A ring that disguised prostitution as "outcall massage" and brokered it nationwide was caught by police.
On the 26th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's vice crime investigation team said it arrested the organization's ringleader, a man in his 30s identified as A, on charges including violating the Act on the Punishment of Prostitution and the Money Lending Business Act and the Act on the Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, and sent 33 accomplices without detention.
They were found to have advertised "outcall massage" through the internet and flyers since 2021 and sent women for prostitution to buyers who made contact. They reportedly did not limit themselves to any particular region, operating in the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang provinces.
In particular, A was found to have lent money at up to 90% annual interest, far exceeding the legal annual rate of 20%, and to have forced women who could not repay to engage in prostitution. A Thai woman who was driven into prostitution after being threatened, "I will kill you if you don't pay back," was also identified.
The ring used burner phones and bank accounts opened under borrowed names, and when busted, tried to cut ties by claiming, "We only did outcall massage and did not get involved in prostitution."
However, in June, police raided A's residence and office in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, and arrested A. Through mobile phone forensics, they also identified and apprehended additional accomplices, including drivers for prostitution workers active across the country, so-called "call drivers."
Police are tracking another ringleader who fled overseas, while moving to seize criminal proceeds that the organization is believed to have earned over four years, totaling 2.5 billion won. Thai prostitution victims and others were connected to protection agencies.