“Is the House Next Door a Brothel?”

Many urban office workers use studio apartments as their residences. This type of apartment is called an “officetel” in Korea, and is also used as office space. Recently, “officetels” are now being used by pimps who want to get around the anti-prostitution law as well.

S “officetel” near Seolleung subway station-

On fourth floors of the 15-story building, until recently, there were six rooms which were used for different purposes than other rooms in the same building. These rooms, which were made to look like ordinary homes, were used for prostitution. They are called “office brothels.”

Their interior decorations are exactly same as those of normal studio apartments. Because they look the same, people did not know sex was sold in them, and the customers do not worry about suspicious stares.

The rooms were equipped with everything from beds to computers to TVs to audios to gas ranges. There were confectionary and instant noodle bags to give them the look of ordinary households where young tenants live.

On July 4, the Suseo Police requested an arrest warrant for a Mr. Hwang (27) suspected of running a prostitution ring since this past January on more than 1,900 occasions, raking in 250 million won. His accomplice, a Mr. Park (32), prostitute Miss Oh (22), and customer Mr. Jung (26) were booked without physical detention as well.

According to the police, for the sake of maximum security, Hwang ran his business on a 100 percent reservation-basis. And customers, who came to the brothel via internet ads he posted, were told to come to his office, which was made to look like a high-end optician’s. Only when they were identified as paying customers was the green light to the rooms given.

Police said that Hwang prepared uniforms for students, sailors, nurses, and flight attendants plus racing girl outfits. He ordered his prostitutes to wear them if customers wanted.

A police officer said, “When I first came there for the investigation, I did not think the sex trade was happening there because it looked exactly like an ordinary apartment. The only thing that caught my eye was a bunch of toothbrushes and towels, which later prompted me to suspect the place was an “office brothel.”

Police thinks there are some 10 “office brothels” in business in the Gangnam area and have decided to crack down.

turtle@donga.com