https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/09/251_382322.html
Sex trade reviews shared like restaurant ratings on prostitution review sites
'Fresh!' 'Absolutely top-notch!' - These aren't restaurant reviews on a popular food portal site, but posts from a prostitution review site with over 40,000 members.
www.koreatimes.co.kr
"Fresh!" "Absolutely top-notch!" — These aren't restaurant reviews on a popular food portal site, but posts from a prostitution review site with over 40,000 members. Here, women involved in prostitution are rated as "high," "medium" or "low," with hundreds of reviews posted daily.
sex trade = prostitution 성매매, 매춘
restaurant ratings 식당 등급
review site 리뷰 사이트
top-notch 아주 뛰어난, 최고의
post a review 후기를 올리다
involve in = implicate in = be embroiled in ~에 연루시키다, ~에 연루되었음을 부여주다, ~에 휘말리다
be rated as ~로 평가되다
Just as multiple franchise restaurants are listed on delivery platforms, various prostitution establishments partner with these sites to advertise women, with visitors leaving reviews. The police recently arrested and forwarded charges against a man in his 30s (online alias "Black Owl") who specialized in posting prostitution reviews, but major review sites continue to operate with tens of thousands of users. Minors can easily access these sites without any age verification process.
prostitution establishment 성매매 업소, 매춘 업소
forward charges against = accuse of = indict = prosecute = charge with = take to court for = put on trial for = arraign for ~을 기소하다, ~을 고발하다
minor = juvenile = the young = teenager = teen = adolescent = the underage 청소년, 10대, 미성년자
age verification process 나이 인증 절차
Easy access, no age verification
easy access 쉬운접근
age verification 나이 인증
Prostitution review sites can be accessed with just a few simple search terms on portal sites as the membership registration process is lax. On all five prostitution review sites visited by the Hankook Ilbo, users could register without any adult verification or even providing a phone number.
portal site 포털 사이트 (무료 이메일과 홈페이지 서비스, 뉴스, 게시판 등의 기능을 통합 운영하는)
search term 검색어
membership registration process 멤버십 등록 절차
lax = slack = careless (일·규칙·기준 등에 대해) 느슨한, 해이한
adult verification 성인 인증
Some sites even used names similar to well-known domestic delivery or travel platforms to promote themselves. Inside these sites, slang terms for various types of prostitution establishments, such as "XXCafe" or "XX Room," were rampant. One site saw 249 reviews posted in just one day.
well-known = famous = popular = saught-after = famed = named = distinguished = illustrious = established = renowned 잘 알려진, 유명한, 저명한
domestic delivery 국내 배송
travel platforms 여행 플랫폼
rampant = prevalent = pervasive = widespread = rife = endemic = very popular 무성한, 만연한
in just one day 단 하루만에
The reviews generally included the name of the establishment and detailed accounts of prostitution experiences. The appearance, body and behavior of sex workers were described explicitly and graphically. Users used coded terms like "F" (face), "B" (body), "T" (talk) and "P" (play) to rate their experiences in a crude manner.
describe = depict = delineate = expound = elaborate = recount = explain = go into detail = portray = illustrate = picture 묘사하다, 그리다, 자세히 설명하다
explicitly = frankly = candidly = overtly 노골적으로, 솔직하게
graphically = vividly 생생하게, 아주 자세하게
in a crude manner = crudely 거친 방식으로, 난잡한 방식으로
Many posts included nude photos that appeared to be professionally taken, and some review posts even had videos of sexual acts, attracting hundreds of comments. One user has been posting steadily since 2017, writing 424 reviews. "Black Owl" also frequently posted video reviews using a high-end camera, with police confiscating up to 5 terabytes of video footage.
nude photo = nude picture 누드 사진
sexual acts 성행위들
sexual intercourse = intercourse coitus 성관계
post video reviews 동영상 리뷰를 남기다
confiscate = impound = forfeit 몰수하다, 압수하다
video footage 비디오 영상
Users post reviews to earn points, which can be redeemed for coupons to use at prostitution establishments. Most sites offer coupons for discounts or free services, sponsored by the establishments. An industry insider said, "Members who use coupons are required to write reviews, creating a structure where reviews are continuously reproduced."
earn points 포인드를 얻다
brownie point 윗사람의 신임, 윗사람의 점수
be redeemed for ~로 상환되다, ~로 맞바꾸다
free services 무료 서비스
industry insider = market watcher = industry expert = industry pundit = market observer 산업관계자
write reviews = post reviews 리뷰를 작성하다, 리뷰를 달다
Crackdowns face challenges
crackdown = clampdown = sanction 엄중단속, 강력탄압
face challenges 어러움에 직면하다
Despite the severity of the situation, where review postings directly lead to more prostitution, crackdowns are difficult. While the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic allows for the punishment of those advertising prostitution, there are no specific regulations against sharing reviews. Only when it is confirmed that illegal photos or videos have been posted can they be punished under the Sexual Violence Crimes Act.
the severity of the situation = the gravity of the situation = the seriousness of the situation = the magnitude of the situation 상황의 중대성, 상황의 엄중함
Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic 성매매 알선행위 처벌법
regulations = restriction = constraint = restraint = limitation = control = sanction = clampdown = crackdown 규제, 규정, 제한
the Sexual Violence Crimes Act 성폭력 범죄법
be punished = be penalized = be sentenced = come down on sb = take a discipline action 처벌되다, 벌하다
Shutting down these sites would be the fundamental solution, but this is challenging to achieve in a short time. Police have to request for a site to be blocked by the Korea Communications Standards Commission, which can take months if evidence gathering is difficult.
shut down 문을 닫다, 멈추다, 정지하다
challenging = taxing = demanding = formidable = arduous = testing = exacting = exigent 힘든, 만만찮은, 쉽지 않은
in a short time 단기간에
in a long time 장기간에
evidence gathering 증거수집
Even if a site is blocked, most simply change their web address slightly and continue operating. They use tactics like adding numbers to the end of the site name, such as "OOO52.com," and relaunch each time a block is imposed. A police official said, "During the investigation after a block request, they can change domains, host servers overseas or use ghost accounts and foreign names, making it even harder to identify suspects."
be blocked = be obstructed = be closed = be stopped = be clogged 막히다, 차단되다
impose = inflict = levy 부과하다
ghost account 유령계좌
make it even harder to ~하는 것을 더 어렵게 만들다
Experts warn that additional sex crimes could occur on these review sites. "Prostitution review sites are fundamentally based on the illegal trade and objectification of sex," said Lee Eun-eui, a lawyer who has handled many sex crime cases. "They can lead to other crimes, such as the distribution of illegal videos, as seen in the 'Black Owl' case. There is an urgent need for measures to block these sites more quickly."
occur = happen = take place = transpire = come to pass 발생하다, 일어나다
sex crime 성범죄
sexual harassment 성희롱, 성적 괴롭힘
sexual assault = rape 성폭행
measure = action = course of action 조치, 방책
there is an urgent need for ~이 시급히다, ~이 긴급히 필요하다
코리아타임스위클리
"시사와 영어를 한 번에"
Korea Times Weekly
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