'Disco Pangpang' DJ Indicted and Detained for Forcing Teen Students into Prostitution

Forced to buy passes to meet sales targets
Loaned money and coerced into prostitution if unable to repay
Police arrest and transfer 7 suspects... Investigation into similar crimes ongoing

DJs operating the amusement ride ‘Disco Pang Pang’ were found to have forced teenage girls into prostitution. It is reported that some of the victims were even elementary school students.

On the 10th, the police announced that they recently sent seven current and former employees of a private amusement ride company to the prosecution under custody on charges of violating the Juvenile Sex Protection Act. They are accused of forcing more than ten teenage female customers of ‘Disco Pang Pang’ into prostitution from August last year to April this year.

[Image source=SBS news screen capture]

Disco Pang Pang is an amusement ride that spins rapidly with dazzling lights and K-pop music in the background, requiring riders to maintain their balance. When the ride starts, DJs add fun with their mischievous banter, making it especially popular among teenagers. One student told SBS, "Students really like the (DJs). It’s kind of like seeing a celebrity... If you’re close with the (DJs), everyone looks at you favorably."

According to the police, the employees exploited this popularity to meet sales targets by demanding students who were obedient to them to purchase large quantities of ride tickets. Each ticket costs 4,000 won, and students were induced to buy dozens at a time.

When students said they didn’t have money to buy the tickets, the employees even lent them money. It was found that they forced students who couldn’t repay the money into prostitution. The method involved making students find male clients themselves through social networking services (SNS) or random chat apps, or the employees directly introducing men to them.

One victim told SBS, "(The employee) arranged transactional meetings and scolded and got angry if I didn’t bring money. I gave all the money I received to them."

The group was also investigated for locking students in motels or assaulting them if they failed to earn a certain amount of money. It is reported that the money earned this way was spent on entertainment expenses.

The crime continued for about eight months until it was uncovered when a victim’s parent reported it. The police are investigating whether there are accomplices besides the seven suspects sent under custody, and are also looking into the possibility of similar crimes occurring at other business locations.

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