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South Korea’s cutting-edge technology has driven a wave of digital sex crimes targeting young women and girls.
According to victims, investigators and advocacy groups, South Korea is the world’s center for illegal filming and sharing of explicit images and videos.
Digital technologies, including high-speed transmissions and encrypted chat rooms, have provided new vehicles to spread deeply embedded gender discrimination and disseminating material showing sexual violence against women.
“Unfortunately, South Korea has advanced in the prevalence, variety, and seriousness of digital sex crimes,” Heather Barr, co-director of women’s rights at Human Rights Watch, said.
The country has the highest rate of adult smartphone ownership in the world and one of the fastest internet speeds, with 99.5% of households having Internet access. It was also the first country to do so launch the 5G service.
A new HRW report based on interviews with victims and their families highlights that crimes often involve intimate images captured and disseminated by both strangers and known women.
In one case, Lee Ye-rin * discovered that a clock donated by a businessman had been transmitting images from his room for weeks.
“What happened happened in my own room, sometimes. . . in my own room, I feel terrified for no reason, ”Lee said. He added that, a year after the discovery of the crime, he still relies on prescription drugs to fight depression and anxiety.
Kang Yu-jin *, another victim, was forced to leave her job and move house after a former couple posted private photos along with identifiable details, including home and office addresses.
“There were men who wanted to contact me at the church where my parents attended. . . and there were men who sent me [messages] having sex. There were also men who came to my house and worked, ”he said.
The researchers noted that beyond the dangers of stigma and harassment, suicide also prevails.
“I’m very scared of my future,” said Oh Soo-jin *, another victim. “He will always be on someone’s computer. . .[I thought]‘I want it to stop, but this problem will never end. . . So if that can’t stop, I want to stop my life. “
While digital sex crimes are a global problem, the report released Wednesday by U.S.-based HRW has also exposed South Korea’s relatively minor punishments and lack of protection for victims of digital sex crimes.
“Officials in the criminal justice system – most of whom are men – often seem to simply not understand or accept that these are very serious crimes. . . Survivors are forced to deal with these crimes for the rest of their lives with little help from the legal system, ”Barr said.
Despite public awareness and legal reforms, the number of cases of sex offenses related to illegal filming has continued to increase.
Last year, investigators and student police discovered a secret chat room in the Telegram messaging app that contained images of child sexual abuse. The material was viewed by 260,000 people, according to estimates by the Korea Cyber Sexual Violence Response Center.
According to the Korean Women’s Human Rights Institute, the number of cases related to illicit filming and distribution of images and videos was nearly 7,000 last year, 70% more than in 2019, which demonstrates an increase in information efforts.
But few cases are punished. Prosecutors withdrew 44% of digital sex offenses in 2019, while nearly 80% of those convicted of capturing intimate images without consent received a suspended sentence, a fine or a combination of the two in 2020, he said. HRW.
Last year, a Korean court rejected a U.S. extradition request for a man convicted of running one of the world’s largest child pornography websites after he was sentenced to just 18 months in prison for violated South Korea’s child protection laws.
The government has been criticized for this not addressing gender inequality, according to analysts, fuels digital sex crimes.
An Air Force sergeant ended her life last month after being sexually harassed by a male colleague and the Air Force allegedly tried to cover up the case. His death caused a public uproar that forced Lee Seong-yong, the head of the air force, to resign.
Despite calls for tougher action after a series of profiles #MeToo cases with K-pop stars and high-level politicians, little progress has been made in stopping the abuse of women throughout South Korea’s patriarchal society.
The country ranks 102 out of 156 in the 2021 World Economic Forum report on the global gender gap, with the largest gender disparity in economic participation and opportunities in any advanced economy.
According to HRW, South Korean women do unpaid work four times more than men and earn 32.5% less.
“The root cause of digital sex crimes in South Korea is widely accepted harmful opinions and behaviors towards women and girls that the government needs to address urgently,” Barr said.
* Names have been changed
If anything in this story has affected you and you need help, you can contact Lifeline Korea at 1588-9191. In the United Kingdom, Samaritans are at 116 123. The national suicide prevention line in the United States is 1-800-273-8255.
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