120,000 IP Cameras Hacked and Footage Sold: Police Apprehend Four Suspects

Active Investigations Target Both Buyers and Viewers of Illegal Footage

The National Office of Investigation at the Korean National Police Agency announced on November 30, 2025, that it had apprehended four suspects who hacked approximately 120,000 IP cameras and sold the stolen footage to illegal overseas websites.

Suspect A hacked about 63,000 IP cameras and produced 545 illegal videos, including sexual exploitation material, by editing the stolen footage. It was found that Suspect A sold these materials to overseas sites in exchange for virtual assets worth approximately 35 million won.

Suspect B hacked about 70,000 cameras and created and sold 648 edited files, acquiring virtual assets worth approximately 18 million won.

Suspect C hacked 15,000 IP cameras, and Suspect D hacked 136 cameras; both were found to be storing the stolen footage. However, it was revealed that neither had distributed nor sold the materials.

The police are cooperating with foreign investigative agencies to investigate the operator of Site E, who has posted illegal footage targeting victims in multiple countries. Investigations are also underway into those who purchased or viewed sexual exploitation material through the site. The Korea Communications Standards Commission has been requested to block access to the site, and efforts are being made in cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies to shut down the site.

An official from the Korean National Police Agency stated, "Crimes related to IP camera hacking and the production of illegal sexual exploitation material inflict severe suffering on victims and are extremely serious offenses. We will make every effort to eradicate these crimes through active investigations. Viewing or possessing such material also constitutes a serious crime, and we will pursue investigations accordingly."