You Found a Hidden Camera in Korea: What to Do
Finding a camera in a changing room, a restroom, a short-term rental or a hotel room is frightening, and the instinct is to grab it, smash it, or leave immediately. What you do in the next few minutes affects what can later be proven — and there is free, government-funded help available whether or not you decide to report to the police.
Illegal filming in Korea is a criminal offence, and it is investigated whether the device belonged to a stranger, a landlord, an Airbnb host, a business, or someone you know. Foreign residents and visitors sometimes assume that because they are not fluent in Korean or are only in the country briefly, reporting is not realistic. It is — police interviews can be interpreted, and a report can be filed by a visitor.
This page covers what to do immediately, how a report and evidence collection work, and what to do if you are worried images or footage may already exist somewhere. If you later want representation, Attorney Doyun Lee — a Korean Bar Association-certified criminal law specialist — represents victims of illegal filming and image-based abuse directly in English.
The first few minutes
Do not touch, dismantle or remove the device, and do not confront anyone yet. Handling it can be argued later to have altered or damaged evidence a forensic team would otherwise examine in place — how it was mounted, wired or angled is itself part of the record. Photograph it from several angles exactly where you found it, note the exact location and time, and step away from the area if you reasonably can.
Call 112. If you are in a business, a short-term rental or a hotel, call the police before you raise it with staff or a host — not instead of doing so, but first, so the scene is not disturbed or the device removed before officers arrive.
Reporting and what happens next
An English-speaking officer is not guaranteed at every station, and interpretation support can be arranged; this is a reason to have the report interpreted properly, not a reason to skip reporting. Officers will typically examine and recover the device, and the investigation looks at who had access to install it, when, and whether other cameras may be present at the same location.
If you believe you have been filmed but have not found a device — for example, you suspect a camera in a space you no longer have access to — you can still report what you observed and why you suspect it; the report does not require you to have located the camera yourself.
If images may already exist or be shared
The Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center, operated by the Korea Women's Human Rights Institute under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, helps victims request deletion of illegally filmed images and video from websites and platforms, and monitors for re-upload after deletion. This support is provided free of charge, and using it does not require that you have already filed a police report.
The Women's Emergency Hotline on 1366 operates 24 hours a day and covers digital sex crimes among other forms of gender-based violence, and can direct you toward the appropriate support center and, where needed, interpretation. Save any links, screenshots or account names connected to distributed material immediately — platforms remove content, and once it is gone the record of where it was is gone with it.
If you decide to file a criminal complaint
Your statement will be taken and written up in Korean. Ask for it to be interpreted back to you before you sign it, and raise corrections at that point rather than afterwards. Bring or describe what you can: the device, its location, photographs you took, and anyone who had access to the space.
Consistency matters more than completeness. Where a case is later closed without charges, there are routes to have that reviewed depending on the stage — which is a separate reason to keep your own copies of everything you reported.
Where a lawyer fits
Representation covers organising the timeline and evidence before the interview, checking the Korean-language statement, coordinating with the Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center where deletion or monitoring is needed, and communicating with the investigator as the case moves forward. Attorney Doyun Lee represents both victims and people under investigation in these cases, which means the file is prepared knowing how it will be tested on the other side.
Real results in similar cases
Results reflect individual cases and do not guarantee the outcome of any similar matter.
Related pages
Frequently Asked Questions
I found a hidden camera. Should I remove it myself?
No. Leave it where it is, photograph it from several angles without touching it, and call 112. Removing or handling it can be argued to have disturbed evidence that a forensic examination would otherwise capture in place.
Can I still report this if I am only visiting Korea or do not speak Korean?
Yes. A report can be filed by a foreign visitor or resident, and interpretation support can be arranged for the police interview. Not speaking Korean is a reason to arrange interpretation properly, not a reason to skip reporting.
I think I was filmed but I never found the camera. Can I still do anything?
Yes. You can report what you observed and why you suspect filming took place; you do not need to have located the device yourself before reporting.
Do I have to report to the police before I can get help removing images online?
No. The Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center provides deletion and monitoring support free of charge whether or not you have filed a police report.
Is there help in English if I am worried about images being shared?
The Women's Emergency Hotline on 1366 runs 24 hours a day and covers digital sex crimes, and can connect you to appropriate support and interpretation. Attorney Doyun Lee also consults directly in English; Chinese is available by email and WeChat.
What should I keep if I already know material has been posted somewhere?
Save links, screenshots and account or channel names as soon as you find them. Platforms take material down, and once a post is removed the trail showing where it was can disappear with it.
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