"Exposing Even Bathroom Moments"... Escapee Sin Chang-won’s Surveillance CCTV to Be Removed

Prisoner Shin Chang-won / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] It has been confirmed that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) used for surveillance in the solitary confinement cell where life-sentenced inmate Shin Chang-won (53) is held has been removed.

Gwangju Prison announced on the 19th that, following an internal review based on recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission, the CCTV in the solitary cell where Shin is incarcerated was dismantled.

Previously, in May of last year, Shin submitted a petition to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), claiming that he had been subjected to human rights violations such as being monitored by CCTV for every move while confined in solitary for over 20 years.

In the petition, Shin appealed, "Even my actions in the restroom are exposed through the CCTV," and stated, "It is unfair for surveillance through electronic video equipment to continue for more than 20 years."

The NHRC viewed the prolonged CCTV surveillance of Shin as a significant infringement on the privacy and freedom guaranteed by the Constitution, and recommended improvements to the Gwangju Regional Correctional Office, under which the prison where Shin is held operates, as well as to the Minister of Justice.

Meanwhile, Shin was sentenced to life imprisonment for robbery and manslaughter. While serving his sentence, he escaped from prison in 1997 but was apprehended two and a half years later. Since then, he has been confined in solitary and monitored via CCTV for over 20 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.