About us

National Solidarity Against Sexual Exploitation of Women (NSASEW) is

National Solidarity Against Sexual Exploitation of Women is a nationwide coalition of thirteen local feminist organizations (as of 2026) working to address prostitution‑related issues in South Korea.

Emergency task forces formed in response to two fires in Gunsan that killed nineteen prostituted women sought to expose the inhumane conditions of prostitution. These task forces became the earliest organizing efforts and laid the foundation for the establishment of National Solidarity. Their work also played a crucial role in advancing the enactment of the Act on the Prevention of Sexual Traffic and Protection of Victims Thereof in 2004.

Since its founding on June 9, 2004, National Solidarity has continued to respond to prostitution‑related disasters. This includes forming emergency task forces in 2005 following fires in two red‑light districts—Miari in Seoul and Songjeong‑dong in Gwangju. The organization also hosts the annual Dandelion Pilgrimage, held nationwide every September, to commemorate these histories and to express solidarity through women’s marches.

National Solidarity maintains that prostitution constitutes a form of violence against women and a system of sexual exploitation rooted in structural gender inequality, rather than an individualized choice. Accordingly, we aim to dismantle the demand that sustains the sex trade.

The organization’s ultimate goal is the eradication of violence against women and other marginalized groups. To this end, National Solidarity advocates for the decriminalization of women in prostitution and for comprehensive, systematic measures that support women seeking to exit prostitution and reclaim their rights.

Moongchi: Network of Women with Prostitution Experience is

Moongchi is a network of women with lived experience of prostitution. The group has been active since 2006, following the enactment of Korea’s Anti‑Prostitution Act.

Moongchi challenges dominant social discourses that frame prostitution as an individual “choice” and instead exposes the structural sexual exploitation and gender inequality that sustain the sex trade. At the center of this work are women with lived experience themselves, acting as agents of change through activism.

Today, Moongchi is a national network composed of six self‑organized groups. Members reclaim their experiences not as sources of stigma to be silenced, but as sources of critical knowledge that challenge structural injustice. The network seeks to convey this message in its own voices to the broader public as well as to policymakers. This work centers on exposing the cartel‑like realities of industrialized sexual exploitation as a means of fostering social change.

Solidarity among women with experience of prostitution extends beyond South Korea, and Moongchi takes the lead in building a global alliance. Connecting with others who share similar lived experiences affirms that prostitution is part of a global system of exploitation and a manifestation of structural gender inequality. We firmly stand in the understanding that this is neither an individual choice nor a country‑specific issue.

Articulating lived experience is a collective political practice and must not be misrepresented as sensationalized victimhood or suffering. Our voices are our activism that cultivates solidarity, healing, and collective strength, while striving toward broader societal transformation.

As members of Moongchi, we reject the stigmatization of women in prostitution and work toward a world in which no one is forced or coerced into prostitution. To that end, we demand the right to live free from prostitution.

Our existence is praxis!

Our Launch Declaration

Launch Declaration of the National Solidarity Against Sexual exploitation of Women

Following the September 19, 2000, fire disaster in Gunsan's Daemyeong-dong neighborhood, which killed five women forced into prostitution, and the subsequent massacre of 14 women at a brothel in Gunsan's Gaebong-dong neighborhood on January 29, 2002, a consensus emerged on the urgent need for a new anti-prostitution law. This led to the enactment of the law on March 2, 2004. Following the enactment of the law, the government launched a comprehensive plan to prevent prostitution and began actively addressing the problem.

However, the new law failed to decriminalize prostitution and falls short of protecting victims and eradicating prostitution. Furthermore, given the widespread misconceptions surrounding prostitution in our society, and the lack of institutional mechanisms to ensure enforcement, its effectiveness could once again be questioned.

For years, organizations that have provided support, rescue, and counseling to women in prostitution have been dedicated to advocating for the enactment of the Anti-Prostitution Act and protecting victims. Now, with the Anti-Prostitution Act enacted and set to take effect on September 23rd, it is crucial to establish institutional mechanisms to ensure its proper enforcement. The problem of state authorities engaging in collusion and bribery is particularly serious, and further evasion and acquiescence would be tantamount to condoning egregious crimes.

Therefore, we have launched the "National Coalition for the Resolution of Prostitution Issues" to eradicate prostitution crimes and actively work to resolve the issue. Starting with the enactment of legislation, the National Coalition for the Resolution of the Prostitution Problem will lead the way in advancing a world where human rights are truly respected and equality is realized. To ensure that government policies move in the right direction, the National Coalition for the Resolution of the Prostitution Problem will conduct policy proposals, monitoring activities, expanding victim protection support, and cultivating public awareness.

June 9, 2004

National Solidarity Against Sexual exploitation of Women

Saeumteo, Self-Reliance Support Community, Citizens' Coalition for the Resolution of the Prostitution Problem (Gunsan), Hanoljigi, a shelter for victims of prostitution affiliated with the Gwangju-Jeonnam Women's Association, the Human Rights Support Center for Women in Prostitution affiliated with the Jeonbuk Women's Association, the Human Rights Support Center for Women in Prostitution affiliated with the Daegu Women's Association, and Bultok, a shelter for victims of prostitution affiliated with the Jeju Women's Association.