How did the vicious pimp Hong become the representative of the redevelopment area?
In the SBS 'I want to know' broadcast on the 11th, under the subtitle 'The pimp who became a freshwater drinker - Chairman Yuri-bang's secret', he pursued an incomprehensible situation in which pimps who profited from illegal activities enjoy wealth instead of punishment.
Yeongdeungpo 4-ga is the last place of prostitution in Seoul. In 2011, when a large shopping mall was built nearby, residents raised their voices asking for the glass room alley to be closed.
At that time, dozens of women in prostitution held a nude protest to ensure their right to live, and after that, the interests of many such as women in prostitution, pimps, and building owners were intertwined.
And last June, discussions on redevelopment of the area began. This is where the second Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and residential and commercial facilities are planned to be built up to the 45th floor. But unlike 10 years ago, this place is just quiet.
Some evaluated it as the result of the efforts of the mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, who took office in 2018. However, in fact, it was agreed that there was a person who contributed to quelling the complaints of glass room pimps and prostitutes. He is Mr. Hong, who owns 3 land and buildings in the area to be redeveloped. As the 'redevelopment promotion preparatory chairperson', he showed a strong desire for redevelopment.
However, the fact that he, called Chairman Hong, is actually a vicious pimp who runs a prostitution business has attracted attention.
As a result, the production team traced his past. Then it turned out that he was actually a representative of the Yeongdeungpo association of prostitutes called 'Hanteo National Federation' and raised his voice during the naked protests of prostitutes 10 years ago.
It is an ironic situation that he, who had been the target of crackdowns by the ward office and the police, appeared as a representative of the residents during the redevelopment process. He was one of the owners of a glass-room brothel and land that now covers a quarter of the total redevelopment area, and he owns a total of three.
In particular, it was revealed that he purchased additional land and buildings around the prostitution center in 2013. The expert said that it seems like a strategy to secure occupancy rights in the redeveloped building, and he is a smart person in finance.
In his building, there were a total of six glass rooms, two each, and this place was still actively receiving guests. And the next morning, the production crew caught the director of the redevelopment promotion committee, who claimed that Hong had absolutely nothing to do with the brothel, entering the establishment owned by Mr. Hong.
The director, who was discovered by the production team, insisted that Hong's wife manages the building, and that Hong cannot afford to meet for other personal business, and insisted that he still had nothing to do with the prostitution business.
One informant who had worked for a long time in the Yeongdeungpo prostitution gathering place said about Hong, "He is a person who takes a public office in this area, such as a glass room, and looks after him."
If so, do the police know of Mr. Hong's existence? The police said they knew about him, and that he has now been charged with a case and that he has been handed over to trial.
On the days they worked, the women who suffered from prostitution took all the money they had earned in the name of repayment of advance payments and commissions from Hong's wife, and paid 1 million won for absenteeism when they took a break from work, which was collected by Hong. In a situation where the hair is increasing even after earning money, the women sued Hong instead of running away at night. This is because Hong makes a public wanted by exposing his ID and phone number to the Internet community where pimps from all over the country gather when prostitutes run away. It was only a matter of time for a woman to be caught if she publicly wanted a bounty, and if she was caught and returned, the bounty would be her debt.
However, it was confirmed that most of the women who sued Hong dropped the charges. Hong and his wife, as well as those around the women, continued to pressure and insist on an agreement. In addition, it was confirmed that Hong had not yet started the first trial on the complaint filed two years ago, which had not yet been withdrawn.
In response, an expert analyzed the reason why he struggles to delay the trial, saying, "According to the Provincial Law, there are executive qualifications for the union, but more than probation is the reason for disqualification. If he dreams of becoming the president of a redevelopment union, how should he avoid the trial?"
Kang Hyeon-jun, who served as the secretary general of Hanteo, said about Hong, "I use the group only in case of an emergency, otherwise I fall out.
And he said, "Mr. Hong is a person who doesn't care if it's economical," he said. "The president of the union can't do it without strength. He also mentioned the redevelopment of Yongsan and Cheongnyangni, saying that this is not the first time something like this has happened.
In fact, Kim In-sik, a famous pimp at Cheongnyangni 588, was imprisoned after it was revealed that he had received money from the redevelopment process. And it was thanks to a strong local cartel that his corruption was possible.
In the case of the Yeongdeungpo redevelopment, a private development, once the union was established, it was revealed that there was no way to monitor the corruption of the president from the outside, raising concerns. In March of this year, the women's group filed a collective complaint against the owners of buildings and land in the area. The target is 50 building owners and landowners, including Mr. Hong. And the reason for accusing the building owner, not the pimp, was that the provision of a place was also classified as a prostitution brokerage, and the act of providing a place could lead to collection and confiscation, so it was expected that they would be severely punished.
However, it was revealed that the summons investigation has not been conducted at all, and it was shocking. In response, the police said that there was no data that could be called and questioned, and the reason for the investigation was difficult if the pimp denied it.
What is the position of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office? The ward office drew a line saying, "The redevelopment of the area is a long-awaited project. However, the police are the main agents of crackdown on prostitution."
What about lawmaker Kim Young-joo in the relevant constituency? His aide said, "It is highly likely that the land owned by the prostitutes accounted for the largest distribution in the area. Therefore, it is perfectly normal for them to take the lead in the redevelopment project." When asked if it would be reasonable for the profits to go on without punishment, the production team blocked the conversation above, saying, "I don't know how much and to what extent the police impose additional penalties. I'm not a legal expert, so I have nothing more to say."
On this day, the production team estimated Hong's criminal proceeds. As a result of analyzing various data, the monthly income he earns as a single prostitute reached about 8 million won.
Also, when estimating sales by the number of glass rooms, it was estimated that he currently operates a total of 32 sales rooms. Accordingly, the monthly income of one room is 9.6 million won, and the monthly income is a whopping 37.2 million won. The proceeds from the crime to be collected amounted to a whopping 18,432 million won.
However, the tax accountant predicted that even if he was punished, the fine would be far short of that. In fact, Mr. Hong was living a life that did not care about his financial credibility at all, handling various fines and taxes in arrears when foreclosures came in. There was no way he could have properly reported his income, and he analyzed that it would be difficult to find his income if he had goods such as gold or virtual currency.
However, since the land or building itself used for prostitution is subject to confiscation, if both the building and the land are confiscated, Mr.
However, this was the case when a proper and lawful punishment was imposed.
Unlike the business owners who thought of doing business comfortably until just before the demolition and leaving to find the main office, the problem was that women in prostitution had to be sold elsewhere without any compensation or countermeasures when redevelopment takes place.
Accordingly, Seoul and Yeongdeungpo-gu enacted ordinances to support victims of prostitution, but it was useless in a situation where the budget was not prepared at all.
Accordingly, the broadcaster urged the relevant authorities to realize judicial justice through prompt investigation and firm punishment even now, saying that if the proceeds of crimes from pimps and building owners in this area are confiscated, they can also prepare a budget for activities to avoid prostitution.
(SBS Entertainment News Editor Kim Hyo-jung)