Prostitution laws in South Korea대한민국
South Korea criminalises both selling and buying sex. The Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic, enacted with a companion victim-protection act in March 2004 and in force since 23 September 2004, bans sex trade, arranging it, trafficking for it and advertising it. Anyone who engages in sex trade faces up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to 3 million won, detention or a petty fine; people recognised as victims of sex trade are exempt. Arranging sex trade or providing premises carries up to 3 years (7 as a business), and advertising sex trade or venues up to 3 years, with separate offences for businesses that produce, publish or distribute such ads. The Constitutional Court upheld the penalty for both parties in 2016, six votes to three. A bill to stop punishing people who sell sex was introduced on 17 September 2026.
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
The Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (2004) prohibits sex trade outright and makes both selling and buying a crime (Article 21(1)). People who are legally recognised as victims of sex trade, for example those coerced or trafficked, are not punished (Article 6(1)). Arranging, providing premises, recruiting and advertising are separate crimes.[1]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Selling sex is a crime: up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to 3 million won, detention or a petty fine. People recognised as victims of sex trade, for example those coerced by deceit or force, drug-dependent through a supervisor, minors or trafficked persons, are not punished.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Buying sex is punished under the same Article 21(1) as selling: up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to 3 million won, detention or a petty fine.[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Providing a place for sex trade, or knowingly providing funds, land or buildings for it, is an "arranging" offence: up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million won, and up to 7 years or 70 million won when done as a business.[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Arranging, soliciting, inducing or forcing sex trade, recruiting people to sell sex and introducing them to such work carry up to 3 years or 30 million won, rising to 7 years or 70 million won as a business or for payment. Forcing someone to sell sex by violence, threats, deceit or abuse of a supervisory relationship carries up to 10 years, and more in aggravated cases.[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Advertising, including by telephone or online, to introduce people to selling sex, for venues where sex trade or arranging takes place, or inviting people to buy sex carries up to 3 years or 30 million won. Producing or supplying such ads, or publishing them, as a business carries up to 2 years or 10 million won; distributing them as a business up to 1 year.[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is a crime: up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to 3 million won, detention or a petty fine. People recognised as victims of sex trade, for example those coerced by deceit or force, drug-dependent through a supervisor, minors or trafficked persons, are not punished.[1][2]
Article 2(1)(1) defines "성매매" (sex trade) as engaging in, or being the counterpart to, sexual intercourse or similar acts with unspecified persons in return for money or other property benefits. Article 21(1): "성매매를 한 사람은 1년 이하의 징역이나 300만원 이하의 벌금ㆍ구류 또는 과료(科料)에 처한다." Article 6(1) exempts "성매매피해자" (victims of sex trade) as defined in Article 2(1)(4). The Constitutional Court upheld Article 21(1) on 31 March 2016 (2013헌가2), 6 to 3; two of the dissenting justices would have struck it down only as regards sellers.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Buying sex is punished under the same Article 21(1) as selling: up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to 3 million won, detention or a petty fine.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Providing a place for sex trade, or knowingly providing funds, land or buildings for it, is an "arranging" offence: up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million won, and up to 7 years or 70 million won when done as a business.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Arranging, soliciting, inducing or forcing sex trade, recruiting people to sell sex and introducing them to such work carry up to 3 years or 30 million won, rising to 7 years or 70 million won as a business or for payment. Forcing someone to sell sex by violence, threats, deceit or abuse of a supervisory relationship carries up to 10 years, and more in aggravated cases.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Advertising, including by telephone or online, to introduce people to selling sex, for venues where sex trade or arranging takes place, or inviting people to buy sex carries up to 3 years or 30 million won. Producing or supplying such ads, or publishing them, as a business carries up to 2 years or 10 million won; distributing them as a business up to 1 year.[1]
Article 20(1) defines advertising to include acts through publications, leaflets, telephone, the internet and other media. Article 20(2) reaches anyone who, as a business, produces or supplies such advertisements or "광고를 게재한" (publishes the advertisement), which covers websites and other media that carry sex-trade ads for commercial purposes. Article 4(5) separately prohibits advertising sex trade and the venues where it takes place.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| 성매매알선 등 행위의 처벌에 관한 법률 [시행 2026. 10. 2.] [법률 제21996호] Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (Sex Trade Punishment Act) 제2조 · 제4조 · 제6조 · 제18조–제21조 | Prohibits sex trade and makes selling, buying, arranging, providing premises, recruiting and advertising criminal offences.[1] | 23 September 2004 |
| 성매매방지 및 피해자보호 등에 관한 법률 [법률 제7212호, 2004. 3. 22.] Act on the Prevention of Sexual Traffic and Protection of Victims | Companion 2004 act on prevention and support services for victims of sex trade.[3] | 23 September 2004 |
Pending and under review
In parliament · updated 23 September 2026
Full revision of the Sex Trade Punishment Act (lead sponsor Jeon Jin-sook)
Introduced on 17 September 2026, the bill would redefine the offence around purchasing sex and stop punishing the people whose sex is bought, while strengthening penalties for arranging and trafficking, widening forfeiture of proceeds and voiding debts claimed by brokers. It is the first full-revision bill on the act in the 22nd National Assembly; committee stage not yet reported.[4]
Timeline
- 22 March 2004Sex Trade Punishment Act (Law No. 7196) and the companion victim-protection act enacted; both in force 23 September 2004.[3][5]
- 31 March 2016Constitutional Court upholds Article 21(1), which punishes both parties to sex trade, by six votes to three.[2]
- 17 September 2026Bill for a full revision of the Sex Trade Punishment Act, decriminalising people who sell sex, introduced in the National Assembly.[4]
Sources
- 성매매알선 등 행위의 처벌에 관한 법률 [시행 2026. 10. 2.] [법률 제21996호] (Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (current version, in force 2 October 2026)). 국가법령정보센터 (Korea Ministry of Government Legislation). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- 헌재 "자발적 성매매도 유해행위, 처벌해야"…6대3 '합헌' (Constitutional Court: voluntary sex trade is also harmful and punishable, 6–3 ruling upholds law). 경향신문 (Kyunghyang Shinmun), 31 March 2016. news · accessed 30 October 2026
- 성매매방지 및 피해자보호 등에 관한 법률 [법률 제7212호, 2004. 3. 22.] (Act on the Prevention of Sexual Traffic and Protection of Victims (2004 text)). 국가법령정보센터 (Korea Ministry of Government Legislation), 22 March 2004. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- [주목! 이 법안] "성매매 아닌 '성매수'…여성 처벌법 개정해야" ([Bill in focus] 'Not sex trade but sex purchase': calls to amend the law that punishes women). 여성신문 (Women's News), 23 September 2026. news · accessed 30 October 2026
- 성매매알선등행위의처벌에관한법률 [법률 제7196호, 2004. 3. 22., 제정] (Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (original 2004 text)). 국가법령정보센터 (Korea Ministry of Government Legislation), 22 March 2004. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026