Most the 23,626 caught -- of which about 19,900 were clients -- were fined, an
officer at the anti-prostitution bureau told AFP, while 32 people accused of
more serious offences were formally arrested and detained pending trial, the
agency said.
Clients faced a maximum fine of three million won (3,315 dollars) and brothel
owners up to 10 years in jail or 100 million won in fines.
"It was our third special crackdown on prostitution this year. The next one
will begin in late December," the officer said of the latest operation, which
began in August.
It was one of a series of police crackdowns since a new anti-prostitution law
with tougher penalties was passed in 2004. Last year alone 35,000 clients were
prosecuted.
The anti-prostitution drive has resulted in a sharp increase in incidents of South Koreans involved in the foreign sex trade. The government plans to revise the law to punish citizens caught buying sex abroad.
