Modern slavery of disabled people in South Korea | Unreported World
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 03. 2018
- 30 Years A Slave: A moving report from South Korea where the police have rescued hundreds of modern-day slaves tricked into working on salt and seaweed farms on a chain of remote islands. Shockingly, many of those rescued have learning disabilities.
Marcel Theroux traveled to the Shinan Islands to investigate the lives of these vulnerable people, some reuniting with families who for years believed they were dead.
This episode was first aired on 20/11/15.
Subscribe to our channel for more Unreported World episodes / unreportedworld .
Honestly, if a British reporter and his crew can find out where they are keeping all of the workers, then I believe that the Korean government isn't trying hard enough to help.
We all know.... its the corrupted police keeping them from getting caught. one my cousin served his military service around Mokpo as coast guard and even when the soldiers rescue them, they have no choice but to return them to local police then corrupted police officers return them to slavery. The government does not care about the internal affair of country side law enforcement. They only care about big cities.
That's because the government don't think much of the disabled and don't believe they have rights- so not on their list of priorities. The whole thing is sad!!
MiraiStar! It is because saving face is more important than the truth in Far Eastern Asian countries.
It is because saving face is more important than the truth in Far Eastern Asian countries.
@dwe edv Just by generalizing a whole group of people makes you racist as well. Not much different from the people youre trying yo describe
I grew up in korea and my parents used to scare me about kids getting kidnapped and used as slaves in salt mills, I guess they weren't lying...
The reporter better be careful, he'll get captured.
@@ardvarq9027 No, because then his agency would go to the British gov and the Korean gov would have to find him back. Too many issues. They only kidnap poor and vulnerable locals, so forget a foreign reporter.
@@IStMl Yeah and plus the reporter could probably kill the masters if he wanted too, they're old and guns are banned in Korea
Lean thats... brutal.. 😦
the boogyman was real. jesus christ
Reporter: No pay = slavery.
Slave owner: No, he was a volunteer.
It sounds like slavery with extra steps
Major difference man. I'm really surprised he had the balls to confront him like that
they think it not slavery if you change it name
This is exactly the argument that slave owners used in the US when they first abolished it.
We call them interns in Europe
My uncle had a disability and was lost when he was young, so my family believed he was dead for many years. But they found him through the new government program of finding lost relatives through dna testing, and they learned he ran away from one of these slave like facilities where they abused him and used him for forced labor. Korea has a lot of shiny sides, but we need to remember that it only became a developed country very recently. And there are a lot of dark sides that came with that rapid development that need to be addressed and fixed
What a story. It’s amazing your uncle made it out alive.
yes.. ying and yang. for the good side will always have an equally bad side
The pace that Korea and Japan modernized at is so crazy. People in one generation saw like the world as your hands with no it from the early 1800s and then saw it now in a single lifetime. Grandparents in those countries watching the way that the world affects their grandchildren has to be thrilling and disorienting.
At around 4:40 When she said “we’ve all been through a lot” the translation is quite wrong. She actually says, “he must have been through so much, its so horrible that I might hold grudges against this country”... i just wanted let you guys know how she actually explained it.
thx for the clarification
Thanks
Just goes to show that You cannot always trust what the news reports
They (the ones who translated it) did not mis-translate in my opinion it was most likely done on purpose by the producers of the programme, I bet they do that a lot for other programmes also
Awesome, thank you Min!
@Patrick Blue You think they censored it because it was anti-Government
내 한국어를 중간 수준의 그래서 저는 차이점 주목을 이해 하지 않았습니다. 고맙습니다!
^^ 만약 내가 실수를 했다면 가르쳐줘요, 고맙습니다.
My Korean is starting intermediate level so I didn't notice the error (I didn't understand the mistake), thank you so much!
Bro you cannot call him brain damaged for liking childish things when he was a slave for 30 years. This guy is severly traumatized. His childhood is probably the only good memory he has.
He probably hates being a man for what he has witnessed for his entire life, so being a kid is his own way of adaptation with this cruel world. When disasters hit severely, try to see corruption around you, it is the welcoming sign for God 's harsh Punishment.
Huh???
He had meningitis as a boy. Look up what effects that has.
You are going on with your idiotic theories..🙄
@Mr Glass Tbh I dont see how that was aggressive, I think he actually dealt with that interview and the summary very well. It's just nitpicking at this point
@@spartan963300 it is hard to tell a person's tone in a comment section. Especially when it is open to all nationalities, cultures, genders, ages each of which can effect the writer's intention. If I had to guess, I'd say the phrasing of "your idiotic theories" could be seen as aggressive or rude and put the reader into a more defensive mindset. Personally, I read it as more sarcastic, but I am generally an extremely sarcastic person, so I have a tendency to see more sarcasm then what the writer intended.
I've seen a few videos of this reporter and he does tend to be a bit insensitive. He could have just said disabled instead of brain damaged, but brain damaged is not wrong. The man wasn't born disabled.
The man at the beginning deserved so much better. He has kind eyes. He lost thirty years of his life, from when he was 19 to when he was around 50, to modern day slavery. I hope that all of the people still in his situation around the world will be freed and find peace.
The disabled guy is so lucky to have such a caring sister that wants to help him, it's so touching, Im happy that he's found someone to marry and I hope they will have a good marriage, Im sorry about what he went through :(
The man at the beginning with the cute socks has a fantastic relationship with his sister. I’m so glad he has her.
@Frog Princess,
Indeed! If only they all and we all had a fantastic, loving, kind, caring sibling or any relative like HER! :)
Poor guy
shit i'm 24 and i still wear cute socks, and am always grateful when people (especially family) let me enjoy the harmless things i like
@@develishcat5473 What does that have anything to do with anything?? There's bad shit happening in every country. Just because a few people enjoy one-side of a culture doesn't mean they're purposefully neglecting the other.
im 25 and wear batman socks my mum gave me for christmas, why, cuz i can
Slave-owner: “He was asking for it!”
