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Sex scandals batter police
By Soh Ji-young
May 18, 2004
The image of the nation’s police force has come crashing down following a
series of shocking crimes committed by officers.
Some police officers were found to have engaged in criminal acts such as sexual
exploitation and theft at the sacrifice of the very people they were supposed
to protect.
During a press conference Monday organized by the Commission on Youth
Protection in downtown Seoul, an 18-year-old girl testified that she was sent
to provide sexual services to police officers while being forced to work as a
prostitute at an establishment.
"I was called to a police gathering one evening late last year. An officer
wearing a police uniform told me to pour drinks and take off my clothes. How
can I even think of reporting to police like them?" she said while speaking
behind a white curtain to mask her face.
Another 18-year-old girl said that she went to the police to report her
employer who was forcing her to sell sex but the officer shooed her away,
saying that she was hassling him over nothing.
The girls were among the 65 teenagers who succeeded in escaping brothels from
September of last year after being forced to engage in prostitution, according
to the Seoul-based Youth Support and Care Center, a group advocating minors in
crisis.
Despite efforts to maintain a clean image, bribery scandals have regularly
surfaced as of late which involve police engaging in corruptive acts by joining
hands with pimps and brothel owners.
Earlier this month, four police officers were discovered to have engaged in
group sex with minors.
Two officers of the Kunsan Police Station in North Cholla Province were taken
into custody for having group sex with four runaway girls at a hotel on March
23. Police are searching for the whereabouts of two other officers who are also
suspected to have taken part in the act.
The officers had met the girls at a karaoke club run by a former police
officer, according to investigations.
Last month, a group of brothel owners claimed that they have regularly provided
millions of won in handouts to Yongsan police for the last 10 years, prompting
an investigation into the case.
The owners made the disclosure in protest of the intensive police crackdowns of
their businesses.
"The reason why sex crimes committed by police continue to occur is that the
majority of police still think that prostitution is a necessary evil," said Lee
Hyeon-sook of the Youth Support and Care Center.
"Although prostitution is prohibited by law, many believe the practice is
difficult to root out in reality, which leads to their tolerant attitude toward
sexual exploitation," she said.
To ultimately sever the corruptive links between police and the sex industry,
bold reform measures and various education programs must be carried out within
the police force, Lee added.
Meanwhile, on May 6, another unthinkable crime committed by police was
uncovered - a police officer was arrested for robbing tens of millions of won
in cash and valuables from houses in Seoul and Kyonggi Province since last
year.
The 42-year-old policeman by the last name of Lee and his accomplice,
identified only by the surname Bae, targeted homes in mourning, figuring they
would be empty during funeral proceedings.
On Feb. 28, the two broke into the house of a construction firm executive
identified as Chong and walked off with 30 million won in cash and another 30
million won in jewelry and valuables. After reading that a close family member
had passed away in Chong’s family, they plotted the robbery for the day of the
funeral.
According to police investigations, Lee was found to have been suffering from
100 million won in debts and had his monthly wage seized by the bank for a
year.
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