministry’s logo in the campaign without permission.
In 2005, the ministry held a campaign named “White Tie,” in which it urged men to practice a “sound” drinking culture and not to buy sex after drinking.
In 2006, it waged another campaign to offer money to groups of company workers who promised not to buy sex during their year-end dinner gatherings. The move faced strong criticism for spending taxpayers’ money on supporting drinking sessions and recognizing all men as potential sex buyers. The ministry soon scrapped the campaign.