Slave-owner literally 1 second later: “I didn’t do it!”
old enough to lose his mind.
ManThatHurts its probably mix of both stories
I believe that he was unaware of the concept of mental disability so when our protagonist was behaving like a child, he got irritated and started beating him. He just needed a free labour, not a nut case like protagonist. So when he got in the pressure, he started making stories in hope the reporter will leave. He was really uncomfortable.
@hunnybuttah sprite can Well I am sorry if it offended you, it was just easier to name someone as "protagonist" because no one wants to waste time reading "the fat mad man". Again I hope you can forgive me if I have offended you.
@@satyamprakash7030 Still protagonist is for fiction so just use something else next time.
As a Korean, this is the most shameful and darkest aspect of my country.
The real problem is that local residents, as well as local law enforcements are not aware of the seriousness of the situation.
The judge of the Gwangju High Court commuted the sentence of the owner of the salt farm, saying that this was a local practice.
It is also shocking that some local police officers already knew about this modern slavery and was connected to the owner of the salt farm.
I hope that a solution can be found to end this tragedy as soon as possible.
신안은..ㅋㅋㅋ
South Jeolla is not korea
저 사람들이 도망쳐서 경찰서에 신고하면 경찰들이 다시 잡아 원래 일하는 곳으로 보냅니다. 저 지역 자체가 염전주인과 경찰이 한 통속입니다.
전라도
재판받은 염전주들 구속 안되고, 모두 집행유예로 풀려났죠.
관행이라고 그러죠. 천벌받을....
저기 주민들이 여교사를 단체로 강간한 적도 있지 않아요?
해외 방송사에서 모자이크없이 실상을 취재해줘서 좋네요. 이거 널리 알려져야 중앙정부에서 조사하는 척이라도 할 거예요.
그런데 한국어 자막도 있었으면 좋겠다... 대충 흘려보는 중....
@@Rohmoohyun.느금마
@@nam8847 czcams.com/video/kiMEsk6Ypdg/video.html
Im korean and I have speech disorder and it was very tough for me to go through the mandatory military service. I felt like they didnt treat me as a normal human but rather a really stupid human being with mental issues that they can play with just because I have speech disorder. It was one of the most hellish moments of my life. It was 9 years ago. And I try to recognize as something of a past and move on but watching this documentary made me feel that all the pain that I had was acknoledged. I feel strong resentment towards how korea is now also. Thanks for putting up this documentary
I am very sorry you went through that!
I'm so sorry to hear about what you've been through. I do hope you're doing much better now.
Omg I'm sorry to hear. Your brave thank u for sharing your story.
I'm so sorry. I hope you are fine.
I can't imagine how much you have suffered. I pray that you get to experience greater things in life. Happy New Year. :)
I feel so bad for that 50 year old man made a slave for 31+ years. You can see the sadness in his face. I hope he has a good life now.
same.. when his sister said he was getting engaged though it made me very happy
And that's SO different from the United States? If you're disabled, you are either a wage slave or a Gov't (Social Security) slave, but you can be in prison or a street drug user and fair better than 34% of ALL Americans who live below the poverty line.
@@Walkercolt1 I mean, OP never mentioned the US, but yeah, governments around the world don't give enough fucks about the people who need the most help. Fuck 'em all.
@@Walkercolt1 I read the op and read it again. Nope, still can't see anything about the US.
Those people have no souls.
The guy liking colourful socks made me cry. He's so sweet and he has such a caring sister, i wish him all the best..
I wish for the best resolve of this terrible and sad situation for all of the people involved.
I was born in South Korea but was adopted when I was five months old. I have social anxiety, depression, and A.D.D. My birth certificate stated that my mother was about 25 years of age and my father was 42. I used to think that maybe that was normal, but as I got older, I started wondering if my mother might have been a rape victim. She was mentioned as "deaf and dumb".
I'm so sorry. Try not to think about that.
Don't dwell on the past. Just enjoy the present moment and live a good life
We live in a sick world, so sad to hear about your mother. I hope you´re in a safer environment, and get better. ❤️
@hannahbeau7455 yeah, burying traumas is always an excellent idea 🙄
You have none of thoes.. none are cellular breakdowns of the body..
I love this reporter. He's not arrogant or judgemental like other reporters are. You can tell he cares, and it must be hard for him to leave each location after learning what he has and leaving those people behind in their predicaments.
Random fact, he is the brother of Louis Theroux, a famous documentary film-maker.
I think I heard that before. Hope his brother is just as compassionate.
yeah...a see compassion in him
스코티쉬 칼럼
I thought it was Louis at first! They do look similar to me!
Shane Stephen You clearly don't know anything about the reporter himself then you ignorant idiot.
"This is the man probably beats disabled people, lets talk to him"
"Here is where the traffickers work, we will try talk to them"
This man has balls
Beating the disabled isn't the hardest thing no offence to disabled people
its not just Korea, we had neighbors, the wife of a disabled man , who beat her husband regularly, I was told, I didnt see it, but I also never saw her husband, in all those years, Stacked away , one life of horror,
Juju Rellama if that’s true then that’s awful.
Right?
Rite
이런거는 꼭 널리퍼져야한다 전세계가 다알려졋으면좋겟다
If those islands have had slavery that nobody knew about for decades, Squid Game suddenly doesn't seem all that far-fetched.
i was looking for this comment, this is actually mad
5000 years old slave history of korea
I thought the same thing. Human cruelty is limitless.
this is not the time to talk about fuckin' squid game when the video is about slavery
seeing the main disabled mans face light up and talk about socks and his face when u brought up his lady made me so fucking happy something about that man makes my heart happy
It was his sister.
