24 C
Vientiane
Friday, November 7, 2025
spot_img

South Korean Rights Group Exposes Widespread Online Child Exploitation, Prostitution in Laos

This Week

A South Korean anti-trafficking organization has raised alarm over reports that some South Korean nationals are engaging in long-term prostitution and child exploitation in Laos, taking advantage of weak enforcement and low living costs.

Speaking on CBS Radio’s Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show on 6 November, Lee Hyun-sook, Executive Director of ECPAT Korea (Tacteen Naeil), said her organization uncovered widespread online promotion of sex work and underage exploitation through an investigation into digital platforms used by South Koreans abroad.

Lee said she monitored 47 channels across six online platforms, including YouTube and Telegram, where users, mostly men aged 20 to 60, openly exchanged information, photos, and personal experiences related to prostitution.

Some chat rooms reportedly had 700 to 1,000 participants, sharing explicit photos, including images of minors in school uniforms, with posts garnering millions of views. 

The investigation found that some young women were allegedly confined in “cc” (iron-barred) venues and forced into sex work. Prices for minors were reportedly up to ten times higher than for adults. 

“Mentions of girls as young as 14 or 16 were common,” Lee said in the CBS interview, adding that a 7-year-old had been found in a facility operated by a Chinese national last year.

She also mentioned that some South Korean men learn basic Lao language and local bargaining skills to facilitate such activities. The relatively low cost of living in Laos further encourages long-term stays, whether for short-term prostitution or even retirement, which in turn drives up local rents.

Despite the gravity of the situation, prosecution remains difficult. South Korean police lack jurisdiction to investigate within Laos and depend on cooperation from Lao authorities. 

ECPAT Korea is urging stronger cooperation between Lao and South Korean authorities, tougher enforcement against sex buyers, and public education to discourage demand.

In an email to the Laotian Times, the South Korean Embassy in Laos addressed the situation, noting: “In August, the Embassy had learned that there were local media reports that Lao law enforcement had executed an intensive crackdown on some restaurants and entertainment venues in Vientiane. The Embassy would like to advise Korean nationals of laws and regulations of the Lao PDR regarding the said local news.”

Under Lao law, those who engage in or promote prostitution face three months to one year in prison, while those involved with minors may face up to 15 years. 

Similar warnings have also been issued by the Japanese Embassy, following the arrest of two Japanese men in August for producing child pornography involving minors in Laos and Myanmar.

Latest article