Police Arrest Individuals for Illegally Collecting and Selling Personal Data of Sex Trade Clients

In a significant crackdown, the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police have apprehended two individuals involved in the illegal collection and sale of personal information from clients of sex trade establishments. The suspects, identified as A (31), the app's main operator, and B (29), the manager, were arrested on June 18, 2025, on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Act on the Regulation of Criminal Proceeds.

From March 2023 until last month, they allegedly operated an illegal app that charged sex trade owners approximately 100,000 KRW per month, allowing them to access sensitive information about clients, including their usage history, reputation, sexual preferences, and potential police scrutiny. The duo is suspected of generating around 4.6 billion KRW in revenue through this app.

The app automatically transmitted stored customer data to a server as soon as it was installed on the owners' mobile devices, facilitating the sharing of this information among approximately 2,500 registered sex trade owners nationwide.

The police first discovered the app during a raid on sex trade establishments in November 2024. Subsequent investigations revealed that the app's operators were providing feedback to sex trade owners about 'high-risk clients' and those with 'particular sexual preferences.' It is estimated that around 4 million pieces of personal data were stored in the app based solely on phone numbers.

Suspect A reportedly began the operation while residing in Cebu, Philippines, after being approached by a developer believed to be Chinese, agreeing to split the profits. Meanwhile, B was responsible for recruiting owners and managing the profits.

To evade detection, the suspects allegedly laundered their illicit earnings through a specialized criminal money laundering organization. In May 2024, police arrested 12 individuals from a group known for laundering approximately 160 billion KRW in criminal proceeds. They tracked over 50 fake accounts used by the suspects and analyzed surveillance footage from nearby apartments and residential areas to apprehend A and B.

A police spokesperson stated, 'We will enhance monitoring and enforcement across the increasingly sophisticated and intelligent sex trade-related industry to eradicate illegal sex work.'