Former National Football Player Hwang Ui Jo sentenced to one year in prison with probation for illegal filming

On February 14th, former South Korean national football player Hwang Ui Jo (33) was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation in the first trial for illegal filming of sexual acts. Hwang was accused of recording sexual videos without the consent of two women and of filming video calls without permission. He was indicted in July of last year.

The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 13, led by Judge Lee Yong Je, sentenced Hwang to one year in prison with a two-year probation. In addition, Hwang was ordered to undergo 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs and complete 200 hours of community service.

Hwang appeared in court wearing a black suit and kept his head bowed throughout the proceedings. Prior to the sentencing, the prosecution had requested a four-year prison sentence for Hwang.

Hwang's case stems from incidents that occurred between June and September 2022, during which he secretly recorded sexual videos of two women and also recorded video calls. He was indicted last July on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence, specifically for filming sexual acts using a camera.

Judge Lee stated that the illegal filming of one of the victims was a violation, given the serious social harm caused by such crimes. However, the charges related to the other woman’s video call were ruled not guilty, citing a precedent by the Supreme Court. The judge clarified that the Supreme Court considers the definition of 'filming' in such cases to only apply to the filming of a person's body, not a video call where the individual’s body is not directly filmed.

The judge also took into account Hwang’s admission of guilt and his remorse. He had made a public apology and deposited funds in restitution after the indictment. This, along with Hwang being a first-time offender with no prior criminal record, influenced the sentencing decision.

After the ruling, Hwang expressed deep regret, stating, "I apologize to the football fans. I am truly sorry."

The lawyer representing the victims, Lee Eun Ui, condemned the judgment as "atrocious" and stated that the court had effectively given a "get-out-of-jail-free card" to a criminal who left lifelong trauma and anxiety for the victims. Lee also criticized the court for depriving the victims of their right to speak out, claiming that the court feared Hwang’s reputation being damaged.

Originally, the ruling was scheduled for December last year, but the prosecution's request to amend the indictment delayed the trial for two months. Notably, despite the victims’ refusal to accept the compensation, Hwang deposited 200 million KRW (about $150,000) as a settlement last November, sparking controversy.

In a related case, Hwang’s sister-in-law, A (34), who spread the illegal videos on social media, was sentenced to three years in prison by the Supreme Court last year.