Prostitution Ring Disguised as 'Outcall Massage'... Foreign Women Threatened with Death

[Financial News] A group disguised as an 'outcall massage' business that brokered prostitution nationwide has been apprehended by police. The group reportedly forced foreign women into prostitution after lending them usurious loans they could not repay.
The Morality Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) announced on the 26th that Mr. A (in his 30s), the ringleader of the prostitution ring, was indicted and detained in June on charges of violating the Prostitution Punishment Act (forced prostitution), the Loan Business Act, and the Debt Collection Act. Thirty-three accomplices were indicted without detention on the 24th for violating the Prostitution Punishment Act (brokering, aiding, and abetting).
According to police, Mr. A lent foreign women money at interest rates exceeding the legal limit and used the debt to coerce them into prostitution or threaten them for repayment. The group was not registered as a loan business.
Police identified 'outcall massage' advertisements on websites and flyers, and in June, raided residences and offices in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, arresting Mr. A and seven others in the act.
Forensic analysis of 42 mobile phones seized at the scene revealed that the group communicated with call drivers (drivers for prostitutes) across the country via messengers such as Telegram Messenger. Police subsequently arrested 26 additional accomplices.
Operating under the guise of 'nationwide outcall massage,' the organization was structured around Mr. A and co-owner Mr. B (in his 30s), who is currently abroad, with roles divided among reservation managers, drivers, and prostitutes.
They conducted business remotely using burner phones and fraudulent bank accounts to evade detection. When apprehended, they claimed, 'We only provided massages and were not involved in prostitution.'
The organization reportedly operated for about four years since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), earning approximately 2.5 billion KRW in profits. Police are treating these as criminal proceeds and are in the process of confiscation.
An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, 'Women who were forced into prostitution under death threats have requested protection from victim support agencies.' The official added, 'We will continue to investigate co-owner Mr. B, who is currently overseas, as well as unidentified accomplices and clients.'

jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter