Gym Woman's Illegal Filming and Sharing Outrage... She Was a Security Guard in Gangnam-gu

"Doing lower body exercises lying face down, hip bone pain..."
Two photos of a woman's body shared in Cheonggyeong group chat exposed
District office "Suspended... No illegal cameras in the office building"

A security guard at the Gangnam District Office in Seoul was caught illegally filming a woman’s body parts and sharing the images in a security guard group chat.

According to CBS No Cut News on the 12th, Security Guard A at the Gangnam District Office secretly took two photos of a woman’s face, legs, and upper body at a gym near Hakdong Station in 2021. He shared these photos in the security guard chat room, saying, "The moment I took it, it was cleverly covered. I tried to deliberately frame it, haha."

[Photo by Online Community Blind Capture]

A did not hesitate to make sexual remarks about the woman. He continued with crude comments such as "A class you would never see at the district office," "I want to meet one person every day from Monday to Sunday," and "The woman was wearing leggings and doing lower body exercises while lying face down, and her hip bones..."

When another security guard responded, "If you like her, pull down your pants once in front of pretty girls. Then you could meet them at the police station every day," A replied, "A tip I never thought of! I will try it."

This conversation recently caused an uproar after being posted on an anonymous online community for office workers. The post’s author criticized A, saying, "You’re hopeless," and added, "I hate seeing you act like it’s a brag to secretly film and then rate them as if you’re proud. It’s also inappropriate to hold your own rating sessions while glancing at passersby."

Concerns Over Additional Crimes... Police Investigate Further Offenses

The problem is whether A’s sexual misconduct stopped there. According to No Cut News, A has worked as a security guard at the Gangnam District Office since 2020, responsible for security and protection duties at the district office building. Since security guards can freely enter women’s restrooms and view CCTV footage of women’s dormitories, there are concerns that the scope of victims could be larger.

Im Seong-cheol, vice chairman of the Gangnam District Office Integrated Public Officials’ Union, said, "Seven out of ten employees at the Gangnam District Office are women, so many felt uneasy," adding, "The reason a post raising this issue was put up on the union bulletin board was because female dormitory workers said they could not do duty shifts with A."

He also pointed out, "The acts shown in the chat screenshots are clear criminal offenses, and given A’s tendency to casually engage in such conversations, there must be more criminal acts. Especially since the district office has a gym open to everyone, this is even more problematic. What if hidden cameras were installed inside the district office?"

The union officially raised the issue of A with the district office on the 27th of last month. In response, the Gangnam District Office’s Audit Office and General Affairs Department began an investigation and excluded A from work. On the 5th, the case was referred to the Gangnam Police Station, and on the 10th, A was suspended from his position.

A district office official stated, "Whether A committed additional offenses is a matter for investigation, but there is absolutely no evidence that illegal filming cameras were installed inside the district office," adding, "Actions will be taken against A and other confirmed participants in the group chat according to the police investigation results."

A reportedly admitted to all facts, saying, "The conversation took place around 2021, and the chat room no longer exists."

Meanwhile, under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes, filming or distributing images of a person’s body that may cause sexual humiliation without the subject’s consent is punishable by up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won.