Tony Quinn me too!... horrible story of his enduring hell...but he’s so happy with his socks!😮 😢 😭
Dhiraj Gupta yes, Bless her! ❤️
Tony Quinn bc he's innocent.
@@dhirajkumargupta4151 There is also a fiance in the photo
"He looked like he was asking to beaten up. But I didn't beat him though."
X. Doubt
that mad me so mad jesus christ
💀💀
@h34dbug i understand some korean, i think the translation is correct
The farm owner is like, "He was just a bad man who wouldnt do any work, therefore, i kept him on my farm against his will for 30 years, and paid him in wages which he simply never received".
Makes perfect sense tbh!
" 신안은 한국인들도 피합니다 "
yes it's real.
This is the side of Korea that kpop can't show you
Research kpop and you will find they too are slaves, mixed with sex trafficking. Not all that glitters gleams
@angelyn genisan It's often not the groups that debut that are targeted but trainees that are known to most likely not debut but are desperate that are subject to sexual abuse in the entertainment industry.
south korean cinema makers often reflect social problems in their films.. probably it's kind of help in uncovering the problem.. but finding solving of the problem is much harder... lot's of people just don't care until they face with some problems themselves.. it's the same in many countries..
@@studiot7480 Glad someone else out there researched deep
Or maybe, and bear with me now, K pop doesn’t represent the entire country? Yes? I know what a CRAZY concept.
As someone who is both very mildly autistic and half Korean I’d like to point out that Korea is a country and not just an entity of a few famous k pop stars and tech manufacturers.
Not to mention Korea is doing AMAZINGLY considering the absolute poverty and devastation it was in after the Korean War.
It also treats its people rather well compared to most places, especially its surrounding asian countries, including the powerhouses.
Look at Japan, it also treats the disabled badly and more than that, it reaaaally turns a blind eye to underaged prostitution.
It also has a lot of racism and class divide but I guess that’s coming from someone who’s grandfather was treated absolutely terrible by them so I’m partial.
Anyways, yadayada, k pop isn’t the country because that’d be like if all of America was only identified by its Country music, stop your racism, no matter how accidental it is, and don’t call Korea bad for one human rights scandal because not a SINGLE country doesn’t have its own well veiled very hidden atrocities.
"I like things I like"
The man speaks truth
The child in him is still alive and that's a good thing
L0ppuy yup
Make him sit for a few years in a uni and he'll get a philisophy degree with those wise words
@@brodieclamp5090 Genius is mating the wisdom of the child w/ the intellect of an adult after all.
His disabilities do bar him, but it would be helpful to hear the perspectives of adult+ disabled people much more often.
The people who are mentally disabled and act like children usually have some rather truthful things that many people can take to heart
I am currently living in Korea and was never aware of such story. Thank you for the insightful video. It is terrible to see what happened to these people that were literally kidnapped. hope that everything worked out properly and they are free from those people.
I'm disabled mentally. People miss treat me because I can't understand how many things work. A job I've had never paid me on time so I quit.
"Did you beat him" ?
"He seems like he needed a beating"
Affirmative response.. He should be charged that old man and should pay for the 30 years he didn't pay.
Sam LSD yeah. He’s farm should be taken for payback
Edwin Braun I’ve seen people get the death penalty for less. Profiting off of a slave plantation knowingly and without remorse.
Just be gone with such a person.
you forgot about the illegal slavery part this wasnt just a "give me 20 dollars for my five" this was slavery
@@Edwinbraun20 sorry to be a piece of shit but I think its *His* not *He's*
Tht would be millions of dollars
Nothing Wrong in liking cartoons even when you are 50
vivek sharma And you can order fan stuff in adult sizes too. Thinkgeek.com is only one example of many.
Robert Gardea its not wrong either
Facts
@Robert Gardea define "normal" to me.
glad someone said it
As a person with neurodiversity, I'm glad I can speak up for myself. But there are people on our spectrum that aren't coping. They should be treated with the same respect, you guys would treat anyone (regardless of their intellect)!
Man I understand Squid games better now. They have over 1,000 islands and only 80 occupied. And this is horrible what they did to these people.
The guy who made it literally said it was a critique about the extreme capitalism of Korea
@@exudeku Obviously, but it's difficult for a non-Korean to really connect with it immediately because of the lack of knowledge of Korean society, especially as a Westerner. Give him a break.
@@exudeku I was literally just talking about the specific part of them being on a deserted island as a westerner I found that a little far fetched. But now that I see that they have over 900 hundred uninhabited islands it’s more believable. That’s what I was talking about not about capitalism I didn’t look that deep into the show to know that. Nor do I know a lot about Korea, I also didn’t care to look up or know more about Korea 🤷♀️
@@t.r7974 dont worry the due who replied to u had a hard on to try n make u look stupid. I knew exactly what u meant
@@t.r7974 korea is a nasty place... but there are good people everywhere. ive worked with koreans, ive stayed a short time, i lived near but not in. even the occult mysteries you hear about what people do on the islands, like jeju and their spooky family lines or whatever, it scary... korea NG
Heartbreaking to imagine 30 long years of life wasted by forced labour.....
It wasn't wasted... It was unpaid. These people really WOULD be living under a bridge if they weren't working on these island places... They just need better treatment and some basic living wages.
Alex Ander I was thinking more about the poor man that was kidnapped as a young man. He was taken and so was a large portion of precious years. He wasn't living under a bridge he had family...
