A South Korean court’s decision to uphold the convictions of two people for running a prostitution ring involving dozens of Japanese women has stirred outrage online – but in Japan, much of the anger has been directed at the women for bringing “shame” on their country, rather than at those who exploited them.
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On April 25, South Korea’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a South Korean man and woman convicted under the Sex Trafficking Punishment Act for “systematically arranging prostitution” by foreign nationals. The ruling finalised prison sentences of two years for one defendant and 20 months for the other, according to local media. Their names have not been made public.
The pair had operated two commercial sex businesses in Seoul and Gyeonggi province between November 2023 and May 2024, recruiting roughly 80 Japanese women, who were advertised on a website named “Girls of the Archipelago”, the court heard. Authorities said the brokers earned some 300 million won (US$212,000) over six months.
While the case garnered much media attention in South Korea, the reaction in Japan has largely centred on the women’s perceived disgrace, rather than their exploitation.
“Whether the women crossed the border of their own volition or were deceived, it is shameful for them as Japanese,” read one comment on the Korea Wave website.
“It is deeply regrettable that they have fallen so far. Crimes committed by foreigners are on the rise in Japan and Japanese women are going overseas to earn money for sex,” continued the comment. “What does the future hold for this nation? The future is not bright.”
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Another commentator wrote: “I remember how Japanese laughed at our neighbours for this sort of thing 20 years ago, but I never imagined back then that the very same thing would be happening here now.”
One blunt remark simply declared: “Our country has become a truly pathetic place.”