"Will atone by going to the Department of Emergency Medicine"… Medical student involved in illegal filming receives probation in first trial

Medical Student Illegally Filming Female Partners
Sentenced to Suspended Prison Term in First Trial

A medical student at a prestigious private university in Seoul was sentenced to a suspended prison term for secretly filming nude images of women he had dated.

[Photo by Hyunmin Kim, Asia Economy]

On the 18th, Judge Ahn Hyung-jun of the Criminal Division 9 at the Seoul Northern District Court sentenced A (24), a third-year medical student at a Seoul medical school, to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (filming using a camera). Additionally, A was ordered to complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs and was banned from employment at institutions related to children, adolescents, and persons with disabilities for three years each.

Earlier, A was accused of secretly filming and possessing images of the bodies of women B and C, whom he had dated, a total of 16 times from September 2022 to April 2023. The crime was uncovered when C, who was his girlfriend at the time, discovered nude photos of other women on A’s phone and reported it to the police.

At the trial held on the 13th of last month, A admitted all the charges brought by the prosecution but said, "Though it is shameful, if there is a way to continue living as a medical professional, I will choose emergency medicine, a less preferred specialty experiencing a shortage of doctors, instead of my originally intended career path, and atone for my mistakes."

The court stated the sentencing rationale, saying, "Illegal filming is a crime that causes significant distress to the victims, and the fact that the defendant has not been forgiven by victim B is an unfavorable factor," but also noted, "The defendant is a first-time offender and has deposited 30 million won as a criminal bond to victim B, which are favorable factors."

Meanwhile, the university where A is enrolled abolished the 'expulsion' clause, the most severe disciplinary action under the school regulations, in 2012. The expulsion clause was the highest level of punishment in the student disciplinary rules, making re-admission impossible. It is reported that A is currently serving alternative military service.