Government is demolishing Seoul's red-light areas, while sex workers argue their voices are not being heard. Seoul, South Korea - The s was a peak time for Cheongyangni , a thriving red-light district in Seoul's east. It housed more than shops and sex workers.
Historians labelled it the biggest and most popular red-light area in South Korea's capital. The area is now a construction site.
It was dimly lit. Pedestrians were scarce - passing through to get to their destination rather than venturing out in the area. All shops, bar one, have shut down. The padlocks on the doors, shattered windows, rubbish bags dumped on the streets and the eerie silence adds to the change - the area went from buzzing and bustling to desolate and barren. Now, there are hardly any.
We open late and close early," Ann named changed to protect identity , the sole sex worker in the shop, told Al Jazeera as she continued to look past the windows for any approaching customers.
The conversation was cut short as she spotted a middle-aged man looking into the shop from across the pavement.
