Online Brothels Earned Millions From Japanese Tourists
Police have arrested operators of two pimping websites and booked 15 prostitutes and five Japanese customers without detention.
A woman identified as Ahn is accused of operating the website with her husband and introducing prostitutes to Japanese tourists on some 1,620 occasions over the course of one year. The couple earned $365,000 (W350 million (US$1=W960)) through the business, the Seoul Metropolitan Police's Cyber Crimes Unit said Tuesday. The owner of another pimping website identified as Jeong introduced women to Japanese tourists and earned ~$136,000 (W130 million) only two months after opening it in July.
The suspects advertised on Japanese adult websites. They took reservations by e-mail and arranged for the women to meet customers in a hotel room. Fees ranged from ~ $100 - $1,000 (W100,000 to W1 million), with 20-40 percent of the money going to the prostitutes, police said. The customers included middle-class corporate executives and realtors, while several college and graduate students were among the prostitutes.