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SEOUL -- South Korean police launched a manhunt for "Decadence Detective", a group of purported private investigators who sold personal information to women who wanted to know if their spouses have visited brothels, explicit bars and other adult entertainment shops.
The police agency in Seoul said Monday that in a crackdown on the illegal handlers of personal information, two people were arrested for collecting 18 million mobile phone numbers of sex buyers and police officers. Four other accomplices would be punished without being detained.
The six were accused of selling the phone numbers illegally through a smartphone app to about 800 brothel operators so that they can manage customers or avoid a police crackdown. They alleged collected some 700 million won ($617,499) for six months.
Decadence Detective operators were accused of using a customer database to run a service for female clients who want to check if their husbands or spouses have ever bought sex. The database contained phone numbers, dates, places and other types of personal information.
The Decadence Detective service has caused a social debate. Opponents argued it could destroy good faith between couples, but the paid service is still popular in some online communities for women who can get information related to the sex life of their spouses for 50,000 won.
Database producers have shared phonebooks with prostitution and other decadent business operators to collect and upgrade information on clients. A special smartphone app with a kind of malware was used to build a database. Text messages can be automatically sent to a database company.
South Korea introduced an anti-prostitution law in 2004 to punish both purchasers and sellers of sex. The government stands firm on its stance that any commercial sex trade should be punished. There have been a series of crackdowns on prostitution and sex trade, resulting in the closure of many brothels.
After the law was enacted, new forms of sex trade have emerged in South Korea, operating in unconventional places such as residential buildings and Internet cafes. Kim Kang-ja, a former police station chief, has called for the legalization of prostitution saying crackdowns have sent sex trade further underground where it is more difficult to regulate.
Park Sae-jin Reporter swatchsjp@ajunews.com
Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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