IOM Korea is today co-hosting an international seminar on the
identification of trafficking victims. More than 100 government
officials, civil society representatives and the general public in
the South Korean capital Seoul are expected to take part.

The event, which is being held at the National Assembly, is
being co-hosted by the office of National Assembly member Mr. Kim
Choon-jin. National Assembly members are currently deliberating on
draft bills on the prosecution of traffickers and the protection of
victims submitted by Kim.

South Korea is a source, transit, and destination country for
trafficking in persons for commercial sexual exploitation and
forced labour, according to the US government's annual Global
Trafficking in Persons (GTIP) Report.

The 2011 GTIP report calls on the South Korean government to
enact comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation that defines and
prohibits trafficking in persons, and to develop and implement
formal victim identification procedures.

The seminar includes presentations by Korean government
officials on legislation and protection policies, as well as
procedures for victim recognition and interagency cooperation.

 "This event is timely and offers valuable ideas at a time
when the Korean National Assembly is deliberating on counter
trafficking legislation. International cooperation on legislation
related to a cross-border criminal activity is important and so is
the role of international organizations" said Mr. Hee-tae Park,
Speaker of the National Assembly.

 "Including trafficking in the criminal code and
legislating to ensure victim protection will advance the
government's efforts to safeguard migrant women's rights in this
country," said Ms. Young-hee Choi, Chairman of the Gender Equality
and Family Committee the National Assembly.

 For more information, please contact:

June Lee

IOM Seoul

Tel: +82-2-2183-0191

E-mail: "mailto:jlee@iom.int">jlee@iom.int