Police Send High-Ranking Welfare Ministry Official to Prosecution for 'Illegal Subway Filming'...Suspended from Position

Man in his 50s, Mr. A, Accused of Violating Sexual Violence Law
Considered as Candidate for Vice Minister of Welfare
Ministry of Welfare Suspended and Removed from Position
"Strict Measures Including Disciplinary Resolution Expected"

The police have sent a senior official of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Mr. A, who is accused of illegally filming passengers at a Seoul subway platform, to prosecution. The Ministry announced that it suspended Mr. A from his position on the 17th and plans to take strict measures, including requesting disciplinary action.

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Gyumin and Kim Youngwon] The police have sent a senior official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to prosecution on charges of illegally filming passengers at a Seoul subway platform.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Subway Police Unit announced on the 24th that on the 12th of this month, they sent senior official A (58) from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to prosecution on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, etc. (filming using a camera, etc.).

A is suspected of filming specific body parts of a female passenger at the platform of Line 7 of the subway in early August. The police found A's behavior suspicious as he was holding a cellphone and following passengers, and after stakeout duty, arrested him in the act. According to the forensic analysis of A's cellphone, numerous videos of illegally filming passengers over more than a year were discovered.

A was in charge of quarantine tasks such as securing hospital beds for patients during the early spread of COVID-19 and was recently mentioned as a candidate for vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated, "Upon recognizing the situation, we immediately placed the individual on standby on August 5, and after receiving the investigation results from the police, we dismissed him from his position on the 17th." They added, "We plan to take strict measures against the individual, including requesting disciplinary action from the Central Disciplinary Committee."

The Ministry also added, "We apologize to the public and will do our best to prevent recurrence."

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