The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Woman killed in stopped car struck by bus on highway

  • 3

    Koreans wish to work less than 40 hours per week: survey

  • 5

    Yoon faces strong political backlash after Tokyo summit

  • 7

    Video footage highlights details of stepmother's fatal abuse of 12-year-old

  • 9

    Actor Yoo Ah-in to appear for questioning Friday over alleged drug use

  • 11

    INTERVIEWNorth Korean-born chef delights Southerners' taste buds, breaks down cultural barriers

  • 13

    New EU trade policies unnerve Korean firms

  • 15

    North Korea fires ballistic missile as US bombers join drills

  • 17

    Whisky sales at E-Mart outlets exceed soju sales in Jan.-Feb. period

  • 19

    Could Doosan Robotics be valued at 1 trillion won in IPO?

  • 2

    Korea sets record of half million economically inactive youth

  • 4

    Mask mandate on public transportation to end Monday

  • 6

    Apple Pay's imminent launch in Korea draws mixed responses

  • 8

    Centre Pompidou's Korean branch to open in 63 Building

  • 10

    Commuters still wear masks despite end of mask mandate on public transportation

  • 12

    KAIST student becomes first Korean recipient of Apple Scholars fellowship

  • 14

    ANALYSISYoon-Kishida summit may 'raise ceiling' for trilateral cooperation with US: expert

  • 16

    Land minister fortifies city building cooperation with Indonesia

  • 18

    UBS eyeing swoop for Credit Suisse, sources say, amid fears of banking contagion

  • 20

    Trump expects to be arrested Tuesday as DA eyes charges

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Tue, March 21, 2023 | 21:11
Society
'Our lives are not your porn': South Korean women cry out against 'spycam porn'
Posted : 2018-08-05 17:16
Updated : 2018-08-07 15:26
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Participants hold up protest signs at one of the biggest rallies against the country's 'spycam porn epidemic' at Gwanghwamun Square, downtown Seoul, Saturday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon
Participants hold up protest signs at one of the biggest rallies against the country's "spycam porn epidemic" at Gwanghwamun Square, downtown Seoul, Saturday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon

By Lee Suh-yoon

Seated in massive columns across the gate of an ancient palace Saturday, tens of thousands of young women, clad in red, sang and swayed to a tune from the musical Les Miserables, with a slight twist to the lyrics.

"Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry women!" they sang, waving their red and white signs in sync.

The verse may have perfectly spoken for the 70,000 women, who poured into Gwanghwamun Square despite a record-breaking heat wave, as they protested widespread "spycam pornography," and urged the inactive government to step up efforts to deal with the illicit filming crimes.

The women's message was simple: we will not tolerate being "second-class citizens," and "our lives are definitely not your porn."

Participants hold up protest signs at one of the biggest rallies against the country's 'spycam porn epidemic' at Gwanghwamun Square, downtown Seoul, Saturday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon
A sign at the women's protest against "spycam porn" at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon

Spycam pornography – known as "molka" in Korean – has established itself as its own genre of porn here, featuring "upskirt" photos from subway stairs or secretly filmed clips of unknowing women in public bathrooms or motel rooms.

"How many preparatory materials do we need to just go to the public bathroom?" shouted one masked protestor on the podium, referring to the silicon sealeants some women carry around to cover hidden camera holes in bathroom stalls.

Crackdown on spycam elusive
Crackdown on spycam elusive
2018-08-07 10:05  |  Law & Crime

The protestors' anger was not just directed toward a few peeping toms; they called out the country's misogynistic culture for actively disseminating and consuming these illicitly filmed clips as porn.

"The person who takes it, uploads it, sells it, views it — they should all be investigated and strongly punished!" the protesters chanted.

Over 6,000 spycam cases are reported to the police each year. Over 80% of the victims are female and the perpetrators almost always male. Only about 3 percent of the perpetrators, however, are arrested, according to National Police Agency records.

Almost all the protestors wore masks, mindful of the fact they could face online harassment for participating in the protests. Though they had anonymously met online, they greeted each other warmly behind their masked faces, referring to each other as "sister."

This was the fourth anti-spycam protest here. The number of participants has also multiplied since the first took place in May, fueled by the #MeToo movement and outrage over the police's exceptionally swift response to an illicit filming crime against a male nude model at Hongik University, something many claimed was missing in cases involving female victims.

Since the first rally held by Hyehwa Station, the focus has shifted from the police to the judicial system itself.

Participants hold up protest signs at one of the biggest rallies against the country's 'spycam porn epidemic' at Gwanghwamun Square, downtown Seoul, Saturday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon
A sign at the women's protest against "spycam porn" at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon

"What is this country but a nation of molka if it lets the spreader of illegal spycam films get off the hook for just 50,000 won ($44)?" said one woman who shaved her head at the rally as a symbolic gesture of escaping sexual objectification by men. "Is a Korean woman's life worth just 50,000 won?"

Another protestor held up a sign that read: "A tiger leaves his pelt after death, while Korean women leave behind molka" — alluding to spycam porn circulated even after a victim's suicide, subcategorized as "posthumous work" and sold for higher prices.

President Moon Jae-in also came under fire at Saturday's protest regarding his comment during a Cabinet meeting last month that "there was no gender bias" in investigations of hidden camera crimes.

Protestors called for a public apology and demanded that Moon follow through on his campaign promise to be a "feminist president" with concrete measures.



Emailsylee@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
LG Group
Top 10 Stories
1Woman killed in stopped car struck by bus on highway Woman killed in stopped car struck by bus on highway
2Korea sets record of half million economically inactive youth Korea sets record of half million economically inactive youth
3Commuters still wear masks despite end of mask mandate on public transportation Commuters still wear masks despite end of mask mandate on public transportation
4[INTERVIEW] North Korean-born chef delights Southerners' taste buds, breaks down cultural barriers INTERVIEWNorth Korean-born chef delights Southerners' taste buds, breaks down cultural barriers
5KAIST student becomes first Korean recipient of Apple Scholars fellowship KAIST student becomes first Korean recipient of Apple Scholars fellowship
6COVID-hit Myeong-dong bounces back as tourists return COVID-hit Myeong-dong bounces back as tourists return
7Brides in early 40s outnumber those in early 20s Brides in early 40s outnumber those in early 20s
8Public officials reluctant to dine with coworkers Public officials reluctant to dine with coworkers
9OTT service providers negatively impacted by illegal streaming website OTT service providers negatively impacted by illegal streaming website
10[ANALYSIS] Yoon-Kishida meeting raises expectations of 3-way summit with China ANALYSISYoon-Kishida meeting raises expectations of 3-way summit with China
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Centre Pompidou's Korean branch to open in 63 Building Centre Pompidou's Korean branch to open in 63 Building
2Celebrities head back abroad to film K-food reality shows Celebrities head back abroad to film K-food reality shows
3Park Sung-woong talks about filming 'Woong Nam' with comedian-turned-director Park Sung-woong talks about filming 'Woong Nam' with comedian-turned-director
4Lee Se-young to lead MBC's new series 'The Story of Park's Marriage Contract' Lee Se-young to lead MBC's new series 'The Story of Park's Marriage Contract'
5From sky to deserted islands, two artists' documentation of nature adds surreal touch to reality From sky to deserted islands, two artists' documentation of nature adds surreal touch to reality
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group