[Newsmaker] ‘Spycam porn’ victims support program launched in South Korea

The South Korean government’s first-ever measures to support victims of online and digital sexual violence, including those who have been affected by so-called “spycam porn” or “revenge porn,” took effect Monday.

The measures include a government agency deleting, upon victims’ requests, spycam or revenge porn footage that has been illegally uploaded online.

“We hope that victims of digital and online sexual violence can go back to their normal lives as soon as possible and no longer feel that they are alone,” said Gender Equality Minister Chung Hyun-back in a statement. 

Revenge porn is the distribution of sexually explicit images or videos of someone without the subject’s consent. In Korea, many of such footage are made and uploaded online by an ex-partner, very often without the victim’s knowledge.

Spycam porn, or hidden camera pornography, refers to video footage created by using hidden cameras -- better known as “spycams” -- in public bathrooms and changing rooms in gym or clothing stores, among other places.

The spycams can be as small as the head of a pin, and also come in various forms, including pens and glasses.

In 2016 the government announced that it would shut down Sora.net, a highly popular adult file-sharing and community site where users shared secretly taken pictures of women’s body parts, many of which had been captured in public bathrooms using hidden cameras. The decision was made 10 years after the site opened as concerns and protests surged against its content.

Quoting a private agency that deletes such spycam or revenge porn footage, a local media outlet reported last year that many of those who have been affected by this form of online sexual violence end up taking their own lives.

“There were a number of incidents where I would call the victim (after receiving his or her initial request), and then someone else would pick up and tell me that the person had taken his or her own life,” Kim Ho-jin, the head of the agency, was quoted as saying last year.

The newly introduced measures include counselling, deleting the illegal footage from file-sharing sites, legal support for those who wish to file a complaint against the perpetrators, as well as monitoring cyberspace in case the deleted video or images are circulated again.

The Gender Equality Ministry said it is also working on a proposal to revise a number of existing laws on sex crimes in cyberspace.

For one, the government wants to revise the Act on the Prevention of Sexual Assault and Protection to make the perpetrators, not the victims, responsible for the cost of deleting the footage from cyberspace.

Korea has the highest smartphone penetration rate in the world, and it is extremely difficult to delete an image once it has been posted online.

The government is also considering banning electronic image devices in certain properties, including public bathrooms, public bathhouses and changing rooms in gym or clothing stores.

At the same time, the Gender Equality Ministry is also looking to revise the law so that those who illegally post revenge porn or spycam porn where the victim is identifiable, will be punished by jail terms of up to five years, not fines.

Still, some Korean women said they do not feel safe.

“I’ve been avoiding going to public bathrooms after the Sora.net scandal broke out. It was very shocking to me,” said Kim Hyun-ju, a female resident in Seoul.

“I think it’s great that the government is supporting the victims, but I’m not sure how they are going to get rid of the hidden cameras -- as they take so many different forms and sizes.”

Another woman living in Daejeon, who only wanted to be identified by her last name Jeong, said simply deleting the footage would not be enough, given how popular smartphones are among Koreans.

“What worries me is the screen-capture function of the smartphones,” she said. “Anyone can capture any image on any page of the internet and then save it in their personal devices. Once the footage is already saved in so many people’s phones, what’s the point of deleting it from the initial site where it was first distributed?”

The Gender Ministry said it is still working on measures to better protect and support the victims. 

Those who have been affected by online or digital sexual violence in Korea can get help by calling (02)735-8994 or visiting www.women1366.kr/stopds.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)