'Underage Prostitution Enticement'... Gang Caught Making Hundreds of Millions in Illegal Profits

15 Arrested, 8 Detained... 2 Wanted Individuals Being Tracked

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] A gang that lured teenagers into forced prostitution and pocketed billions of won in illegal profits has been caught by the police.

The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency's Women and Youth Crime Investigation Unit announced on the 2nd, "We have arrested 15 people on charges including prostitution, and among them, 8 including A (23) have been detained."

A and others are suspected of threatening or luring 11 minors from April last year to August this year, traveling nationwide to engage in prostitution, prostitution mediation, and forced prostitution, earning about 200 million won in illegal profits.

According to the police investigation, they were local friends or seniors and juniors who approached the victimized teenagers, enticing them with promises of "easy money" or forcing prostitution by threatening to expose their weaknesses.

They also formed teams of 2 to 3 people and traveled to Gyeonggi, Incheon, Daejeon, Chungnam, Gangwon, and other areas, recruiting clients through anonymous chat apps.

In particular, after the police investigation began in June, they changed or canceled their mobile phones to erase tracking clues and even fled to other regions.

The police are investigating additional crimes by A and others, while issuing warrants for two suspects currently on the run and pursuing them.

Meanwhile, the police are cooperating with related organizations to protect the victims' safety and provide counseling, medical care, legal assistance, and support for education and employment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.