When A, a sex worker who wishes to remain anonymous, first arrived in Yongjugol at age 27, she found herself in one of South Korea’s most well-known red-light districts. Located in Paju, a city just an hour north of Seoul, the area has served as a center for sex workers for decades. And for A, Yongjugol means home.

A is one of a few dozen women who work in the brothels of Yongjugol. She says no one forced her to work there, and she enjoys living in the area.

However, Paju City officials are now keen to level the red