Gyeongnam Police Agency Arrests 32 Including a Man in His 30s for Prostitution and Mediation

Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency. / Photo by Se-ryeong Lee ryeong@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Thirty-two people involved in prostitution and mediation activities were arrested by the police in the Gyeongnam region.

The Gyeongnam Police Agency announced on the 2nd that from May 2 to June 24, they cracked down on 20 cases of illegal prostitution businesses linked online and offline, arresting 22 business owners and 6 building owners who provided locations.

The police reported that they applied for seizure and confiscation of criminal proceeds amounting to 143 million KRW before prosecution and notified tax offices of taxable data worth 414 million KRW.

According to the police, mediation of prostitution is punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 70 million KRW, and advertising prostitution is punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.

The Gyeongnam Police conducted the crackdown considering the possibility of increased prostitution businesses as social distancing measures were eased and the recent trend of prostitution businesses being linked online and offline.

As a result of this crackdown, on May 6, a male owner in his 30s of a coffee shop in Sangpyeong-dong, Jinju-si, was arrested for operating prostitution business by employing a female worker delivering coffee, violating the Act on the Punishment of Prostitution and the Food Sanitation Act (business operator compliance requirements).

On May 16, in Sangnam-dong, Changwon-si, two male business owners in their 30s who had gathered customers through internet advertisements for three years since April 2019 and mediated prostitution in eight officetel units, earning about 230 million KRW, were arrested, with one detained.

On May 17, while investigating four teenagers who illegally used a complainant’s check card found on the street in Jangpyeong-dong, Geoje-si, the police confirmed prostitution activities at two massage parlors and booked two business owners together.

The police blocked prostitution advertising sites and business mobile phones and notified building owners of violations where prostitution took place.

On June 19, two male business owners in their 50s who employed Korean and foreign female workers to mediate prostitution at massage parlors in Naeseo-eup, Masanhwawon-gu, and Wolyeong-dong, Masanhappo-gu, were arrested, and during the arrest process, two illegal foreign female workers were handed over to the immigration office.

A police official from the provincial police agency stated, “According to Article 2 of the Act on the Punishment of Prostitution, providing funds, land, or buildings knowing that they are used for prostitution is also included in acts of mediation of prostitution. When prostitution business is first detected, the building owner is notified, and if detected a second time at the same establishment, the building owner is booked.”

The Gyeongnam Police Agency expects prostitution businesses through online site advertisements to become more prevalent and has started continuous crackdowns.