Gangnam police dismantle illegal prostitution ring operating in 33 studio apartments

Police in Seoul have dismantled two illegal prostitution and massage syndicates operating out of 33 rented studio apartments in the Gangnam district, specifically around Nonhyeon-dong and Yeoksam-dong. The Gangnam Police Station arrested eight individuals, including three ringleaders, an accomplice, and several others involved in the operations.

One of the larger operations was found to have facilitated approximately 2,800 acts of prostitution in just 40 days, generating an estimated 574.6 million won in profit. The suspects reportedly used Telegram to recruit clients and employed sophisticated methods to evade detection, such as requiring clients to verify their identity via mobile phones to cross-reference against a database of known police informants or difficult customers.

Investigators seized approximately 25 million won in criminal proceeds, along with cash counters and mobile devices. The suspects, who lived luxurious lifestyles in high-end Gangnam officetels and drove luxury foreign vehicles, initially denied the charges but confessed once presented with evidence. They face charges including illegal solicitation, advertising prostitution, and violations of the Medical Service Act.