Female Entertainer in Her 20s: “The Agency Head Bought Me Lots of Clothes, Then Took Me to a Motel…”

[ 4/28/2010 ]

“The head of my agency bought me lots of clothes. I thought he was taking me home, but he drove me to a motel. When I asked why, he said, ‘If you want to work in this industry, you need to learn more about the world—and about men.’ We argued.” (Actress A, in her mid-twenties) A survey found that six in ten female actors had been propositioned to provide sexual favors to influential people. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea released the findings in its “Survey on the Human Rights of Female Entertainers” on the 27th. Of the female actors surveyed, 60.2% said they had been asked to provide sexual favors to broadcasting figures or other influential people. Another 31.5% said they had experienced unwanted touching of their chests, buttocks or legs. Some 21.5% said they had been directly asked to have sex, while 6.5% reported being victims of crimes such as sexual assault. Those who made the propositions included wealthy individuals, directors, production company heads, advertisers and figures in politics and government. Another 58.3% reported verbal or visual sexual harassment, including people staring at specific parts of their bodies. Some 64.5% said they had heard unwelcome sexual jokes, 67.3% said their bodies or appearance had been evaluated, and 45.3% said they had been asked to entertain people over drinks. Nearly half (48.4%) of those propositioned for sexual favors said they faced disadvantages in casting or advertising work after refusing. The survey also found serious pressure over personal decisions about appearance. Among aspiring female actors, 72% had been urged to diet, and 58% had been pressured by an agency to undergo cosmetic surgery. “I’m happy with how I look, but people around me kept pressing me about when I would have surgery. It became hard to bear,” said aspiring actress C, in her early twenties. The report was prepared by the Korean Women’s Development Institute for the commission. It drew on surveys and in-depth interviews conducted from September to December of the previous year with 111 female actors and 240 aspiring actors.