Open Net Korea urged X (formerly Twitter) to reinstate the account of the sex worker rights advocacy organization, Sex Worker Liberation Action Movement Scarlet Chacha (hereinafter Chacha), after it was suspended for allegedly “promoting sex work.”
Chacha has been actively supporting sex workers in Paju City’s Yongjugol district, who are resisting administrative demolition efforts that threaten their housing and fundamental rights. The organization has used social media platforms to raise awareness and express solidarity with the affected community.
Open Net has consistently asserted that freedom of expression is a universally recognized human right, and it is unjust to deny this right to sex workers simply because sex work is illegal in certain jurisdictions.
Given that sex work is legally permitted in various countries, it cannot be regarded as a universally harmful activity. Accordingly, content advocating for the rights of sex workers should not be mischaracterized as hate speech—defined as speech that degrades, insults, intimidates, discriminates, or incites violence against individuals or groups based on specific characteristics—and should not be subject to removal.
On the contrary, sex workers constitute a socially marginalized and vulnerable population frequently subjected to stigma, discrimination, and hate. Their public expressions of resistance and self-advocacy warrant protection, not suppression.
According to Gyeongin Ilbo, which has reported extensively on the forced demolition of the Yongjugol sex work district, UN Women responded to inquiries on the issue by affirming that the situation in Yongjugol touches on the “general global position of the United Nations on the rights of sex workers.” UN Women emphasized that sex workers are entitled to human rights protections and that their voices should be reflected in policymaking processes.
Open Net Korea welcomes X’s proactive response to Chacha’s request to unblock the organization’s account. Open Net Korea will continue to actively stand in solidarity with those who are unfairly blocked or deleted to promote freedom of expression.
April 16, 2025
Open Net Korea
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