A Kazakhstani national was sentenced to two years in prison, Friday, for coercing a woman from his country into prostitution and extorting her out of money.
The Gwangju District Court convicted the 39-year-old of forcing the victim to work in the sex industry in Korea and demanding $7,000 in "service fees" for helping her to find a job. He was also ordered to pay 450,000 won ($330) in restitution for his crimes.
The man, who was staying in Korea without a proper visa, lured her to the country with promises of a job working at a factory here.
When she arrived, he suddenly demanded she pay him $7,000, telling her to work in the illegal sex trade to pay it off.
His offense was tantamount to forcing her into "slave-like" labor and, for that, he deserved a heavy penalty, the court said.