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| The "609" red-light district in Busan before its demolition. Yonhap |
By Park Si-soo
Busan said on Wednesday the city's biggest red-light district "609" had been swept away completely.
The work of dismantling prostitution facilities was completed in February, officials said. The announcement was a symbolic event meant to mark the "formal end of the cleaning project and at the same time a new beginning of the district," they said.
The "609" was the code number of a U.S. transportation troops' base in the district's vicinity from the Korean War to 1971.
The district ― spanning 42,856 square meters ― was flourishing until the early 2000s but began a slow decline following an anti-prostitution act in 2004. For its part, Busan City also pushed 609 to the edge as part of efforts to promote the coastal city as a "sound, family-oriented tour destination."
Officials said construction of a large-scale residential skyscraper will soon begin on the site.
