What’s Happening in Pohang... Naked Men and Women Roaming the Streets for Two Consecutive Days

Women pay a 50,000 won fine for minor offenses and go home
If severe exposure such as nudity occurs, public indecency charges may apply

It was recently reported that a man and a woman were each arrested by the police after walking naked on the streets of a busy district in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, on two consecutive days.

On the 26th, JTBC's 'Incident Commander' released a video of the situation at the time, received from a tipster. The video, filmed around 9 p.m. on the 19th in Buk-gu, Pohang, shows a woman walking around the street wearing only shoes and carrying a bag. The tipster said that the woman usually did not wear underwear. However, a similar incident occurred the next day, on the 20th. This time, a man was seen walking naked on the street. He went even further by walking barefoot without even wearing shoes.

The police, who responded to citizens' reports, arrested all of them at the scene. The woman was fined 50,000 won for a minor offense due to excessive exposure and was sent home. It has not been reported whether the man and woman had any mental health issues.

Meanwhile, earlier on the 13th, Gyeonggi Ilbo reported that a middle-aged woman walked around wearing only underwear in broad daylight in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. At around 1 p.m., the woman reportedly took off both her outer top and bottom garments and was walking along a two-lane road in Okcheon-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, wearing only underwear. The location where the woman was walking is near a valley and includes a university campus and cafes. Since it was a Saturday, a weekend day, many visitors and drivers witnessed the woman. Citizens who saw her commented, "I came out with my young children and felt uncomfortable seeing this," "Walking on the road in underwear looked dangerous," and "Since she was holding outerwear in her hand, she might have been sunbathing." Additionally, on the 22nd in Ulsan, a man wearing only a towel over his shoulder was riding a bicycle on the road and was caught by the police after drivers who witnessed him reported it.

Appearing in public places wearing only underwear or similar attire and causing discomfort to others can result in a fine of up to 100,000 won under the Minor Offenses Act for excessive exposure. However, if the level of nudity is severe, such as full nudity, it may be punishable not as a minor offense but as public obscenity. Public obscenity is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 5 million won.