2018 Citizen Group Accusation
Operator Recently Arrested in the Philippines
700,000 Members, 210,000 Reviews
Most Domestic Leaders and Staff Arrested
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police crackdown on 'Bam-ui Jeonjaeng,' the largest domestic prostitution brokerage site with up to 700,000 members, is nearing its final stage three years after the investigation began. With the site operator, who had fled to the Philippines, being apprehended locally, the police plan to repatriate him to South Korea to conclude the investigation.
According to the National Police Agency on the 26th, the police, in cooperation with the Korean Desk in the Philippines and local investigative agencies, arrested Mr. A, a man in his 40s and operator of Bam-ui Jeonjaeng, at his residence around 10 a.m. on the 22nd (local time).
Mr. A is suspected of operating three prostitution brokerage sites, including Bam-ui Jeonjaeng, from April 2014 to July 2019, and earning illicit profits worth approximately 20 billion KRW by advertising prostitution establishments.
Bam-ui Jeonjaeng was the largest prostitution brokerage site in South Korea, with 700,000 members and over 210,000 prostitution reviews. Following a report by civic groups in 2018, the police launched an investigation, arresting 40 people including the domestic head and shutting down three prostitution brokerage sites. They also cracked down on 789 establishments listed on the sites, arresting 2,522 individuals including owners, employees, and clients.
Through the investigation, the police have apprehended most key figures involved. One of the co-operators of Bam-ui Jeonjaeng, Mr. B, voluntarily returned from the Philippines in August 2019 after the police investigation began and was detained. The domestic head and deputy operator were also arrested that year. Additionally, a police officer who received bribes amounting to tens of millions of KRW in connection with the site was detained.
However, the whereabouts of co-operator Mr. A remained unknown. Although the global spread of COVID-19 last year made tracking in the Philippines difficult, the police succeeded in arresting Mr. A after two years of persistent pursuit, securing critical intelligence and conducting a long-term stakeout. The police plan to promptly repatriate Mr. A to South Korea through coordination with the Philippine authorities via the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines.
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