Seoul police said Wednesday they have booked four people for livestreaming and selling secretly filmed videos of some 1,600 motel guests in the past year.

Two have been arrested for distribution of illicitly filmed videos of motel guests via wireless internet protocol cameras set up at 42 motel rooms at 30 motels in 10 cities in the North and South Gyeongsang and Chungcheong Provinces between Nov. 24 last year and March 2 this year.

Two people that helped set up the spycams have been booked without detention, said Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber investigation unit.

The ultra mini cameras with a 1-millimeter lens were installed in TV set-top boxes, hair dryer holders and sockets, among others places inside the motel rooms. The clips were livestreamed via a website server based overseas, police said.

The group pocketed some 7 million won ($6,200) from 97 paid-up members by selling 803 illegally filmed videos. The website had a total 4,099 members.

Under current law, distribution of illegal videos is subject to up to five years in jail and a penalty of 30 million won, and up to a year and 10 million won for distributing porn.

“The police agency strictly deals with criminals who post and share illegal videos as they severely harm human dignity,” said an official of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber investigation unit. 


By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)