An undocumented immigrant suspected of prostitution in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, died of AIDS on April 3, and authorities in the southeastern city are on high alert over the potential spread of the disease. She was identified as a year-old woman who worked at a massage parlor in Pohang. Due to the possibility that the woman could have been involved in prostitution, authorities are taking swift action to investigate where she was and who she was in touch with.
The woman contacted a counseling center for prostitutes in Gyeonggi on March 26, asking for help. She could barely speak, even in her own language, because of her condition. After learning that she was living in Pohang, the center helped her get medical attention at a hospital in the area.
When her condition worsened, she was moved to a hospital in Seoul and died on April 3. The results came back on April 1. They found her studio apartment empty and a lease contract was nowhere to be found.
Authorities are concerned about the possibility that the woman could have been involved in prostitution, as her clients could spread the virus unknowingly. The health of those infected with HIV will deteriorate rapidly if they are not treated with antiretroviral drugs. The Pohang Nambu Police Precinct is investigating customers of the massage parlor where the woman worked at.
The man claimed that he saw a post on a social network platform written in a foreign language that was accompanied with a photo of a patient receiving treatment. The post was uploaded by a protection group for women through a foreign social network account, but was since erased.
