[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] A senior official of the Women and Youth Prostitution Eradication Group (Yeocheongdan), who organized a group under the pretext of anti-prostitution activities and colluded with violent organizations to receive profits from prostitution establishments, was caught while fleeing abroad and repatriated to South Korea.
On the 4th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced that the International Cooperation Office (Director Ha Dam-mi) forcibly repatriated Yeocheongdan Deputy Director A (40), who had fled to the United States, through cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) the day before. Since A had already been convicted, he was immediately detained in a detention facility.
Established in April 2016 by Shin and others under the name of eradicating women and youth prostitution, Yeocheongdan operated mainly in Gyeonggi Province, collaborating with violent organizations running prostitution-related businesses to take control of prostitution establishments. In November 2018, it even registered as a non-profit private organization in Gyeonggi Province, disguising itself as a legitimate civic group.
A is accused of participating in extorting money for Yeocheongdan by using an automatic phone dialing system to paralyze business calls from so-called 'call bosses' and forcing entertainment bar owners to kneel in the office (charges of joint coercion and obstruction of business under the Act on the Punishment of Violent Crimes).
Shin, the founder and main culprit of Yeocheongdan, was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison by the Supreme Court in June 2020 for joint coercion under the Act on the Punishment of Violent Crimes. A was also sentenced in absentia to 2 years and 6 months in prison in February last year, but fled to the U.S. in 2019 and had been staying there to evade investigation.
The International Cooperation Office of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office confirmed A's location and illegal stay in the U.S. through cooperation with HSI in August last year and held a working-level meeting with HSI in September for A's repatriation.
On December 16 last year, HSI and the U.S. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) successfully arrested A, who was illegally staying in Virginia, USA.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "This case is an example of capturing and repatriating a target through close cooperation with HSI by sharing information closely from the early stages of tracking," and added, "We will continue to focus our capabilities on exercising prosecutorial power centered on the people by closely cooperating with foreign investigative agencies to intensively track major fugitives abroad."
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