'Hwang Ui-jo Accused of Illegal Filming Claims Partial Innocence... Sentencing Postponed to Next Year'

Supreme Court Precedent Cited in 'Not Guilty for Recording Video Calls'

Soccer player Hwang Ui-jo (32), who was indicted on charges of illegal filming, recently cited Supreme Court precedents to claim innocence on some of the charges.

Soccer player Hwang Ui-jo (32) arrived at the Seoul Central District Court building to attend the first trial on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (filming using a camera, etc.) and is heading to the courtroom. Photo by Heo Young-han

On the 18th, Judge Lee Yong-je of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 13 held a trial session for Hwang, who was charged with violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. The court initially planned to deliver the first trial verdict on that day, but the prosecution requested a change to the indictment before the verdict, leading to the resumption of arguments and postponement of the sentencing date. The sentencing is scheduled for February 14 next year.

Previously, Hwang had admitted to all charges, but recently his side cited Supreme Court rulings to argue for innocence on some allegations. The Supreme Court recently ruled that "images of the body received on a mobile phone do not constitute an act of filming a person's body and therefore cannot be punished under the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes." Based on this, Hwang's side claimed innocence regarding the charge of secretly recording during a video call with the victim.

In response, the prosecution recently amended the indictment to specify Hwang's charges more concretely. The prosecution added a preliminary charge that Hwang secretly recorded the victim's body without disclosing it and made the victim film it.

Additionally, the prosecution pointed out that Hwang deposited 200 million won as a settlement deposit with the court before the first trial verdict. Criminal deposit is a system where the perpetrator deposits settlement money with the court when the victim's personal information is unknown. However, it has been criticized because some defendants suddenly deposit money right before the verdict without the victim's consent, which can be reflected as a mitigating factor in sentencing.

The prosecution requested, "The defendant deposited 200 million won even after the victim clearly stated no intention to receive or settle after the conclusion of arguments. Please do not consider this favorably in sentencing." Hwang's defense attorney argued, "This is not a sudden deposit," and "The defendant is sincerely remorseful." In his final statement, Hwang said, "I apologize once again," and "I would appreciate leniency this time." He also said, "From now on, I will live focusing only on soccer." The prosecution demanded a four-year prison sentence for Hwang Ui-jo.

Hwang is accused of illegally filming videos of sexual intercourse without the other party's consent four times between June and September 2022. Earlier, in June last year, Hwang filed a police complaint against his sister-in-law for blackmail and other charges after she shared photos and videos of him and women on Instagram. However, during the investigation, evidence of Hwang's illegal filming surfaced. It was found that there are two victims.

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