Voyeur scandals shock country
Miniature spy cameras hidden in dozens of South Korean hotels recorded footage of 1600 people having sex that was streamed online to paying customers as real-life pornography.
Two people have been arrested and two more are being investigated in the most dramatic case of spycamera crime to be uncovered in the country.
In an unconnected scandal, one of South Korea’s biggest pop stars has admitted sharing covertly recorded film of his sexual partners with a group of celebrity friends.
Jung Joon-young, a singer and ‘‘K-Pop’’ star, tearfully admitted as he arrived at a court hearing in Seoul yesterday that he had made explicit videos of women without their knowledge or consent. ‘‘I am truly sorry,’’ he told reporters. ‘‘I have committed an unforgivable crime. I admit all the charges against me. I will accept the court’s verdict without demur. I apologise to the ladies who have suffered because of me. I will live my days repenting for these sins.’’
The two scandals add to a growing sense of concern in South Korea about the way in which digital technology is being used for pornographic purposes.
According to police, tiny cameras with lenses 1mm wide were found in 42 rooms in 30 small hotels in ten South Korean cities. They were hidden inside hairdryers, wall sockets and digital TV sets and were used to stream images of individuals, and of couples having sex, via a website that was online 24 hours a day.
About 4000 people were registered with the website and had the option of paying 50,000 won (NZ$65) a month to be able to replay edited highlights.
The National Police Agency’s cyberinvestigation department said that the group behind the operation took 7 million won over three months.
The problem of digital cameras being used for illegal spying appears to be increasing in South Korea. In 2017 police received 6400 such complaints, up from 2400 five years earlier.
Last year tens of thousands of women marched in protest in South Korean cities carrying the slogan ‘‘My Life is Not Your Porn’’.