Illegal Sharing Site with 5 Million Monthly Visitors Traced

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Collaborates with US Homeland Security Investigations
Two Operators of 'TVO' and 'SpoOO' Arrested

An illegal site that attracted more than 5 million monthly visitors by illegally sharing K-content has been caught. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 2nd that the Copyright Crime Scientific Investigation Unit, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, arrested two operators of the sites 'TVO' and 'SpoOO.'

They are suspected of opening the site 'TVO' in July 2021 and illegally distributing domestic and international movies, dramas, entertainment programs, and sports broadcasts, infringing on the rights of copyright holders. The criminal proceeds from illegal sharing are estimated to be about 400 million KRW. They mainly posted advertisements for illegal gambling sites and generated profits by inducing visitors to sign up for gambling sites. A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official warned, "It is nothing less than a gateway to illegal gambling sites, so if youths and others access it to watch content, they may fall into gambling addiction."

When the Copyright Crime Scientific Investigation Unit tightened the investigation net, the suspects voluntarily shut down the site in August 2022. After persistent tracking, investigators secured evidence of illegal content distribution and succeeded in arresting them. During a search of their residences, additional criminal facts related to the illegal real-time sports streaming site 'SpoOO' were also uncovered.

The Copyright Crime Scientific Investigation Unit recently detected illegal real-time streaming sites using new infringement technologies. They applied a P2P transmission method that allows viewers to simultaneously share video file fragments with other viewers while watching videos to reduce content transmission costs. A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official emphasized, "Viewers of such sites not only participate in violations of the 'Copyright Act' but also expose their connection information to others during the sharing process, so special caution is required."

Established in October last year, the Copyright Crime Scientific Investigation Unit plays a pivotal role in solving international and increasingly sophisticated intellectual property-related crimes. By subdividing tasks and categorizing content by field, expertise has improved. In particular, the planned investigation team consists of five experts with an average of more than 6.8 years of experience in copyright crime, demonstrating powerful investigative capabilities. The newly established Copyright Crime Analysis Office, created to enhance digital forensic expertise and capabilities, has introduced digital forensic software, evidence duplication and analysis equipment, and workstations to effectively identify illegal sites and distribution routes. An investigator in charge said, "Illegal sites not only infringe on creators' rights but also threaten the foundation of K-content," adding, "We will take the lead in eradication through strong responses."