South Korea in Hot Water Due to Its Peeping Tom Problem
South Korean establishments plagued by spy cameras
Peeping Toms are now making headlines on South Korean and Asia news as the call for its solution are being widely discussed.
Across the country, South Korean women fear being victimized by hidden cameras installed in hotels, pools, public toilets, and even subway stations. Meanwhile, the government has expressed its plan to decrease the said crimes. However, its efforts have not been proven to be effective.
“It would be horrible if such footage of myself spreads online. Even just the thought of the possibility is enough to generate great fear,” stated Hwang Seul Gi, who works for an office in Seoul. Hwang added that she is always alert when she uses public facilities and the subway.
Additionally, the police have dispatched authorities to examine public toilets and other areas to curb the secret camera porn. The government has also made action to block the access of the patrols to the harmful websites.
The felony was made possible because of South Korea’s advancement in technology. Now, cameras are getting smaller which allows it to be easily hidden. The inexpensive tech gadgets have made way for peeping toms to attack women in a country where patriarchy is still prevalent.
Additionally, there have been reports of using smartphone apps to peep on women’s skirts as they ride escalators and the subway, and even while sitting on their desk. This problem has spread so much that smartphone companies have begun tweaking their phones to have a loud shutter sound when taking pictures.
The images and the videos are shared to molka specialty websites on the internet. Police have reported that molka crimes have increased 600% from approximately 1,000 in 2010, to more than 6,000 in 2017.
A particular website was busted as it live streamed over 1,600 guests in more than 40 hotels across the country using spy cameras. This peeping tom culture in South Korea has paved the way for opportunists to make money through invasion of privacy.