“Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help. You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” (Psalm 30:10–11, NIV)
Approximately 2 million minors worldwide are believed to be victims of sexual exploitation. According to the UN, child prostitution has spread globally, and about 33% of human trafficking cases involve children. Many of these children come from extreme poverty in regions such as Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. As past investigations have shown—and as remains true today—many are abandoned by their parents or sold to traffickers, then forced into sexual slavery. The ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) network reports that despite two decades of efforts to combat sexual exploitation, incidents connected to travel and tourism have increased. They warn that no region or country is exempt and that offenders come from every social class. The highest rates of sexual violence against children have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and the Central African Republic.
According to the 2021 report “Analysis of Sexual Crimes Against Children and Adolescents in 2019”, there were 322 reported cases of youth sex trafficking in Korea that year, including coercion, forced prostitution, and brokering. The average age of perpetrators who coerced minors into prostitution was 19.8, and even when data from 2014 to 2018 is included, teenagers accounted for 60.2%—the highest proportion. The average age of the exploited youth was around 15 years old. According to a 2019 report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, nearly half (47.6%) of at-risk youth using protection shelters had experienced some form of prostitution, and about 87% of them had been recruited through online platforms, including chat apps.
In Korea, February 22 is designated as “Child Sexual Violence Prevention Day”, established in 2007 following the tragic 2006 sexual assault and murder of an elementary school girl in Yongsan. In 2019 alone, 2,638 cases of sexual violence were reported, with 30.8% of the victims under the age of 13—a figure that has been increasing for three consecutive years. Digital sex crimes, such as the production of child sexual exploitation material and obscene content through media, were most prevalent among youth aged 13 to 15. According to 2020 statistics from the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center, most perpetrators were known to the victims. Among infants and toddlers, 86.9% were assaulted by relatives or acquaintances; 68.6% for children aged 8–13, and 23.2% for teenagers.
One victim, identified as “B”, shared that she was sexually assaulted at age 11. She struggled for 15 years to escape the trauma but was unable to overcome the anger and pain. However, at age 26, she accepted Jesus Christ and received new life through Him. Today, she serves to help restore other children who, like her, have suffered from sexual violence.
》Prayer Points
1. In a world where 2 million children are exploited through prostitution, let us pray that the evil fueling sexual depravity will come to an end. Ask God to protect the countless children forced into prostitution by adults, and to save them through His love. Let us also pray that governments, teachers, and parents around the world will take active steps to stop the spread of child prostitution, especially through smartphones and online platforms.
2. Pray that the light of the gospel will shine on children who have been victims of prostitution and sexual violence, saving them from their pain and trauma. Let us stand against Satan, who stirs up lust and drives the vulnerable into abuse. May those who have the life of the gospel rise up, serve these children with love, and lead them into true healing and new life.
》Scripture Prayer
(Proverbs 10:23-32,NIV) 23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. 24 What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted. 25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. 26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them. 27 The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. 28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. 29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. 30 The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land. 31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced. 32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. Let us pray that those who have committed sexual exploitation—treating children, who should be protected and nurtured with love, as objects of lust—will come to repentance. Those who foolishly delight in evil will ultimately face ruin when what they fear comes upon them. Pray that the gospel of the cross of Jesus Christ, already fully accomplished, will reach even the worst sinners, so they may find forgiveness and salvation.
2. Pray for comfort for the youth and their families who are suffering from the sexual crimes. Ask that the perfect love of the cross will touch their souls, bring them restoration, and protect them from ever falling again into the grip of sin. Let the Church, the body of Christ, faithfully proclaim the holy gospel to the next generation, nurture them in faith, and raise them as a people who worship and glorify the Lord with eternal life.
》 Urgent prayer requests around the world need your prayer!
