2022 Sex-Industry-Related Crime Statistics
On December 14, 2022, the National Police Agency released a report summarizing the year's trends in sex-industry-related crime. The main points are as follows.
Changes in the Number of Cases - Violations of the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act (fuei-ho): up 12% year-on-year (with unregistered/unlicensed operation the most common) - Violations of the Anti-Prostitution Act (baishun boshi-ho): up 8% year-on-year (with a marked increase in procuring and organized/managed prostitution) - Violations of the Employment Security Act (illegal scouting): up 22% year-on-year - Violations of the Act on Punishment of Child Prostitution and Child Pornography: up 5% year-on-year
Impact of the New AV Law's Enforcement After the law took effect, the number of administrative guidance actions and referrals against illegal operators steadily increased. At the same time, there are field-level voices noting that "the number of operators searching for legal loopholes is also increasing."
The Deepening of Digitization Cases in which social media, matching apps, and cryptocurrency payments are used in the procurement and sale of sexual services have surged. The number of cases that cannot be captured by conventional enforcement methods is increasing, making the strengthening of digital investigative capabilities an urgent priority.
Challenges Heading Into 2023
The report listed three priority issues for 2023: (1) continued sweeping crackdowns aimed at eradicating illegal scouting, (2) strengthening responses to digital sex crime, and (3) enhancing the victim support system.
This article is compiled based on publicly available information.