That old man was lying his ass right off. His excuses were pure bullcrap. ''I didn't know he was mentally disabled'' ''His eyes are very scary'' ''He's very well built, who could've hit him?''. Are you frigging kidding me? What a scumbag. People with greed and no compassion will always find a way to excuse their actions.
I get bored without playing for a day. my mom always tells me she is tired while sitting and watching TV. :/
Imogen Carney I wish We could go in there and Liberate these men and woman. Its depressing to know that we have the man power and Firepower if needed..This IS as bad as KIM JONG Ill's camps.
“I don’t want to talk about that.”-slave owner
this sentence speaks alot...
I know- that part was insane
So sad cause all of these “disable” people seem so capable and smart
They are definitely disabled, but that doesn't mean that they're vegetables or stupid. They can be both disabled and capable / smart, it's not exclusive.
@@crystal2862 yes and there are so many types of disabilities.
I am a disabled Half Korean...I'm shocked at this cruelty and it saddens my heart and soul...😫😭..God Help Them All...🙏💗
He likes wearing "socks that a 3 year old would like".
eXcUsE mE, I feel so attacked right now.
Bi phi.....you're funny ...lol
Bi Ph Bi Ph Bi Ph Bi Ph
Hiding my sponge Bob socks...... 🤫
For females it's pretty standard, men only look at cheap / comfort when it comes to socks.
* Slowly takes off my cartoon sushi socks *
Cherrycordia
🙄🤭
This is the other side of South Korea that we don't see in Kdramas. People often think that the grass is greener in Korea. Well, there is no such thing as a perfect place in this world.
@Iam Impossibru I was referring to those who think highly of S. Korea because of what they see in Kdramas. But thanks for pointing that out tho.
Kdramas are plastic, like the actors and their face
trafficker are mention in kdrama..
Of course, South Korea had a bloody war (that still isn't over), as well as military regimes, so the country is not without its legacy of trauma.
Gwynn I’ve heard the original good doctor is pretty good and shows the discrimination autistic people face there.
I was born and raised in France, studied in Japan and currently living here in South Korea with my Korean wife, and I can honestly say South Korea is worse than Japan when it comes to racism, cults, sexual harassment, bullying and mental health issues. At the very least in Japan the people are just shy so you sometimes feel people is avoiding you but they're actually just shy about approaching foreigners. South Korea on the other hand, my twin kids got bullied, it really pisses me off so much, so we transfered them to a different school, then they got bullied 'again' for being a foreigner, for being different, so me and my wife transfered our twins to a different school the second time. I think South Korea is socially behind even though they have good economy, they have so many social issues cropping up altogether. My American friend who's having panic attacks and anxiety got the look of contempt from the nurses there, they still treat mental health issues as a a humiliation, or a thing to be ashamed of. Not to be racist but the people there still acts uneducated despite having a college degree. I swear after this pandemic we gonna move back to France.
Bon courage, c'est triste que ça en soit arrivé là, où en es-tu aujourd'hui ?
:( so sorry thay happened to you and your kids. Goodluck hope you guys are doing alright
This is so true. I have been living here 7+ years and I think the same way. I am sorry you had to go through that...
South Korea is really socially behind not keeping up with its economy.
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry all of that happened to you and your family! Best wishes on your next steps in life, I fully support you guys giving your kids a better life.
You better go back to France or your twin kids will suffer way a lot because of dumb education system in Korea
im disabled myself and I cant even imagine the pain of these poor people. it absolutely breaks my heart
Reporter: Asks farmer if he enslaved this guy.
Farmer: "Oh yeah, that's him!"
😂
Language barriers at their best
😭😭💀
Sneak 100
I would like to hit that farmer with a shovel...made of concrete.. wrapped in rags, soaked with gas..and lit afire!
Just a couple of times though ;)
Anyone else find it surprising how slave owners always accuse their victims of being lazy?
TRUTHTEACHER2007
Been that way throughout history
After living here 2.5 yrs no I'm not surprised. This culture has a very dark side where they just like to hide and ignore the "ugly".
Cindy O
Same could be said anywhere else. Especially America and we call Mexicans and Blacks lazy ironically
If i wasnt getting paid. Who would want to work hard?
All Roads Lead Here
That wasn’t the issue we were talking about?
제가 작년에전라도에 놀러가서팬션에서지내고있는데 옆방에서소곤소곤하는소리가들리길래자세히들어봤더니"아따오늘우리슨상님을부활시켜야되니께옆방에있는놈을제물로바쳐부르장께"라고하길래저는 깜짝놀래 팬션을뛰쳐나갈려는데 갑자기 팬션주인이저를붙잡으며"아따성님정들어서 보내기섭한디술이나한잔하고가부러"라고하길래저는 가야될일이생겼다고하자팬션주인의얼굴색이변하며"이보시오성님들제물이도망가려고허는디잡어부러야제"라고하며온주민들을 불러모아저를잡으려고하길래 저는뒤도안돌아보고있는힘껏빠져나왔습니다
전라동화노ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
its real.
Oh my god this is actually so heartbreaking to watch. Ugh it’s terrible how humans can treat other humans like that, it’s really scary
What’s so heartbreaking is knowing that most of these people are SO sweet and trusting 😔 They don’t even know they deserve so much SO MUCH better. This is a sick and cruel world, with sick and cruel people.
Spilulu Lily Agreed. And what’s also worse is ignorant people that’s aware of this and wouldn’t do anything. We, the people aware of this stuff should help out in any way as possible, even just a little bit to make the world at least a decent place to live in.
Exactly. It's like with everything else. Powerful people stay corrupt, poor people have to work several jobs to live, rich people get away with everything, new inventions are developed and put away so the old expensive stuff can be exploited more. This is such a weird, cruel, twisted world. I'm sure peace and being a whole can never be achieved.
