The current Act on the Punishment of Arrangement of Commercial Acts, etc., prohibits the advertising of commercial sex acts, arrangement of commercial sex acts, and places of business where such acts take place, and prescribes penal provisions to address non-compliance.

Despite these provisions, commercial sex acts continue to be advertised in such forms as leaflets on commercial sex acts and online advertisements for the arrangement of commercial sex acts. The reality is that enforcement is difficult and to address this issue, it is necessary to take preventive support measures to block the connection between persons who arrange commercial sex acts and consumers of the commercial sex acts by blocking telephone numbers used for commercial sex acts and arrangements thereof, and suspending the provision of communications services.

Accordingly, the Amendment allows Mayors/Do Governors, etc., to operate a communications system capable of blocking the use of telephone numbers displayed in advertisements concerning commercial sex acts, and request the Minister of Science and ICT to suspend the provision of electrical and communications services to such telephone numbers (Article 33-3 newly inserted).

Article 33-3 (Blocking the Use of Telephone Numbers Displayed in Advertisements Concerning Commercial Sex Acts) ① To prevent commercial sex acts, Mayors/Do Governors, heads of police agencies, and other persons specified by Presidential Decree, upon identifying any advertising pursuant to Article 4, subparagraph 5 of the Act on the Punishment of Arrangement of Commercial Acts, etc., may operate a communications system to block the use of telephone numbers displayed in such advertisements, and may request the Minister of Science and ICT to suspend the provision of electrical and communications services to such telephone numbers.