[Exclusive Video] "Even Better If They're Minors" 'Conditional Meeting' Man, Meeting in Reality

[Asia Economy Reporters Seunggon Han, PD Jingeun Yoon, Intern PD Hyewon Lim] "I did it out of curiosity.", "You have the wrong person!"

It was easy to meet men who offered money for so-called 'conditional meetings' through chat applications (apps). On the afternoon of the 16th, when the reporters installed a chat app on their phones and set the gender to female, dozens of men immediately messaged saying "Let's meet right away." The messages kept coming, draining the battery, forcing the reporters to continue the conversation while charging. The continuous message alerts made it difficult to focus on work.

Men attempting to purchase sex actively tried to arrange meetings, asking if the price they proposed was acceptable. This type of sex crime is also reflected in statistics.

According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF)'s 2019 survey of about 2,700 individuals registered for personal information after being convicted of child and adolescent sex crimes, the number of sex trafficking offenders decreased by nearly 40% (37.1%) from 493 in 2018 to 310 in 2019. The number of victims also dropped by 34.8%, from 494 to 322 during the same period.

However, digital sex crime offenders increased by 19.3% from 223 in 2018 to 266 in 2019. The number of victims more than doubled, rising 101.2% from 251 in 2018 to 505 in 2019. This reflects the characteristic of digital sex crimes where one offender targets multiple children and adolescents.

In particular, crimes such as using communication media for obscenity (86.9%) and producing sexually exploitative materials (80.6%) often involved victims meeting offenders through 'internet chatting.' Overall, 60.4% of sex crime offenders were 'people known to the victim, including family and relatives,' while 34.8% were 'complete strangers.'

Relatedly, on the afternoon of the 16th, Asia Economy accessed a random chat app and found that most men attempting 'conditional meetings' tried to purchase sex.

A man who met at a prearranged location during the chat denied attempting a conditional meeting. He said, "I came out because I had an appointment," but left the scene when the interview continued.

Meanwhile, a man in his 30s, Mr. A, who attempted a conditional meeting on the same day, said about his attempt to purchase sex, "I just did it out of curiosity," adding, "I wasn't trying to do anything; I was just curious."

The age of female victims is trending younger. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Korea Institute of Criminology's 'Analysis of Trends and Patterns of Child and Adolescent Sex Crimes,' the average age of offenders who forced youth into sex trafficking was 18.3 years in 2018. Since 2014, the age range of offenders was 19 to 20.3 years, but it has lowered to 18.3 years.

Also, offenders (buyers) of underage sex trafficking are typically '35.3-year-old males working in office management.' The offenders' ages ranged from 18 to 62, with those in their 30s accounting for 41.8% and those in their 20s 28.4%, the highest proportions.

These findings were clearly reflected in the app used by reporters on that day. Some men actively pursued sex purchases, even using nicknames implying they did not mind minors.

Meanwhile, courts take a tough stance on conditional meeting crimes. In May 2016, the Busan District Court East Branch Criminal Division 4 (Judge Kim Dokyun) sentenced Mr. B to six months in prison for meeting a youth through a smartphone chat app and paying for sexual relations (violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse).

The court stated in the judgment, "The crime is serious because an adult, who has a social responsibility to guide youth on the right path, treated a 15-year-old female student as an object for sexual gratification," and "To eradicate such crimes and protect youth, even though Mr. B admitted the charges and showed remorse, a prison sentence is inevitable."