A day after HPD raided 2 massage parlors, one appeared to be back open for business

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu police executed arrest warrants at two massage parlors in the Keeaumoku Area late Friday night.

Kison Health Shiatsu Therapy Center on South Beretania Street and Hula Girl on Young Street were raided, and two women were taken into custody.

Police records show the women were arrested for operating an illegal business.

Yoon Jung Park was arrested at Kison Health Shiatsu Therapy Center at 9:15 p.m. and Tok Kwon was arrested at Hula Girl at 8:45 p.m.

Kwon was also arrested for promoting prostitution.

By Saturday, both women were released after posting bail, and one of the establishments appeared to have reopened for business.

Kison Health Shiatsu Massage on Beretania appeared to be closed, but an electronic ‘Open’ sign was illuminated near the entrance to Hula Girl.

“So there was an arrest at Hula Girl which is known to offer Johns under age girls for sex (which is illegal - it’s sex trafficking) and yet it is still open. Hula Girl is still open,” Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery Executive Director Kathryn Xian said.

Xian says Hula Girl has been busted before and while Friday night’s arrests could be looked at as progress in the fight against prostitution and sex trafficking, she says there’s much more that needs to be done.

“Our laws have been changed to be very very strict on people who provide sex for cash especially when there are children involved. Especially if people are forced. So, why isn’t that happening? Why are these establishments still allowed to operate?” Xian said.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says the community can expect to see more raids in the near future.

“We want to crack down on it at its, source which is going to the massage parlor, going into the den where they do the drug dealing or even going to the game room,” he said.

But Xian is critical of the city’s enforcement strategy, saying more needs to be done.

“What really needs to happen is a true enforcement of our very good, very strict laws that go after the true owners of these establishments as well as the owners of the building who lease property to these illegal establishments,” she said.

Xian says the women arrested last night may have been victims themselves and she’s urging the prosecutor’s office to focus on the building owners who allow the illegal businesses to continue to operate. She says in some cases, they could face felony charges.

I’m Casey Lund, Hawaii News Now.

Both women have been released and are out on bail.

HNN is told this is part of the Honolulu prosecutors' ongoing effort to disrupt prostitution.

This story is being updated.

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