When planning an out-of-the-country trip, booking accommodation is one of the most important things every traveler should consider. And looking for a place to stay can be very overwhelming as you also have to check out multiple hotel sites—making sure you’re getting the best deal without compromising your privacy.
But what if your hotel staycation in South Korea turned out to be a nightmare?
In a report published by BBC, four men have been arrested for installing secret cameras inside 42 rooms in 30 hotels across South Korea. According to the Cyber Investigation Department at the National Police Agency, the cameras used in filming guests were usually kept in digital boxes or secretly installed in TVs, hairdryer holders, and sockets.
In an interview with BBC, South Korean police mentioned that the men involved in the scheme set up 1-mm-lens cameras in the hotels in late August and then created a website in November. Just like any other streaming websites, users can also pay to have unlimited access to these videos.
The men were able to earn $6,200 just by posting videos of unknowing guests. When proven guilty, they will face up to 10 years in prison and a 30m won ($26,571; £20,175) fine. Although 1,600 hotel guests already fell victim to “South Korea’s spycam porn,” the police still couldn’t confirm whether these establishments were in cahoots with the suspects.
In recent years, “spycam porn” has continued to be a major problem in South Korea. As a matter of fact, there were 2,400 cases of illegal filming recorded in 2012 while more than 6,400 cases were reported to the police in 2017.
Due to the alarming number of reported cases, thousands of women gathered in Seoul last year to participate in “My Life is Not Your Porn,” which is a protest against hidden-camera pornography.