3 Japanese Women Arrested in Seoul on Suspicion of Engaging in Prostitution; Police Searching for at Least 10 More

By Kazuki Koike / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

14:30 JST, May 12, 2024

SEOUL — Three Japanese women, all in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution at hotels in Seoul, according to South Korean police. South Korean media reports that this is the first time that Japanese women have been caught engaging in organized prostitution in the country.

According to police, they were arrested on Thursday. Four South Korean men in their 20s to 30s were also arrested on suspicion of brokering prostitution. Police seized 4.75 million won (about \540,000) of their proceeds on the day. Police said the three women had entered South Korea in early May.

According to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo electronic version, the women entered the country pretending to be tourists, and were arrested at a hotel in Gangnam, Seoul’s entertainment district. The South Korean men reportedly lured in customers over the internet, and the women received cash from them.

Police are searching for more than 10 other Japanese women, saying that they had also engaged in prostitution in South Korea.