Exposing the Back View While Using the Restroom... When Will the 'Human Rights Violation' in Men's Bathrooms End?

A dummy closed-circuit television (CCTV) installed inside a bus terminal restroom. Photo by YouTube channel 'Seong In Kwon Center'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Recently, a report surfaced claiming that a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera was installed inside the men's restroom at a bus terminal, sparking controversy over human rights violations. Although it was later revealed that the installed CCTV was a dummy, voices criticizing the infringement of privacy in men's restrooms continue to grow.

Among the concerns, many point out that urinals are fully exposed even from outside the restroom, making privacy protection inadequate in many places. Citizens are urging for a swift improvement of restroom structures that pose risks of privacy invasion.

On the 7th, the YouTube channel 'Seong In-gwon Center' released a video reporting that a CCTV was installed inside a men's restroom at a bus terminal. The restroom ceiling had a CCTV installed, and a notice was posted on the wall above the urinals stating, "CCTV is operating to prevent equipment loss."

The Seong In-gwon Center requested the removal of the CCTV, but the terminal reportedly refused, stating, "A restroom refers to a small space for defecation and urination. The CCTV (which was protested) only captures the back view of urination," implying that the footage does not constitute a human rights violation.

However, under current law, installing CCTV inside restrooms is illegal. According to Article 25 of the Personal Information Protection Act, no one may install CCTV in places such as bathhouses, restrooms, or changing rooms used by unspecified individuals where there is a significant risk of infringing on personal privacy.

The fact that CCTV was installed inside the men's restroom provoked public outrage. Netizens responded with comments such as, "Isn't it a human rights violation even if only the back view of urination is recorded?" "How can they say this is not a human rights violation?" and "Men's privacy is also important."

However, it was confirmed that the controversial restroom CCTV was a dummy and has since been removed. The terminal told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "Due to frequent loss of restroom equipment, we installed a dummy CCTV and a notice sign. It was intended to raise awareness about theft. It has now been removed."

Nevertheless, criticism continues that even a dummy CCTV causes users to feel anxiety and discomfort about their bodies being recorded while using the restroom.

A men's restroom in Jeju Island where the urinals are fully exposed./Photo by Online Community

Voices expressing discomfort related to the use of men's restrooms are not new. On the 2nd, an online community post titled "Where are men's human rights and urination rights?" was uploaded.

The author explained that at a men's restroom in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, the urinals were fully visible from outside, and the restroom door was tied shut with a safety bar and rope, making it impossible to close, thus exposing users while they were using the facilities.

The author pointed out, "There are hundreds of users daily, but the women's restroom door on the left is made of frosted glass and can be opened and closed, while the men's restroom door has been tied with a rope for a long time. I get annoyed every time I go because I have to expose my back while using it. If you look at the restroom, you can see the back of someone using it, and passersby are exposed."

They added, "It might be for ventilation purposes, but even if men don't care, the culture needs to change now. Many women also dislike cleaning men's restrooms while someone is using them." Comments expressing agreement followed this post.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety revised and has been enforcing the "Enforcement Decree of the Act on Public Restrooms" since 2018. According to the law, when constructing or remodeling buildings, entrances to public restrooms must be installed so that the interior is not directly visible to people passing through hallways or roads. However, restrooms built before the law revision are exempt, so discomfort caused by restrooms where the interior is visible still persists.

Experts emphasize the urgent need to improve public restrooms with structures that do not protect privacy. Pyo Hyeryeong, head of the Restroom Culture Citizens' Coalition, pointed out, "Since people undress and expose their bodies in restrooms, they must be designed to avoid infringing on privacy. It seems that awareness of the need for improvement has not yet been established."

She continued, "If it is to prevent equipment loss, installing CCTV at the restroom entrance to monitor who enters should be sufficient. If the urinals are visible from the entrance, installing partitions in front of the entrance would help dispel human rights violation controversies," she suggested.

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