Illegal Filming in Changing Rooms

A document summarizing the crime of filming with cameras and similar devices in private spaces such as changing rooms and restrooms, along with related laws, punishments, and response systems

Illegal Filming in Changing Rooms

Overview

Illegal filming in changing rooms refers to the crime of installing or concealing a small camera or smartphone in a private space where users' bodies may be exposed—such as a clothing store's fitting room, a swimming pool or gym changing room, or a restroom—in order to film another person's body. Going beyond a mere invasion of privacy, it violates the right to sexual self-determination, and when the footage is distributed, the secondary harm persists over the long term, making it a representative type of digital sex crime. In Korea, Article 14 of the "Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes" (hereinafter the Sexual Violence Punishment Act) serves as the core legal basis for punishment.

Main Content

Concept and Structure of Occurrence

Illegal filming in changing rooms consists largely of three stages. First, the installation stage, in which a camera, smartphone, or ultra-small disguised camera (pen-type, watch-type, charger-type, etc.) is concealed inside the changing room; second, the filming stage; and third, the stage of storing, editing, and distributing the footage. Typical hiding spots are known to include the hangers, gaps in mirrors, electrical outlets, fire detectors, and the undersides of shelves in fitting rooms. In recent years, methods that remotely control smartphones via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or automatically upload footage to the cloud have increased, making detection even more difficult.

Related Laws

Article 14 of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (Filming Using Cameras, etc.): A person who, using a camera or a mechanical device with similar functions, films another person's body, which may cause sexual desire or a sense of shame, against that person's will is punished by imprisonment for not more than 7 years or by a fine of not more than 50 million won. Distributing, selling, renting, providing, exhibiting, or screening the footage, or possessing, purchasing, storing, or viewing it for such purposes, is also punishable under the same paragraph, and if it is for profit, the punishment is aggravated.
Article 12 of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (Intrusion into Multi-Use Places for Sexual Purposes): A person who intrudes into a place used by the public (including changing rooms) for sexual purposes, or commits an act equivalent thereto, is punished by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or by a fine of not more than 10 million won.
Article 13 of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (Obscene Acts Using Communication Media) and the provisions of the Information and Communications Network Act and the Telecommunications Business Act concerning the distribution of illegally filmed material may also apply.
In civil terms, claims for damages based on tort are possible, and cases in which consolation money has been awarded have accumulated.

Punishment and Sentencing

Courts regard the number of and duration of filming, the premeditation of the concealment method, the number of victims, whether the material was distributed and whether it was for profit, and whether the offender shows remorse as the main sentencing factors. For organized or habitual filming of multiple victims or distribution, a prison sentence is generally imposed, and for occupational groups whose identities are identified (teachers, public officials, etc.), it may lead to restrictions on status or deprivation of public office. However, there are also cases in which suspended sentences are imposed for first-time offenders or those at the mere possession stage, giving rise to controversy over disparities in sentencing.

Current Situation and Statistics

According to data from the National Police Agency and the Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center (Digital Sexual Crime Victim Support Center) of the Korea Women's Human Rights Promotion Agency, crimes of filming using cameras, etc. have shown a steady upward trend since the 2010s. They are being detected throughout multi-use facilities such as large retail stores, university campuses, swimming pools, gyms, karaoke establishments, and libraries, and a considerable number of victims are women, though some male victims also exist. It is presumed that many incidents go unreported.

Detection, Prevention Technology, and Response

Public institutions and private companies operate illegal filming inspection services using infrared detection, radio (wireless signal) scanners, thermal imaging cameras, and the like. Local governments conduct regular inspections of public restrooms and changing rooms, and stores are introducing measures such as posting notices prohibiting cameras inside fitting rooms, mandating inspection records, and training employees. At the user level, it is recommended to check hangers, mirrors, and areas around electrical outlets before entering, to immediately report to 112 upon discovering a suspicious device, and not to touch it arbitrarily.

Victim Support

Victims can receive counseling, deletion support, and legal support through the Digital Sexual Crime Victim Support Center, the Women's Emergency Hotline 1366, and the National Police Agency's cyber sexual violence reporting channel. The Korea Communications Standards Commission and the Korea Internet Self-Governance Organization, among others, handle requests for the deletion and blocking of illegally filmed material. From 2024, with the amendment of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, punishment for possessing, viewing, and storing illegally filmed material has been strengthened, and a response system linked to the regulation of deepfakes and false videos has been established.

Latest Trends

In 2024–2025, the following changes have emerged. First, as methods using AI-based ultra-small cameras and remote transmission functions have appeared, it has become difficult to respond with traditional visual inspection alone, and local governments and the police are tending to expand wireless signal detection equipment. Second, with the amendment of the law responding to deepfake sex crimes (2024) strengthening punishment for the production, distribution, and possession of false videos, sentencing for the editing, processing, and distribution of illegally filmed material has increased. Third, international cooperative investigations into distribution networks based on messengers such as Telegram and discussions on platform self-regulation have expanded. Fourth, as rulings holding store and facility managers civilly liable for violations of safety management duties have increased, cases of the retail industry introducing its own inspection manuals and liability insurance have grown. Fifth, a "one-stop support" system that shortens the processing period from the receipt of a victim's report to deletion and blocking is being established, and in 2025, civil society is raising demands for the disclosure of the results of inspections of public changing rooms and restrooms.