Large-Scale 217-Pyeong Massage Parlor Near Elementary School Busted: 10 Including Owner and Staff Caught

A group that had been operating a large-scale massage parlor with an area of 217 pyeong near an elementary school for 40 years has been caught.

On January 20, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Morals Enforcement Unit announced that on January 14, they arrested 10 people, including the massage parlor owner, identified as Mr. A (in his 50s), the manager, sex workers, and customers, on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic and other offenses.

Mr. A is accused of recruiting customers through prostitution advertising websites and arranging prostitution for a fee of 240,000 won. It was found that Mr. A has four prior records of being caught in prostitution crackdowns.

The massage parlor in question is located within an educational environment protection zone near Dapsimni Station in Dongdaemun-gu and has been in operation for over 40 years since its registration in 1982. However, the police stated that the ownership was changed to Mr. A as of October 2024.

The police seized 10 beds used for prostitution, 7 mobile phones, cash, and account books.

Going forward, the police plan to clearly identify accomplices such as the actual owner and the building owner, and to confiscate the criminal proceeds earned by these individuals.