"I Didn't Know They Were Minors," Stated to Police
Two Vietnamese Men Who Facilitated Prostitution Also Arrested
A Korean tourist in his 20s visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was arrested by local police on charges of engaging in prostitution with a Vietnamese girl. On the 16th (local time), local media such as VN Express reported that Vietnamese police arrested a Korean man named Hong (29) on charges of having sexual relations with a minor involved in prostitution. Vietnamese police also arrested two locals along with Hong on charges of facilitating prostitution.
Vietnamese men Tuan and Tang, who arranged prostitution for Korean men, were arrested by the police. [Photo by VN Express]
Hong was caught by police who raided a hotel in an alley on Bui Vien Street in Ho Chi Minh City on the 4th. At the time, Hong was with a 15-year-old girl, and another Korean man was having sexual relations with a 27-year-old Vietnamese woman. Local police stated, "Based on the confession of the Korean man, we arrested local men Tuan (38) and Tang (52) who facilitated prostitution."
Investigations revealed that Tuan and Tang met Hong's group walking along Bui Vien Street, a popular spot for backpackers, and introduced them to massage and prostitution services. Hong's group agreed to pay 1.4 million VND (approximately 74,000 KRW) each for prostitution. The group stated that they did not know that one of the introduced women was a minor and met her before moving to a hotel on Bui Vien Street. Currently, local police are conducting further investigations into Hong and his group.
The article sparked outrage among domestic netizens. Comments included, "They should not just return home but be punished according to Vietnamese law," "When men say they are going to Southeast Asia, prostitution is the first thing that comes to mind," and "This is truly an international disgrace."
Misconceptions About Vietnam’s Lenient Punishment for Prostitution
This is not the first case of Koreans being caught for prostitution in Vietnam. Previously, in October last year, a group including a Korean in his 40s who arranged prostitution for Korean men in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was also arrested by local police. [Photo by VN Express]
This is not the first case of a Korean being caught for prostitution in Vietnam. In October last year, a 40-year-old Korean and his group who facilitated prostitution targeting Korean men in Ho Chi Minh City were arrested by local police. They operated a prostitution business disguised as a restaurant. The restaurant, which started in 2020, once had 226 employees and even owned vehicles for transporting customers, making it a corporate-style prostitution establishment.
In Vietnam, adults who have sexual relations with minors under 16 years old face imprisonment from 1 to 15 years. Article 5 of the Vietnamese Penal Code applies to all criminal acts occurring within Vietnamese territory, so whether traveling or residing, offenders who commit crimes on Vietnamese soil can be punished under local law. However, some misinformation about lenient punishment for prostitution involving adults and tourists has led many Koreans to visit Vietnam for prostitution purposes.
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