Korea maintained its Tier 1 status in TIP (Trafficking in Persons) Reports for 11 consecutive years, according to the U.S. Department of State Wednesday.
There are three levels of tiers for analyzing the current human trafficking situation of individual nations.
While Tier 1 is the highest ranking, it does not mean the country is problem-free. A Tier 1 ranking indicates that a “government has acknowledged the existence of human trafficking, made efforts to address the problem, and complies with the TVPA’s minimum standards,” according to the U.S. State Department.
“Korea is a source, transit, and destination country for men and women subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor,” the report said.
North Korea, China, and Russia are the Tier 3 countries. “North Korean authorities made no discernible efforts to prevent human trafficking during the reporting period,” the report said.
Japan has been placed at Tier 2 for 11 consecutive years. It was not in compliance with the guidelines of the minimum regulations to prevent human trafficking, thus being where it is.