Two women who posted flyers offering hundreds of thousands of won for providing eggs at a university women's restroom were sentenced to four months in prison with a one-year probation in the first trial.
Kim Hyun-seok, Director General of the Busan District Court's Criminal Division 5, sentenced the two women in their 40s, referred to as Ms. A and Ms. B, to four months in prison with a one-year probation for violating laws regarding bioethics and safety.
Ms. A and Ms. B were brought to trial for allegedly enticing the sale of eggs by posting flyers for 'high-paying short-time jobs' in women's restrooms at universities in Busan last year. The flyers reportedly contained a QR code linking to a Kakao open chatroom they had created.
Under current law, enticing or transacting the provision of eggs and sperm for monetary or property benefits is prohibited.
Following the flyer posting, it was reported that Ms. A was contacted by six individuals and Ms. B by seven individuals over a week. They offered a reward of 5 million to 6 million won, stating they were looking for egg donors, but no actual transaction is said to have taken place.
The court noted, 'The nature of this crime is not trivial,' but also acknowledged, 'All defendants are remorseful, and factors such as being first-time offenders were considered in sentencing.'