When reporters searched for Line, a messaging app, on social networking sites (SNS) on June 22, a n..

As the crackdown on Telegram, which has become a hotbed of pirated videos, intensifies, more and more people are turning to other messenger apps to distribute videos and post messages to encourage prostitution. For example, Naver Line can set profile photos and nicknames as pseudonyms, so it avoids the crackdown by creating an account under a pseudonym. “We want to be a line” is used as a slang term that secretly suggests prostitution.

In some cases, the body is exposed by making a one-on-one or group video call. On social media, the term “Lagwan (Line Gwanjeon)” has been used to refer to watching sexual activities through Line. It sells high-end phone calls for 10,000 won per 10 minutes and video calls for 20,000 won per 10 minutes. He encourages another purchase by writing his height, weight and bust size and posting buyer reviews such as “It’s cheap for the time and his body and voice are crazy.”

Park Choong-kwon, a member of the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, said on July 12: “Adolescents who visit KakaoTalk’s open chat room out of curiosity are at great risk of falling into the trap of crimes such as sexual harassment and prostitution.” He added: “Naver Line also quickly spreads messages with links that promote illegal massages and prostitution through one-on-one chats.”

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year

As the problem of illegal content production and distribution via messenger apps has come to light, companies are tightening their grip on crackdowns. Line defines acts that violate its customs, explicit sexual expressions, and expressions that amount to child pornography or child abuse as prohibited acts. A Line official said: “Chats that are prohibited during the conversation can be reported at any time, and when a report is received, Line will review the chat in question and take measures to remove the top account.” Kakao, which operates Kakao Talk, is permanently restricting the entire Kakao Talk service if it monitors open chat and distributes and hosts fake videos.

Ahn Joo-young, a representative lawyer at the law firm, said: “There are several cases every month of making legal inquiries after being threatened during an attempted prostitution on the line. Under the current law, those who sell or offer sexual exploitation of children and adolescents for profit can be sentenced to more than five years in prison, and those who buy, possess or watch it can be sentenced to more than one year in prison.”