HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH KOREA

Human Trafficking in South Korea:

Web Article and Photo Genre Analysis
Amber M Barrio
University of Texas at El Paso

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH KOREA

Introduction:
Human trafficking is an issue that happens all over the world, not many people realize
that this is an issue happens every day. Human trafficking is an illegal act that involves people
being traded for drugs and prostitution. South Korea is a country that is no stranger to human
trafficking, this type of behavior is a violation to human rights around the world, but
unfortunately it is a business that is in very high demand. For this paper there will be two genres
that will be analyzed, this will included an internet article and a photograph campaigning against
human trafficking. These two genres will be analyzed through comparing and contrasting how
these two genres are providing information on human trafficking in South Korea.
Purpose and Audience
The intended audience for the web article would be those who are daily internet users
who are interested in understanding what human trafficking is and why it is such an issue in
South Korea. Also the target audience may want to be part of preventing human trafficking, such
as non-profit organizations and the audience can range from teenagers to adults. The audience
knows that human trafficking happens all over the world and they would like to understand why
does is happen specifically in South Korea. The main purpose of this genre was to inform and
give an insight to the audience of human trafficking in South Korea so that may be able to fully
grasp the concept of this global issue.
The second genre is a campaign photograph that is intended for students and adults. By
looking at the photograph the audience knows that the women presented is from South Korea.
She has a barcode painted on her mouth with the saying, I am a human being not a commodity.
This genre is used to show that she is being treated as an item that can be bought rather than a

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH KOREA

human being. The intended audience for this particular genre are those who are in a public place
where this photograph is presented. By looking at the photograph the audience will want to know
how this girl got that way, what can be done to prevent others from being a victim? This
campaign photograph has an informative purpose that to the point about the reality of human
trafficking.
The similarities between these two genres are that they are both used as a source of
information on human trafficking in South Korea. The differences are the type of audience that
that is attracted for each genre. The web article has enough information about the topic that many
people may not have to work as hard to understand, as for the photograph it is short and simple
that means that the audience may have to evaluate to truly understand what the photo is about.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Logos, Pathos
The article on human trafficking is from the official homeland security website
www.ice.gov.com. The type of emotion the author of the article is trying to evoke out of the
audience is education, so that the audience is aware of the situation that is currently going on and
compassion from the readers so that they can level with these victims emotionally. The author of
the article uses testimonials from victims of human trafficking and who were fortunate enough to
escape.
This photograph is from a campaign ad that is used in a website called The Box. This site
was made to inform people that human trafficking is a global issue. The purpose of the website
was to not only inform but also recruit people into taking a stand against human trafficking. The
photograph is trying to evoke anger and compassion from the audience. When the audience

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views the photo they would get angry about the thought of people and children being used as
modern day slaves.
Structure:
The information is organized in a way that gets the information to the audience with no
trouble. Because the information is from the homeland security database there are no limitations
this article is based on the evidence that homeland security are investigating. The structure of the
article is purely informative. The structure of the photograph is to the point and it is expressed in
a way that will make people see that human trafficking is a serious situation. Because the genre
is a photograph there are some types of limitations, there is only so much you can express with a
picture that has one sentence, but with a picture there is a bit more freedom in order to capture
the emotion from the audience.
Style/Language:
The language used in the article is formal with the use of vocabulary that is also formal
but is used in a way as to not confuse the audience and to also keep their attention to what the
article is trying to inform the audience of. In the photograph from the website The Wren project
there is one sentence that says I am a human being not a commodity The sentence is a bold
statement that is used in a formal way. The sentence is big and the second part of the sentence is
in bold letters, to emphasize the importance of the advertisement to the audience.
Conclusion:
In conclusion the two genres are an informative source that will give the audience an
opportunity to understand what human trafficking is and why it is a crime is being committed.
But after analyzing both genres it seems that the web article is the genre that would be best for

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the audience to view if they want detailed information because in todays day and age the
majority of people are tech oriented and they are more likely to want to view information that is
on the web where they can access fast and easy.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH KOREA

References
[Editorial] Human trafficking in S. Korea. (2009, February 28). Retrieved September 12, 2014.
The Wren Project. (2014, September 15). Retrieved September 16, 2014.