@@syeo501 powerful people are the ones with the 💸💸💸. If we didn't have 💸💸💸 there would be 🚫 powerful people. The world would be a better place. We would be equal. Then we could all be ONE🤞🏼❤❤
@@worldpeace42069 Like in Star Trek, where money doesn't matter, only knowledge.
Well, there is no state support for mentally handicapped people in Korea and they are pretty much discriminated. So they feel rather useless and worthless, they know they put their families through financial troubles. Thus they take such slave jobs, they think they could support their loved ones. It‘s so tragic. Korea doesn’t really do much for those in need, it‘s a country with still a lot of poverty, even though it seems technologically so developed.
disturbing to see how Korea has such a well developed economy yet disregards their citizens mental health and everything
True, but considering that they were one if the poorest countries in the world a generation ago they did well to come this far.
@@hardernotfaster7705 i agree
Many people have summed it up in this: Korea developed rapidly economically and industrially, faster than most other countries. Because of such rapid economic growth, the country didn't go through the many social changes that usually "paired" alongside industrial developments. There just wasn't time for it to organically happen (social changes don't happen fast-- they happen by generations).
Hence, you have nation that's excelling in several markets and industries yet is behind socially on many things, like 9/10 women agreeing that the country is sexist. Hopefully over time things will change for the better.
Yup that is the truth about Korea. Korea has a very poor social inequity system.
Same for the US sorta
such strong siblings, mad respect to them and the journalist as well. listening to that poor man’s testimony about how he was treated was truly heartbreaking; i don’t know how the journalist was still able to keep his composure after hearing about the pesticides, honestly.
I hope this beautiful man is doing good now. Such a loving smile after being put through that for 3 decades. He deserves nothing but happiness.
My husband is from S.Korea and talks about things like this happening, it's sad that so many people are unaware of this issue.
Kpop fans think S.Korea is some sort of utopia when in all reality there are a lot of issues socially.
Corporal punishment in schools, extremely low minimum wage, homophobia, slavery etc..and sadly not many laws to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions towards others.
true even police doesn't care what more of the people who are in higher position
I heard Kpop singers are in some weird form of slavery.
@Tyrone Catkiller Kang she's probably white and that doesn't discredit what she said
@Tyrone Catkiller Kang lol you look like a blind idiot 😂 I'm asian and op looks like white tf are you smoking 😂😂 nothing wrong with homosexuals and I'm sure you're far worse since you're an idiot.
Kpop fans have a special type of stupid.
i must say, as a korean born citizen, this doesnt surprise me. when i went to school for a few years just to visit what korea was like (came to US when 7 years old) during my middle school and high school years, we had many mentally ill students and they would be made fun of, beat up, and taken advantage of. im not going to lie, i was the only one protecting these student and have gotten into a lot of fights for them. none the less, i was singled out most of the time. South Korea just isnt a nice place for a handicap person to live.
Thank you for stepping up to protect them! 💞
ZeroExpectationss not need to thank, it should be common sense for everyone but, sadly isnt.
James Kang It should be common sense, but in this day in age there is lack of compassion and understanding. It takes courage to stand up for those that are vulnerable and do the right thing to protect them.
ZeroExpectationss not to mention that South Korea still lacks a lot of handicap parking, accesses to buildings, and support from government.
@ercan That's not true
Unfortunately for some of these people, its a choice between homelessness or forced labor. Hopefully their government can provide better care for them. The second man interviewed who was and orphan and eventually ended up working in a salt farm at least ended up with owners who treated him like family. Thanks for this documentary.
Dude the government knows full well what is going on
“Once you are sold and you cannot escape “…. Very sad to hear from a disabled saying that. Yet he thinks those 2 ppl are like father & mom to him. Thats the highest manipulation of humanity.
The thing is that this man is clearly intelligent, he is clearly conscious enough to understand his feelings and the world around him which makes all of this much crueler
Exactly, im surprised no one actually pointed that out!
bro idk how to tell u this but mentally illy people are conscious enough 2 understand their own feelings
Of course he's conscious, disabled / mentally ill doesn't mean they can't feel. They're not subhumans, they may think differently than the average joe but they're still human. This shouldn't be a suprise.
This is such a short sighted, stupid comment, and I'm disgusted that nearly 600 people gave this a thumbs up.
This is a terrible comment. If he wasn't as 'intelligent', how would this be less cruel? Disability doesn't correlate with intellect, someone can be intelligent while having limited mental capacities that don't let them express themselves in ways that non-disabled people view as intelligent. This is horribly cruel no matter what person goes through it, and it is especially horrible that this 'industry' takes advantage of disabled people who are systematically disadvantaged since they are denied many jobs, are more likely to be abused (especially if they are in need of assistance in their daily lives) and are viewed as lesser BECAUSE of their disabilities and/or 'lack of consciousness'. All humans are conscious and see/experience the world in their own ways. The WHOLE POINT of this 'industry' and the reason why nothing is being done about it is BECAUSE people think that it is more justified since disabled people, in their minds, aren't conscious to understadn what absue is. I don't think that intellect or consciousness makes this in any way better or worse.
