Digital Sex Crime in South Korea.
Source: Getty Images
Written by Abbas, India and Nithya, India.
A famous saying goes “It’s not consent if you make me afraid to say no”, while another perspective to this lies on our side and “Silence Implies Consent”, It is up to us, humane people, to voice and oppose strong criticism in cases of Injustice.
Today, we will cover Sexual and Digital Abuse in South Korea, which you rarely see being covered on Media, and how frightening is the fact that a blind eye is being turned on such contentious matters!
South Korea is often seen as an economic miracle because of its rapid economic growth in the post-Korean War period (1950-1953) to the present day. With the highest rate of adult smartphone ownership, the country has had one of the world's fastest Internet speeds, and 99.5% of households with Internet access as part of this boom. This has become a leader in technological development. South Korea is often seen as an economic miracle because of its rapid economic growth in the post-Korean War period (1950-1953) to the present day. With the highest rate of adult smartphone ownership, the country has had one of the world's fastest Internet speeds, and 99.5% of households with Internet access as part of this boom. This has become a leader in technological development.
Miniature Spy Camera sold at Seoul, South Korea
Unlawful filming involved fewer than 4 percent of sexual offenses in South Korea in 2008. By 2017, the number was 11 times higher than 585 cases, representing 6,615, and 20% of prosecutions of sex crimes. Much of the public's attention to digital gender crimes was initially driven by the use of small cameras ('spycam"), which were used to covertly record films in places such as toilets, changing rooms, and hotels.
Things don’t stop there, Nearly 10,000 found compromising videos of themselves on Adult Websites, and the number keeps increasing, in the last years, the number increased as high as 7 times, peeping toms and sometimes people close to the victims are to blame, one such case of Digital and Sexual Abuse was the 26-year old, Nana who broke up with her boyfriend after things spiraled in their relationship and a month later found her sex-tape being uploaded on an adult website. Shame drove Nana to quit her job, move cities and cut off ties with families and friends.
Women and girls are targeted by major legal barriers. The police often refuse to accept and abuse their complaints, reduce vulnerability, blame them for images inadequately and conduct inappropriate investigations. When cases move forward, survivors struggle with information and the court to hear their voices.
According to a study by the Korean Institute of Criminology, 8 in 10 men admit to abusing their girlfriends which in turn leads to abuse, depression and suicide. Ha-Yena, the founder of DSCO (Digital Sex Crime Out) says and I quote, “taping and threatening to leak pictures and videos and circulating them without consent is akin to murder compared to taking a gun and shooting someone, there is no difference.”
There are not easily available civil remedies such as a court order for the culprit to take out pictures or to pay damages to the victim. When civil claims are made on the foundations of events that also fall under criminal prosecution, civil action is usually postponed until criminal proceedings have been concluded. This means that during the time when it may be necessary, survivors cannot seek assistance.
Four times more unpaid women do South Korean work than men and face a gender wage gap of 32.5%. Gender-based violence is widespread, compared with global estimates that one in three women has experienced such violence – with 2.000 men from South Korea in a 2017 survey nearly 80% of respondents admitted violent acts against their intimate partner. The 2015 national currículum on sexual education was widespread criticism that harmful sex stereotypes are continued.
In Lee Ye-rin’s case, her employer made romantic overtures toward her; he was married, and she was not interested. One day he bought her a clock as a gift. She put the clock in her bedroom but later found that it was a spycam and that he had been streaming footage for a month and a half. She faced a lasting impact from the experience. “What happened took place in my own room – so sometimes, in regular life, in my own room, I feel terrified without reason.” A year later, she continued to take medication prescribed for depression and anxiety.
Many victims hope for a guilty verdict, but in reality, not all cases go to court or end with a guilty sentence. Hopefully, for a change to be brought into this brutal reality. An environment where victims are able to talk about their experience and receive support should be implemented so as to make sure that the aggressors in such cases would be deterred as well.
Sources: Human Rights Watch - LA Times - CNN - Reuters