Constitutional Court upholds tough anti-prostitution laws

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Thursday upheld a strict anti-prostitution law that punishes individual women who trade sex for money.

The legislation, enacted in 2004, carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of 3 million won ($2,580) for anyone convicted of selling or purchasing sex.

Thursday's ruling centered on a case brought in 2012 by a then 41-year-old prostitute. She challenged her arrest and 500,000 won fine, arguing that punishing voluntary prostitution, especially when the sex worker has no other means of income, violated her constitutional rights.