God bless the sister for being there for him 30 years after he went missing. What a sweetheart for humoring him w/ fun socks :)
Also - I don't understand - why do they talk about this place as if it's hidden and there's nothing that can be done? If a random white British dude can figure it out, can't the government move in and investigate? I don't understand what the barrier/challenge is...
they said that people have been arrested but are usually let go because the don't really have trafficking laws
The only challenge is the corrupted police and government. The Korea government is too busy ( with the korean economics growth ) to take care of the inequalities and injustices of the countryside.... It's the same in China, India and many other developing countries
South Korea is too focused on North Korea
The government is too focused on their economy to take care of everything else, or more like they don't care
The barrier is their culture. They don't care about anyone not in family, and lastly, they don't even care about family, especially elders. They don't look on people like European countries, where was Greek philosophy and Christian "everyone is your brother in Lord". They had kastes, slaves and brutality. Now, the old order is gone, only money can make you someone. So they have enourmous corruption and slavery cases, when other people didn't help them, but did the opposite. Even if West is getting atheist, there is still mentality of "sin", like, you do sth bad and you feel bad with it. In many Asian places, there is "as long as no one catch me and lock in prison, I can use others". Every culture has its dark evil side. There is saying "grass is greener on the other side" but when you look closely, it is just green in different way.
On the brother and sister, the sister is so sweet and caring to her brother they really do love each other and need each other it really breaks my heart I can't imagine how enraged you would feel finding out your family member was treated that way.
i am korean and despite the huge problems in that area, no proper investigation has been conducted yet for political reasons and so far.. this fact makes me very sad
The journalist risked his life for this story and I'm grateful he did. It's important that we know about it.
What have you done with the information since receiving it?
@@twofourtwo93 he can spread it by word and bring more awareness to this problem
@@twofourtwo93 it puts more pressure on the SK gov. if there is ‘public outrage’ about it.
I agree. This is the real world we live in. Not enough journalists have the guts to do this kind of story
@@Bob-co8ur great now we are all aware. lets not pat ourselves on the backs for learning about something then not doing shit to change it.
That's messed up. :(
:'(
Ikr...:(
Woojong with the Word I was just about to comment I feel really bad for these mentally disabled elderlies💔 then realized it's you! Woojong oppa!!
Woojong with the Word nah man that's REALLY messed up
how ure so smart. is it really ?? wow
I recently went on a trip to that island with my family and took pictures on the street for a few miniutes alone.
Only later did I realize that there was such a terrible feeling on this island and I am grateful to be doing so now
Ngl I'm impressed at how British people just go anywhere and record it. Thank you for this reporting.
Mental health is taboo for some stupid reason in korea and I wouldn’t be surprise if parents were sending their disabled kids to the island.
Dude, it’s for cultural reasons, and most other first world countries also aren’t super great or have no stigma against mental disabilities. It’s everywhere, don’t demonize South Korea for no reason, it’s dumb.
@@duckledoodledooser7551 shut up paid troll
@OhHi Oh
Seriously? You think I’m paid you either self righteous garbage or incel with nothing to do.
@@ohhi5237 the guy isnt wrong though. Mental health is not taken serious in so many countries. Not only South Korea, they only just started taking it seriously with the death of Jonghyun if you know who that is.
@@babatunde805 oh i know, before 2006 mental illnesses did not exist in korea
how is the police not constantly checking the workers? the government has to do something about this! too many koreans ignore disabled people...it's so sad.
WaterspoutsOfTheDeep
wtf dude, it's not time to say shit about other race. and that's clearly prejudice and racist shit you've been spouting
Well, it's pretty hard to 'constantly check the workers'. Like the documentary pointed out, there are like 200 houses (MAX) on these islands. There are often zero police on the islands, and when there are police, they are part of the (also mentioned in the documentary) tightly knit communities. The police living with them on the islands will turn a blind eye either for social or monetary favour. The police who visit the islands won't come into contact with the disabled people, it's easy to hide a worker. "Hey, Gi-Hong, today you're going to help mother tend to the family grave on the mountain." These islands would also probably be largely cash based. You're not going to find book records of earning or employees.
Another one of those keyboard warriors. LOL.
Leopold Samsung government?
Depression Of My Cat
Population. Too many to monitor.
It hurts my heart when I see such sweet, kind disabled people. Normal people like you and I see a perfectly pleasant person who lives a little different than us, but evil people see an opportunity. The inability to be there to protect or advocate for them makes me mad.
I'm Korean and thank you for making a documentary addressing the serious human rights abuses in Sinan. As I recall, a decade ago, there was an incident in Sinan where someone endured treatment worse than slavery for five years, and, through a letter sent by mail to her sister's address, was rescued. The victim's letter to her sister contained the most shocking revelation: 'Never report to Mokpo Police Station. Sinan and Mokpo police are colluding. You must report in Seoul and come with them.' Recently, a doctor exposing crimes involving salt farm workers and island residents on a Sinan island died under suspicious circumstances. A few months ago, a CZcamsr filming on a Sinan island, discussing slavery with the locals, was followed by someone. Subsequently, the CZcamsr was abruptly arrested by the Mokpo Police Station in Daegu (which is far from Mokpo) and taken to Mokpo. Most Koreans believe that Sinan residents are part of a criminal cartel. In reality, faceless corpses are frequently found near Sinan, and there are rumors that before investigators are dispatched to inspect Sinan islands on a national level, someone from Sinan leaks the patrol dates in advance. In case the existence of slaves is exposed, there are rumors that portions with fingerprints and faces are cut using sharp tools and thrown into the sea.
+ My Eng is bad, so I wrote this in Korean, and translate by ChatGPT.
The guy who runs the shelter for disabled is the salt of the earth.
And he should eat it all up
TheFandrian and when the union agreed as well
Very sad . He had a GOOD sister on his side
She's so scared to lose him again
Vampz0r What??
Much appreciated material! Thank you for making it!
Great video, this was very educational but interesting at the same time.
"He was a really bad man"
"His eyes were very scary"
Denial in it's purest form. Deep down, he knows what he did was wrong.
Ben Wall8 Many Asian cultures don’t acknowledge mental illness. Maybe in his eyes he was doing nothing wrong.
