Over 40% of child sex exploitation victims targeted via chat apps: report

Four out of 10 child and teenage victims of sex exploitation in South Korea last year were targeted through online chat applications, according to a new government report set to be released Thursday.

The 2024 annual report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Korea Women’s Human Rights Institute found that the most common method of exploitation was through so-called “compensated dating,” often initiated on anonymous online platforms.

The findings are based on support data collected from 17 centers across the country that assist minors who have experienced sexual exploitation. In 2024, these centers provided more than 35,000 services, including counseling and legal, psychological and academic support, to 1,187 victims and 1,556 guardians. The number of victims rose by nearly 25 percent compared to 2023.

Of the total victims, 98.5 percent were girls, and nearly half were between the ages of 14 and 16. Teenagers aged 17 to 19 accounted for 34.1 percent, while those between 10 and 13 made up 6.1 percent.

Online platforms posed the greatest threat, with 42.2 percent of victims reporting abuse via chat apps and 38.7 percent via social media. According to the report, peers and acquaintances introducing such meet-ups also played a significant role, accounting for 23.3 percent of exploitation pathways.

The most prevalent form of abuse was compensated dating. Other types of abuse included digital sex crimes, physical assault or extortion, and grooming.

In one notable case included in the report, a 12-year-old girl was lured via an open chat room by an adult pretending to be her peer. The perpetrator eventually coerced her into sending explicit images and then threatened to release them.

About one-third of the victims were referred to the centers through law enforcement agencies. Another 16 percent came via youth support organizations or counseling services, and 11 percent were connected through anti-prostitution agencies.

Most of the support provided involved counseling, followed by legal assistance, psychological services and medical care.

The ministry plans to introduce guidelines for online outreach and expand training for staff at support centers.

"Children and teenagers are increasingly exposed to exploitation through the growing use of social media and chat apps," said Cho Yong-soo, director general of rights protection at the Gender Ministry.

“We will ensure customized support so that victims, many of whom may not even realize they are victims due to grooming or stigma, can return to everyday life.”