HSI assists in arrest of leader of Korean human smuggling organization for arranging prostitution in California and New York

SEOUL — The leader of a human smuggling organization and 21 brothel operators and prostitutes were indicted without detention in South Korea following an investigation by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency-International Crime Investigation Unit (SMPA-ICIU) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seoul.

SMPA-ICIU officers and HSI special agents identified Korean national Kyung Jong Jang, 58, as the leader of the South Korea human smuggling organization. Jang was arrested Monday for violating multiple Korean laws, including kidnapping and arranging for sex trafficking. If convicted, he faces five to seven years in prison. Twenty-one Korean citizens including operators of brothels in the United States and prostitutes were also arrested on criminal charges in South Korea.

Jang and the brothel operators allegedly recruited Korean prostitutes through an Internet website, nagayoworld.com, and arranged for them to travel and work in brothels in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

Five fugitives in the United States are being sought. Based on the HSI memorandum of understanding with the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), HSI will proceed to locate and arrest the additional Korean fugitives involved in this investigation, including Suk Hee Jung, 33, a brothel operator.

The investigation on recruiting and smuggling Korean prostitutes into the United States continues.