@@WangMotions Good point, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that some people are just a little different
@@WangMotions Yeah, maybe he didn't understand a lot about mental illness, but I'm sure he knows that enslaving people is wrong.
Rom A that sounds a bit racist
@@subbot4417 Maybe we should return Korea to Japan
“He’s got evil eyes”??? Wtf. He has the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen. These people are fucking evil.
On islands off Korea's western and southern coasts, these human rights abuses have been known for decades. People who are imprisoned and forced to work include people with disabilities, debtors, and people without personal connections. They are also scammed or even kidnapped while trying to find work. In particular, the so-called 'salt farm slave' incident discovered in Shinan in 2014 had a great shock to Koreans. But in these isolated areas, cartels of sorts have formed, making crime very difficult to detect and investigate. Many people only use the salt farm slavery incident to denigrate the region, but show no fundamental efforts to solve the problem.
Thank you for the report about slavery issues in my country as a south Korean.
People are upset and they are trying to change to prevent it.
But report from overseas always effects better than domain report.
Ofc he likes colourful kids clothes are you kidding me!? It was probably the only thing to give him a smile
naynay sploogle he should be showered with all the colorful socks he wants.
I think there's more human trafficking in the world than we truly know about but it's great to see when people are rescued from it.
me when i find out i live a thirty-minute drive away from a major human/sex trafficking hub: 🙃
God help us.
also serial killers you never know whose one until they get caught.the world is truly horrifying
IF A REPORTER FROM OTHER COUNTRY CAN FIND THEM LOCAL POLICE CANNOT? AT THE SAME FOOOOOOKING TIME YOU GUYS ARE TAKING THAT SAME EVIL GOVERNMENT's VACCINE THINKING THEY CARE FOR YOUR HEALTH. FOOOOOOOOK OFF WITH THAT FOOOOOKING BRAIN OF YOURS.u6
@@cryptoinsider9305 its hilarious isnt it, seeing how people are keeping on. what a joke everything is.
You can tell how horrible that period in his life was. He looks like he could be his sister’s father. His body shows the stress and trauma he faced.
그려 이잉 거기 미국 사람? 뭐 마이클…? 오늘부터 넌 덕길이여 덕길이
As someone curently working with people living with disabilities, this breaks my heart.
That old man was lying his ass right off. His excuses were pure bullcrap. ''I didn't know he was mentally disabled'' ''His eyes are very scary'' ''He's very well built, who could've hit him?''. Are you frigging kidding me? What a scumbag. People with greed and no compassion will always find a way to excuse their actions.
you better start raking in those shekels
My mother does that too thank you very much
Yes I do as well and it's really sad to watch how bad they're treated over there.
Same with me, I volunteer regularly after the appalling treatment I saw in my home county
(stessd so bad one year I just needed sleep but my LOVEING doctor turned my words from "im not sleeping the xanax is not working" to "ive used all my xanax and i want to die in my sleep." Earned me a week, we sued we won)
But it was a clear opportunity to see how my state took care of their captives, drugged to compliance, threatened with seclusion if they complain. And the truly insane were not stopped from attacking those who were just on drugs or the homeless who wanted a medical check ups an 2 hots and a cot for a week. The group therapy was sub-par and support from staff near nonexistent. But the worst was if you take any medications like xanax and pain meds... be prepared of them being withheld from you. They will give you NOTHING till you break and when you do the doctor gives you a strike witch adds more time to your sentence. So you have to waigh being in crippling pain and panic or staying longer. It was hell the atmosphere is terrifying and no support, and the longer you stay the more money the clinic gets. If you have a loved one going through a crisis dont go to the ER an seek an emergency psychiatrist and they can tell you if you actually are looseing your mind or just overwhelmed. Nobody will treat you better then those who love you and if you feel that theres nobody there is still help.
My case pales in comparison to whats happening to those in Korean salt factories by far and best wishes to their rescueing.
Sorry for getting preachy and Ill pull it if you guys dont like it, not trying to start controversy. Just perspective.
As the sister of two disabled (my only siblings rly) brothers, I have to constantly look out for them. It's in America too, trust me. How many times have people tried to scam my older brother? Take his extra cash because he forgot to grab it and knew he wouldn't understand he was owed money back? Or my *6 year old little brother* who doesn't get even the freaking _basics_ of stranger danger.
Sometimes, the human race is just disgusting. This is coming from a 12 year old, so humans must be doing something wrong.
Is sad .. but inevitable in this cruel world
It's nature
.
Stupid americanos
The world was always cruel the weak are the prey for the strong it was always like that and will always be
Quality information, good job guys!
Sending my most heartfelt gratitude to these good people who came to the rescue. I am just disgusted that we are breathing the same air as those inhumane ones.
I live in the province of S. KOREA for almost 8 years and I don't know that slavery exist in korea. Thanks for this documentary. I always teach my child to never trust to anybody specially if she don't know that person.
well thats one bad way to live..
@OhHi Oh did you just come here to read the comments and reply to every single one?
A. LEE managing a slavery in Isolated Islands... far away from mainland.. hard to escape..
just teach how to accept disabled people n donot taboo about mental health..
Never trust your government. No government.
You are truly a journalist to be a role model in the society. Thanks a million. I've vaguely heard of this kind of incident via Korean media. Your report is objective and to the point. Thanks again.
Wonderful work. Love these docs. ❤
One of a kind reporter. He truly gives us the best that can be made.
this is so heartbreaking to watch. i cant believe there are seriously people like this. seeing the recruiter and the owner of the seaweed farm made my blood boil
anyone know were i can donate to chung gi? if anyone can find that info i will donate to you as well for finding that info for me. ty
That old sneaky farm owner is lying! He looks the abusive type.
