As Brothels Close, Office Buildings and One-Room Apartments Rise... Prostitution Mediation Rings Busted in 120 Office Buildings

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Ju-cheol In] An organized group that rented officetels nationwide by employing foreign women staying illegally and brokered prostitution has been arrested.

The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency announced on the 7th that they arrested 29 people, including the ringleader Mr. A, who rented 120 officetels nationwide and brokered prostitution involving illegally staying foreign women.

Mr. A and his group are suspected of renting 120 officetels in 23 areas including Paju, Ilsan, Pyeongtaek, Anseong in Gyeonggi Province; Gimhae and Yangsan in Gyeongnam; Gyeongsan in Gyeongbuk; Busan; and Cheongju in Chungbuk since June 2019 to broker prostitution. The police also arrested three male clients in their 20s and ten illegally staying women.

Although the scale of brokering is unclear, transaction ledgers containing about 10,000 cases were confirmed only in the Busan and Gyeongnam areas. This indicates that the main venues for prostitution are shifting from red-light districts and entertainment establishments to officetels, villas, and one-room apartments, infiltrating daily life.

Last month, a mother and daughter who employed a minor for prostitution were caught at an officetel in Haeundae, Busan. In August, a prostitution brokering scene was captured at an officetel in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The prevalence of prostitution in officetels is interpreted as an attempt to avoid intensified crackdowns.

Traditional prostitution establishments are easy targets for crackdowns due to high foot traffic, but officetels are structurally less conspicuous. Brokers avoid crackdowns by contacting clients through websites or apps and informing them of meeting places.

With the nationwide increase in officetels and frequent vacancies, it is easy to rent rooms. Short-term contracts are also possible, allowing them to leave the site quickly once crackdowns begin.

Mr. A’s group also operated by renting officetels on a short-term monthly basis and paying monthly rent. The police are strengthening crackdowns on officetels to catch the evolving prostitution scenes.

Kang Bong-gyun, head of the Public Order Division at the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency, said, "Recently, prostitution is happening both online and offline, making crackdowns difficult," and urged, "Please actively report any suspicious signs of prostitution."