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In Korea, some karaoke places offer to call these karaoke hostess agencies to order a number of "doumi girls," "helpers," or "hostesses," for their clients. These hostesses offer company and sometimes sexual services to karaoke goers.�
The Korean karaoke hostess business crossed over to America around 7-8 years ago, and has increased in its number of female employees ever since 2008 when agencies began accepting immigrant workers who don't carry visas.�Currently, the karaoke hostess business is becoming even more popular as even non-Korean women are enlisting for the easy cash. While clients usually pay $120 USD for 2 hours, the women are able to keep $80 USD along with tip.
The American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now investigating into these karaoke hostess agencies concentrated in the Los Angeles K-Town area as they had noticed their growth over the past few years. There are currently over 40 karaoke hostess services in the LA K-Town area alone. As one agency usually manages 30-40 women, it is believed that there are thousands of karaoke hostesses working in K-Town.
K-Town police chief Tina Nieto states that the growth of these agencies is concerning as it results in more major criminal activity, such as prostitution and drug dealing. �Tina Nieto stated, "Before the doumi girls were in mom and pop-type of operations [small scale], but because there's so much money in it, criminals are ringing these girls in, anytime you have any type of illegal activity and there's a lot of money involved you're going to attract the organized crime so that becomes a big problem [sic]."
Back in August, 17 Korean karaoke hostesses were arrested for their involvement in prostitution and drug dealing. They were found in an Irvine apartment located in Orange County, openly conducting a sex trafficking business. Residents in the area were alarmed to find that such a business was being held near their own homes.
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