Miari

Mia-ri
Mia-ri
Mia-ri
Nickname(s): 
Miari Texas, Texas Miari
Location of Mia-ri
CountrySouth Korea
CitySeoul
DistrictSeoungbuk

Mia-ri (Korean: 미아리) is one of largest red-light districts in northern Seoul, South Korea.[1] Located in the Wolgok-dong, or Hawolgok-dong, and Sinwolgok 1 area at Gireum Station[2] in the Seongbuk district,[3] it is also known as Miari Texas[2] or Texas Miari after the American servicemen that helped popularize the area,[4] as well as Miari Hill.[5] It was historically state-owned land aimed at ensuring the king's protection prior to the Joseon dynasty.[6] The area is entered through a curtain at an alleyway entrance with several connected backstreets.[2][7] The red-light district is located between the Jongam Intersection Police Box and exit 10 of the metropolitan Gileum train station.[6] Before the severe crack down on brothels following the 2004 Anti-Prostitution Law, Miari was populated by many brothels, most with the window shop style.[8] Although policing has cracked down heavily on the most visible forms or prostitution, Miari remains as an officially listed red-light district.[9]

Miari was once South Korea's largest red-light district.[10] However, modern redevelopment projects have quickly turned Miari into a more residential and official business neighborhood.[11] The nation's sex industry has shifted online and scattered in more inconspicuous residential areas. Officially, it is still one of South Korea's 44 red-light districts according to government data from 2016.[12]

  1. ^ "3,000 Sex Workers Protest Threat to Livelihood". The Seoul Times. 2006. Retrieved 21 July 2006.
  2. ^ a b c "Miari Texas in Gireum". Rokit Reports. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Seongbuk-dong neighborhood and 'Miari Texas'". The Dong-a Ilbo. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference christian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Park, Young (August 28, 2012). "Seongbuk-dong neighborhood and 'Miari Texas'". The Dong-a Ilbo. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  6. ^ a b 김, 희식 (October 2011). "동소문 밖의 사람들 :미아리일대의 역사ㆍ공간ㆍ삶". 로컬리티 인문학 (in Korean) (6): 91–130.
  7. ^ Ghani, Faras; Borowiec, Steven (19 March 2018). "South Korea: Sex workers hit hard by government's crackdown". Aljazeera. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Curtain falling on Seoul's red-light district called 588". The Korea Times. 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  9. ^ "Prostitution finds new forms to sidestep law". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  10. ^ "The Seoul Times". theseoultimes.com. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  11. ^ "[르포]마스크 끼고 호객하는 '미아리텍사스', 손님 뜸하냐 물으니… - 머니투데이". news.mt.co.kr (in Korean). 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  12. ^ "Curtain falling on Seoul's red-light district called 588". The Korea Times. 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.