Group That Made 570 Million Won Arranging Prostitution and Lived Lavishly Referred to Prosecutors

Rented studio apartments in residential areas of Nonhyeon-dong and Yeoksam-dong
Arranged prostitution after advertising on Telegram and other platforms
Operators of a large-scale business, including A, referred to prosecutors without detention

Business operators who rented dozens of studio apartments in residential areas of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and ran illegal prostitution businesses have been referred to prosecutors. Investigators found that they had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle while making hundreds of millions of won in criminal proceeds over several months.

A studio apartment in a residential area of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where an illegal prostitution business was operated. The photo shows a massage bed used for Swedish massages inside one of the rooms. Photo courtesy of the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul.

Seoul Gangnam Police Station said on October 19 that it had referred eight people, including the operator identified as A, to prosecutors without detention on suspicion of advertising and arranging prostitution in violation of the Act on the Punishment of Arrangement of Commercial Sex Acts, and violating the Medical Service Act.

According to police, A and the others are suspected of renting about 30 studio units in residential areas of Nonhyeon-dong and Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, under other people's names and arranging illegal prostitution for an unspecified number of people through Telegram and other social networking services (SNS).

The investigation found that A and the others had continued their crimes for several years through prostitution advertising websites and Telegram. To evade police crackdowns, they required customers to verify their identities using mobile phones registered in their own names. They also rigorously managed a blacklist of customers by searching and cross-checking information in databases (DBs) shared among businesses.

At one of the two businesses caught by police, the number of prostitution arrangements over about 40 days reached approximately 2,800, and criminal proceeds are estimated to have totaled 574.6 million won. A and the others used the proceeds to live lavishly, residing in luxury officetels in Gangnam, Seoul, and driving imported cars.

Police launched an investigation in November 2025 after receiving a complaint alleging that illegal massage services and prostitution were taking place in residential areas around Gangnam. They identified suspected business operators by determining which units were used for prostitution, reviewing CCTV footage, and analyzing call records. They then arrested prostitution suspects, business operators, and accomplices one by one through undercover surveillance. A and the others initially denied the allegations during questioning but confessed after police presented evidence.

A police official said, "Gangnam has a high rate of prostitution-related crime because of its large floating population and concentration of entertainment establishments. Since a high proportion of residents in the residential areas of Nonhyeon-dong and Yeoksam-dong are students, given the nearby school districts and private academies, we will work with relevant agencies to respond firmly to prostitution-related crimes."

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