Will a law to punish 'Online Grooming' be established? "Special provisions for undercover investigations also prepared"

Imprisonment up to 3 Years for Luring Children and Adolescents for Prostitution
Kwon Insuk: "Fundamental Blocking and Prevention of Digital Sex Crimes"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] A law that can punish so-called 'online grooming,' which involves sexually enticing children and adolescents online and then demanding physical recordings, has passed the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee. The bill will be finalized into law after passing the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and then the plenary session.

According to the National Assembly on the 20th, the Gender Equality and Family Committee held a plenary meeting on the 18th and approved the "Act on the Protection of Children and Adolescents from Sexual Abuse" amendment, which includes provisions to punish conversations related to the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.

The amendment includes provisions to punish continuous or repeated conversations that may induce sexual desire or shame for the purpose of sexually exploiting children and adolescents. In addition, the penalty for inducing or enticing children and adolescents for prostitution purposes has been strengthened from the current imprisonment of up to one year to imprisonment of up to three years. Furthermore, a special provision allowing the police to conduct "undercover investigations" on digital sex crimes against children and adolescents has also been established.

Representative Kwon In-sook of the Democratic Party of Korea, who proposed the bill, said on Facebook, "It is significant that we can fundamentally block and prevent digital sex crimes against children and adolescents from the online grooming stage," adding, "Already, 63 countries worldwide punish online grooming, and now we can finally join their ranks."