Culture
19:44, 19-Dec-2017
S. Korea to ban cameras in public bathhouses, restrooms
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The S. Korean government plans to ban all filming and photography in public bathhouses, dressing rooms and restrooms to prevent the country's so-called
hidden camera crimes, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
The legislation to protect private image information was approved at the cabinet
meeting, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. It will be
submitted to the National Assembly for approval.
People walking down on the street. /Yonhap Photo
People walking down on the street. /Yonhap Photo
Under the proposed legislation, the installation of devices that can record or take photos in public bathhouses, public restrooms, dressing rooms and
other place vulnerable to privacy violations will be prohibited.
The banned devices involved fixed ones such as CCTV cameras and
Internet-connected cameras as well as portable ones including digital cameras,
smartphones and wearable devices.
Those who violate the law will be punished with a fine of up to 50 million won
(46,000 US dollars).
Under the previous act, the installation of fixed devices and their filming were
banned, but the new legislation will also prohibit the installation of and the
filming by portable devices.
A hidden camera-hunting squad checking a women's restroom. /AFP Photo
A hidden camera-hunting squad checking a women's restroom. /AFP Photo
For business and security purposes, installation of devices can be allowed, but they should be made known to people.
The new legislation is aimed at preventing hidden camera crimes, which
secretly film and photograph women for sexual gratification and other
purposes.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of hidden camera crimes
continued to rise from 2,400 in 2012 to 6,623 in 2014, before falling to 5,185
in 2016.
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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency