'Step-by-step Daily Recovery' Seoul City Launches Joint Intensive Inspection on Illegal Filming in Entertainment Districts

Intensive Inspection of Restrooms Around Entertainment Districts to Prevent Illegal Filming Due to Increased Outdoor Activities

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As citizens' outdoor activities increase with the phased transition to daily life recovery, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 23rd that it will conduct proactive inspections to eradicate illegal filming.

This inspection will be carried out intensively for two weeks from the 24th to the 7th of next month, focusing on privately opened restrooms around entertainment districts by 250 citizen monitoring teams for illegal filming across 25 autonomous districts. Approximately 2,500 targeted inspection points will be selected among privately opened restrooms managed by autonomous districts, including those designated as special management restrooms, restrooms around entertainment districts, and those frequently used by citizens. The citizen monitoring teams will conduct inspections in pairs.

In addition, major inspection points among the targeted restrooms will be jointly inspected by the citizen monitoring teams along with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Autonomous Police Committee. The inspection will be conducted using radio wave detectors to search for suspicious installation traces and areas, followed by precise searches of suspicious traces and areas using infrared (lens) detectors.

Seoul plans to establish a cooperative system for preventing illegal filming through various methods, including joint campaigns in the future, as well as this joint inspection with the autonomous police. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Autonomous Police Committee have continuously conducted joint inspections this year, such as school joint inspections and inspections of bus terminals during holiday periods. In September this year, the Autonomous Police Committee's working council discussed regularizing joint inspections between Seoul and the police.

During the intensive inspections, private facility building owners and managers, such as public hygiene businesses, who wish to conduct self-inspections will be lent approximately 860 inspection devices owned by the autonomous districts. Inspection equipment can be rented by phone or visit application at the district offices and community centers, and it can be borrowed more conveniently using the Ansim-i app.

Meanwhile, the citizen monitoring teams for illegal filming recently conducted prevention inspection activities within schools in cooperation with the Office of Education and the National Police Agency to respond to illegal filming crimes in schools. The citizen monitoring teams have conducted regular inspections twice a month, inspecting 22,650 locations such as restrooms and shower rooms in 6,134 buildings across Seoul. In August and September, they conducted joint inspections targeting school restrooms, completing inspections of 1,331 schools in Seoul, providing a safe restroom environment for school members.

Seoul has also been continuously promoting the establishment of a solid cooperative system with private associations to strengthen regular inspections of public restrooms. In July, Seoul prepared measures to strengthen illegal filming prevention by shortening the inspection cycle of public institution restrooms to once a week and promoting cooperation such as regular inspections supported by private associations by industry. Considering the ongoing occurrence of illegal filming crimes in the private sector, such as lodging businesses, Seoul plans to extend long-term rental of inspection equipment to private associations like the Lodging Business Association and the Screening Room Association and to promote joint business agreements.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, said, “This intensive inspection by the citizen monitoring teams is a proactive measure to prepare for illegal filming crimes during the year-end and New Year holidays following the phased daily life recovery and relaxation of quarantine rules. Seoul will continue to strengthen the illegal filming prevention inspection system and establish cooperative systems with related organizations so that citizens can live safely.”

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