SOME STRANGE FACTS ABOUT SOUTH KOREA

According to South Korea’s Health and Ministry department, there are 9,742 licensed blind masseurs in 1,300 legal parlors as of 2018. But this is only a small percentage of all the masseurs, the majority being those hired from China and Thailand working in illegal parlors to meet the growing demand for massage in the country. The law, introduced in 1913, has been repeatedly upheld by the Constitutional Court despite numerous appeals challenging the restriction of the profession to only the blind. The court stated that, since “the massage business is virtually the only occupation that visually impaired people can normally enjoy,” the current system ensures their right to survival. Anyone who violates the law could receive five years in prison and a fine of up to 50 million won (43,109 USD).

August 7, 2022 | 9:39 pm