Illegal Massage Parlor Operating Next to Elementary School... 14 Arrested

One Business Owner Detained and Transferred to Prosecution

Fourteen individuals, including business owners operating illegal sex trade establishments in the Gwangjin-gu area of Seoul, were apprehended by the police.

Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

On the 17th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Vice Crime Investigation Team announced that they had arrested 14 people, including business owners and building owners who operated illegal establishments such as sex trade businesses, on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic and the Act on the Protection of Educational Environment. Among them, one business owner who operated a kiss room was handed over to the prosecution in custody.

According to the police investigation, among the four establishments caught this time, three were registered as businesses such as "wholesale and retail of beauty materials" and operated under signs for massage and foot care services. The remaining one establishment was registered as a "board cafe" business and operated as a kiss room without a signboard. Additionally, it was confirmed that one of these establishments had been repeatedly raided by the police over more than 11 years under the same business name, and despite changes in ownership, it continued operations for a long time.

Currently, two establishments located in the same building have been closed after dismantling their facilities, and the other two establishments have ceased operations following additional crackdowns for violations such as the Immigration Control Act.

Meanwhile, as part of inspections and crackdowns on environments harmful to youth, the police have been targeting youth-harmful establishments within educational environment protection zones. Among the total 227 establishments cracked down on in Seoul over the past two years, most were massage businesses (74.9%), and these were mainly located near elementary schools (59.9%) and kindergartens (22%).

The police plan to expand the crackdown cases in the Gwangjin-gu area to the entire city of Seoul and aim to close 37 chronic illegal establishments that have been raided three or more times.

A representative from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency emphasized, "To eradicate chronic illegal establishments, it is necessary to go beyond temporary business suspensions and achieve complete closures, including dismantling facilities. Therefore, active interest and cooperation from local governments such as the education office, which has the authority to request inspections and closures, and district offices, which have the authority to dismantle facilities, are urgently required."