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Gwangju police uncover suspected sex trade after tip-off

Published: 05 Dec. 2025, 20:50

The Gwangju Seobu Police Station is pictured in this undated file photo. [NEWS1]

Gwangju police uncovered a suspected prostitution operation while searching an apartment building for a woman who had reported being held against her will, authorities said Friday.

The woman called the 112 emergency line at 7:46 p.m. on Thursday using a restricted number and told operators she had gone with a man who promised her money and later found herself unable to leave after becoming trapped in a studio apartment in Ssangchon-dong, according to the Gwangju Seobu Police Precinct.

Because she did not provide a phone number or precise location, officers searched every unit in the building. During the sweep they found signs of prostitution in several rooms and identified a man and a woman who they believe acted as pimps.

Investigators said they obtained statements from both about arranging and engaging in prostitution. Police also found two to three other women in separate units who appeared to be involved in sex work, leading them to suspect the building was used for organized operations.

Police are examining how the operation functioned, its scale and whether others were involved. They said they plan to book the suspected pimps on charges related to facilitating prostitution.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]