Busan International Film Festival Employee Imprisoned for Illegal Filming of Colleague

A male employee in his 40s affiliated with the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has been sentenced to prison and taken into custody for illegally filming the body of a female colleague.

This incident has sent shockwaves through the film industry, bringing the issue of sexual crimes within the film sector back to the forefront.

On the 18th, the Busan District Court's Criminal Division 10 (Judge Heo Sung-min) sentenced the male defendant A, who was charged with violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (using a camera, etc.), to one year in prison and immediately ordered his detention.

The court also mandated that A complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program.

A is accused of illegally filming B, a woman in her 30s who worked as a short-term contract employee at the Busan International Film Festival from April to July 2023, without consent, including recording sexual acts on multiple occasions.

The victim, B, discovered the illicit filming of her body only later and reported A to the police and the Korean Film Gender Equality Center "Dundun" in May last year.

Illegal filming causes severe damage to the victim's overall life.

Judge Heo Sung-min stated in the ruling, "The defendant's actions have caused tremendous damage, harming the victim's dignity, honor, and overall life."

Digital sexual crimes are serious offenses that, once distributed, are nearly impossible to completely delete and inflict persistent psychological distress on the victims.

The court also added, "The victim desires severe punishment for the defendant," noting that "while the defendant has deposited a substantial amount, the victim has consistently expressed her complete lack of willingness to accept it to the court."

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