S. Korean man held on forced prostitution charge
A SOUTH Korean man blacklisted in many countries has been arrested for allegedly tricking Thai women into prostitution in his homeland with police warning that the massage profession is reserved for the disabled there, Thai News Agency said today (August 18).
Pol. Col. Thongsak Raksakul, deputy director-general of Department of Special Investigation or DSI, said Kim Hyung Joon was arrested yesterday with this proceeding from the questioning of two victims who were forced into prostitution and were helped by South Korean police on February 23 this year
DSI was told by non-government organizations that Thai women duped and forced into prostitution in South Korea with offers of Thai-style massage jobs were brutally treated with clients also not using condoms.
Moreover their passports were seized and they were confined all the time until being rescued by South Korean police on February 23 when eight South Korean suspects were arrested on human trafficking charges.
The two victims said that they were talked into going to work as Thai-style masseuse in South Korea by a Thai agent with Kim Hyung Joon being the middleman in this network who sent them there.
Altogether there were three Thais in the network with one being a woman who seemed to be Kim’s wife and who hunted for victims through Line and Facebook and chose young good-looking women luring them with offers of a high salary.
DSI is getting ready to issue arrest warrants for all three Thai suspects.
DSI police added that while these two Thai victims have talked to them, they are certain that there are many more who had been similarly duped and they are urged to also come forth and do so.
DSI underscored that the massage profession is reserved for the disabled in South Korea and Thai women should not be fooled into going there to take up a job in this line of work.
DSI mentioned that Kim Hyung Joon has been hiding in Thailand for over three years and is wanted in South Korea with police in many countries also having blacklisted him on human trafficking charge.
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Top: South Korean suspect Kim Hyung Joon being led away by DSI police. Photo: Thai News Agency
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