N
Yes he both denies doing anything wrong and says that the disabled man looks bad and like he needs beating. These are the self justifying words of a habitual abuser. The reporter was temporarily swayed by his argument.
@@wordzmyth When you speak with conviction even an obvious lie sounds like it could be the truth.
He was being polite,what do you want him to do,slap him!
@@carnagedogg4294 speak up and say he disagrees. List the evidence the police e found. Say noobody "deserves a beating". Silence is tacit agreement.
imagine how many more victims are stuck on the island 😭
Karen Joyce terrible... North Korean nuke is badly needed to end this horror
@@Edwinbraun20 no....
THIS is journalism. Excellent reporting. Frightening situation. Heart is heavy for those trafficked and exploited.
I really love this reporter, he is respecting and takes action and doesn't just talk dramatic. Ceep it up!
He is Louis Theroux's older brother. They are very similar.
When his sister saw his missing teeth...man...not even wild animals can torture another the way human beings can
clysses S I think they meant an animal torturing another one of its species is not as bad as the way humans torture each other
@clysses SYes animals kill and eat each other but they don't kidnap another animal, make them do slave labor and beat them everyday for it, do you get what i'm trying to say? Animals act on instinct, but we humans are conscious of our actions. Not only do we act like animal predators, but we also have the intelligence to psychological harm someone for personal gain, and that harm can extend over a time span of years. An animal will just kill another and eat it....a human will hold you captive, make you work, and beat you till your teeth fall out everyday. Humans consciously inflict pain on each other for personal gain or pleasure.
cats say hello. also the things dolphins do... yikes... those are legit gangsters.
They don't show you this in k - dramas
Hoàng Nguyên I agree that K-dramas are bullshit. But dude.. you DON’T know jackshit about our society or our economy because that “right wing American extremists fantasy” thing can’t be further from the truth. Sure, South Korea isn’t built on Nordic-tier democratic socialism. Nonetheless, I would argue that it is the polar opposite of red states in USA. Here we’ve got cheap ass universal healthcare, functioning public education, extensive public transport, and so on.. Our middle class are given huge tax breaks which is not the case for our upper class. And the overwhelming consensus here is against gun legalization. Does anything I mentioned sound remotely close to Republican ideals?
Of course you wont find this shit in a teenage-feeling-good romance korean drama. Try something darker and they exposed shitty things happened in south korea. In a k drama called god's quiz, there is an episode exactly like this, people exploited disabled and mentally challenged people to become slave. And there are many more harsh teuth about s korea there.
Korea drama iz BULLSHIT. Only koreaboos believe that shit is real
It depends on the kdrama you watch...
Not in hit drama winter sonata
우리나라는 진짜 썩은 부분은 항상 외면하고 나은 부분만 홍보하기 바쁘다. 이나라 법의 질서는 무너진지 오래고 법의 목적과 기능을 상실했다. 자신 스스로가 지켜야 하는 엿같은 상황..
This is excellent journalism!
I have two kids with autism and this makes me want to burn the whole world. Bless that guy who owned that shelter he was literally a shining light.
Not the whole world, but the d*ckholes making other's people's live miserable!!
do they need a part-time job?
Yes do it, I understand your anger.
vaxxed
@@MrRsmit113 shut up
Any one hurts disabled people ,should be held accountable. JUSTICE
I'm such a genius, started watching and thinking "oh wow, do all Brits doing documentary tv sound like Louis Theroux must be a trend" and then I realize it's his brother.
That place is not Korea. Jeolla-do is an area of criminals. It's like Gotham City. There is no sense of guilt in managing the slaves of salt pans, and even the police and judges are one with them. The salt farm owners who enslaved them were released on probation. The reason was that it was a local custom.
And there is also a police officer who took the person who escaped from the salt field to the police station back to the owner of the salt field.
what a terrifying situation.
The funny thing is that the people of Sin-An(the Area name) call their village 'Island of Angels'.
Koreans call the island of angels a place where you die and become angels. Or called Sin Andreas(=Sin-An).
my god, the painful expression in his face makes you really understand just the smallest bit of what he must have went through. My heart goes out to him and his family. May they go on to live in peace
Wow. The stigma of mental health in S Korea and the lack of compassion, combined with the sin of greed, people taking advantage of others who cannot fight back because they’re mentally limited- it’s another eye opener. I’ve learned about Bangladesh and human trafficking, but this is also disheartening. This is why journalism is sooo so important!
But local journalists won't cover it, unless they're outsiders or they have ball of steel
Journalism won't do shit and this stuff will never change.
@@Xezlec honestly besides documenting it, it changes nothing....
You realize not all of South Korea is like this right? It’s just a couple of very corrupt places you know... every country has their few very corrupt places and industries. Don’t blame all of a country for their few evil people, otherwise every single country would be awful in your eyes, Japan’s unit 731 gave syphilis and frostbite to infants, impregnated women then would spin them around to see the affects. Performed vivisection to the worst degrees, but do you hate japan?
Plus, let’s be honest, disabled people are treated fairly badly everywhere soooo, yeah.
Lynn Ly
yes, we need more youngful bravery KIND HEART JOURNALIST!!
many locals journalists take "dirty moneys" to not report this even they're know it
cause mostly locals reported working in areas where they being friends of wise range of "society friends, from octet to police to sleep, to ganster/criminal" so maybe a lot of locals journalists hear about this or even see it by their own eyes!! but they're deny to report or bring justice for these poor helpless people!!
IM SHOCK THAT EVEN SUDDENLY WHITE BRITISH GUYS CAN FIND THIS PROBLEMS & FOND THE REMOTE ISLAND, why locals journalists & locals police can't find this???
I'm glad he can be with his sister and smile again. I hope they find happiness.
Such a heart warming video, great work, presenter must have balls of steel!