Conviction Confirmed for Massage Parlor Owner for Illegal Employment and Prostitution Mediation of Thai Women

[Financial News] The conviction has been confirmed for a massage parlor owner who illegally employed Thai women to mediate prostitution and, in some cases, confined women to force them into prostitution.
According to the legal community on the 21st, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Judge Lee Suk-yeon) upheld the original sentence of 1 year and 6 months imprisonment for Mr. A, who was indicted for violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (Prostitution Coercion and Mediation).
Mr. A was brought to trial on charges of operating a massage parlor in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, from November 2021 to July 2022, employing Thai women without massage therapist qualifications and mediating prostitution.
Additionally, charges of violating immigration control laws were applied for employing Thai women without residency status allowing employment activities. There are also charges of confining some women and forcing them into prostitution, as well as driving without a license.
The first trial sentenced Mr. A to 1 year and 6 months in prison and ordered the confiscation of over 35.2 million won.
The first trial court pointed out, "The act of mediating prostitution itself harms the healthy sexual culture and good customs of our society and makes it difficult to eradicate illegal prostitution establishments, causing significant social harm."
It further stated, "The defendant's crime of employing illegal foreign residents and even forcing victims into prostitution hinders the management and social integration of foreign residents in Korea and extends to the violation of basic human rights of foreign women, increasing the blameworthiness."
Mr. A appealed, but the judgment of the Supreme Court was the same as the second trial.
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, stating, "There is no error in violating the rules of logic and experience, exceeding the limits of free evaluation of evidence, or misunderstanding the legal principles concerning the specification of the indictment."

jisseo@fnnews.com Minji Seo Reporter