'Busan International Film Festival' staff member jailed for secretly filming colleague during sexual intercourse

A staff member of the 'Busan International Film Festival' has been sentenced to prison for secretly recording videos of sexual intercourse with a colleague without her consent.

On July 18, the Busan District Court’s Criminal Division 10 sentenced a man in his 40s, identified only as Mr. A, to one year in prison for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (illegal filming using a camera). He was taken into custody immediately after the sentencing. The court also ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program.

Mr. A was found guilty of illegally recording videos of sexual intercourse with Ms. B, a woman in her 30s who had worked as a short-term contract employee at the festival from April to July 2023. He used a mobile phone placed on a bedside table to secretly film the encounters on multiple occasions.

Ms. B later discovered the existence of the videos and reported Mr. A to the police and to the Korean Film Gender Equality Center DeunDeun in May last year.

In its ruling, the court stated, “The defendant’s actions caused significant harm to the victim’s dignity, reputation, and overall life. Although the defendant deposited a substantial amount of money in an attempt to offer compensation, the victim made it clear to the court that she had no intention of accepting it.” The court also confirmed that the footage had not been distributed or posted online.