Spycam case at school raises public ire

A police officer checks for hidden cameras in the restroom of a private academy in Gangnam District, Seoul, in this July 31, 2018 photo. Yonhap

By Bahk Eun-ji

There has been a public outcry over a recent case in which a male teacher allegedly installed hidden cameras in a restroom for female teachers at the high school where he works.

According to Yongsan Police Station, Wednesday, a faculty member of the high school in Seoul found two hidden cameras in a female teachers' restroom and reported this discovery to the police last month.

During an investigation, the police identified the male teacher as a suspect and searched his house. They are examining his phone and other materials seized from his home and investigating whether he distributed the clips online. The teacher was indicted without physical detention.

Upon hearing the news, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) immediately arranged an inspection of the restrooms of another high school where the teacher had worked before. They found one camera at a female restroom for students.

The SMOE said that it has dismissed him from the teaching post and will soon determine the level of disciplinary action, according to the results of the police investigation.

The spycams were initially not found, even though the Seoul education office conducted inspections of restrooms in all schools in the capital over the possible installation of hidden cameras since 2018. It has also guided all schools to conduct inspections twice a year starting this year.

As criticism mounted, SMOE Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon apologized.

“I deeply apologize to the victims, students and their parents who were shocked and hurt by the illegal filming with hidden cameras placed in schools, which are supposed to be the safest place for them,” he said in a statement.

“We will actively support measures, such as psychological counseling and educational programs, for the psychological recovery of the victims. The perpetrator will be disciplined as soon as the results of the investigation come out,” Cho said.

“We will establish a regular inspection system to detect illegal hidden cameras in all schools and take stern measures to prevent the recurrence of such a crime.”

This incident was not the first time that a teacher had installed an illegal camera in a school restroom. Last year a teacher in Gimhae and another in Changnyeong, both in South Gyeongsang Province, were found to have installed hidden cameras in the restrooms of their schools. They were sentenced to three years and 18 months in prison, respectively.

After the incidents were reported, the Ministry of Education asked 17 regional education offices, including Seoul's, to conduct inspections, with the assistance of the police, to find hidden cameras possibly installed in elementary, middle and high schools across the country.