Two Korean nationals sentenced to prison in Vietnam for prostitution scheme
Published: 08 Jan. 2026, 10:28
Updated: 08 Jan. 2026, 20:24
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[KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]
Two Korean nationals were sentenced to prison in Vietnam for arranging prostitution after their restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City started to struggle.
According to the Vietnamese state-run outlet VN Express on Tuesday, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court sentenced two Koreans to eight years in prison each for procuring prostitution and offering bribes. They were also each fined 30 million dong ($1,140).
The two were accused of facilitating prostitution services in their downtown Ho Chi Minh City restaurant from late 2022 to July 2023.
They reportedly disguised the charges on receipts to avoid police crackdowns. The prostitution services were listed under the name “Green Jacket 17,” and hotel room fees were recorded as a “large seafood combo” priced at one million dong.
The scheme was uncovered in July 2023 when police arrested two sex workers serving Korean clients at a hotel.
The two Koreans were also found to have operated the restaurant without completing the proper legal procedures and attempted to bribe police officers through a local broker to avoid crackdowns.
At the time, they paid 840 million dong to two local brokers who claimed to have connections within the Ho Chi Minh police. However, the brokers were found to have had no such influence and used the money for personal purposes. The brokers were separately tried for fraud and sentenced to seven and three years in prison, respectively, according to the outlet.
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 KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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