"Dozens of Korean Students Victimized by Hidden Cameras"…Koreans' Personal Information Exposed in UK Media

Crime Near University of Manchester Campus
"More Than 20 Female Victims Suffered Injuries and Distress"

Korean university student Kim Mo, charged with secretly filming dozens of women in the UK. / Photo by Manchester Evening News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A Korean university student in his 20s in the UK has been brought to trial on charges of secretly filming under a woman's skirt with a camera.

According to local UK media such as the Manchester Evening News on the 1st (local time), the Manchester court recently ordered Kim Mo (21), a Korean international student charged with secretly filming a woman's body parts with a hidden camera, to perform 36 months of community service and complete 220 hours of a sexual offense recidivism prevention program.

The court also ordered Kim to register as a sex offender for five years.

The court stated, "The victims consistently said they suffered wounds, anger, and distress due to Kim's actions," and pointed out, "It is a mistaken belief that Kim thinks there are no victims in this case."

However, the court explained the sentencing reason by saying, "Considering that the community can manage his behavior and that Kim is young, imprisonment was not imposed."

Kim is accused of secretly filming dozens of women using a mobile phone camera near the University of Manchester campus since 2019.

It has been confirmed that Mr. Kim committed the crime inside the university campus. / Photo by Manchester Evening News (captured)

Earlier in November of the same year, while installing a camera in a communal shower room on the university campus, a student became suspicious of a bag Kim left and reported it to the police, which eventually led to his capture.

The police who responded to the report found a mobile phone inside Kim's bag. Photos of 24 victims were discovered on Kim's phone.

In particular, the police found short videos secretly filmed under women's skirts on the phone. Some of the videos were reportedly edited to around 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Police investigations revealed that Kim secretly filmed under students' skirts in various situations such as riding elevators, going up and down stairs, and attending student council meetings.

However, Kim reportedly refused to testify during a police investigation in January last year. Afterwards, the police identified the victims filmed on Kim's phone.

One victim issued a statement saying, "He seemed like a pretty good person, but it's hard to believe he invaded my privacy in this way," and added, "Now, whenever I exercise, I have to check if there is a hidden camera."