Hwang Ui-jo, a South Korean national football player currently signed with Seoul FC, is taking legal action over an alleged breach of his privacy that took place online on June 25th. According to Hwang, someone unlawfully spread his personal information, and he found himself a victim of so-called 'revenge porn'. However, the person who leaked his personal details claimed on social media that Hwang's mobile phone contains numerous images and videos, some of which could potentially have been taken without the consent of the women involved, which might also put Hwang under legal scrutiny.

The person, referred to as "A," who spread the material, claimed Hwang's phone held multiple pictures and videos of several women, allegedly gathered through a practice known as gaslighting. To prove that this was not false information, A shared a few images and videos featuring a man presumed to be Hwang, unclothed, and in the company of an unidentified woman. The response from the online community was dismissive, with comments like "He's talented" and "I'm jealous".

Despite this nonchalant reaction, experts argue that distributing intimate content to exact revenge on an ex-partner, known as 'revenge porn', is serious. On the 26th, Seung Jae-hyun, a senior research fellow at the Korea Criminal Law Policy Research Institute, informed Chosun.com that if videos were shared against the subject's will, even if consent was initially given during filming, the act could be punishable under the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (Sexual Violence Punishment Act).

Under the same Act, if a person circulates the material against the subject's will, even if the subject had not initially opposed to being filmed, or if they had filmed their own body, the offender could face up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million KRW.

Senior Research Fellow Seung inferred from Hwang's reaction that it was unlikely he consented to the distribution of the footage, suggesting that the original poster, A, might have difficulty avoiding punishment.

There have been suspicions that the woman in the distributed footage is not A. In that case, according to Seung, A's distribution of a video featuring Hwang and another woman would make both women victims, and the punishment could be more severe.

Furthermore, A could also face charges of breach of confidentiality under the criminal law. If A had accessed the data on Hwang's phone without his knowledge, the charges might apply.

If more than one charge is applied, the punishment can be increased by adding 50% of the most severe sentence. Therefore, if the harshest punishment of seven years imprisonment under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act is applied, with an additional 50%, the punishment could be up to ten and a half years.

A has claimed that Hwang's phone contains a lot of material that might have been filmed without the women's consent. If this is true, Hwang could also be liable under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act. This Act states that anyone who, against the subject's will, uses a camera to film a person in a way that could arouse sexual desire or shame, can face up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million KRW.

Hwang's side, however, vehemently denies these allegations. His management agency, UJ Sports, said, "We have confirmed that unfounded rumors and sexually offensive comments regarding Hwang Ui-jo's private life have been disseminated." They also expressed their intentions for strong legal action against the violations of his privacy, the spreading of false information about him, and the tarnishing of his reputation.

Following are some netizens comments:

"So this is the fairness you guys keep talking about? Moon Jae-in opportunities, Yoon Mi-hyang results, Lee Sang-jik loans, Choo Mi-ae demands and his son's so-called 'military life', Song Hye-won buildings, Choi Kang-wook shamelessness, Ministry of Gender Equality picking sides, the Geoyoung masks, enlightenment monarchs like Kim Jong-un, Oh Geo-don's Me Too, coping with r*pists like Jo Dong-yeon and a Naeronambul like Democratic party?? That's the good fairness life you want where we're all backstabbing each other.."
"But the rest of us don't have dirty recordings to be leaked from stolen phones.."
"He was just another trash after all. I always wondered why he couldn't keep up with his plays. It's really embarrassing that a national soccer star like him can't manage his private life. Just quit the industry and go live quietly."
"Whether his phone was stolen or not, it's still unbelievable that he had videos like that on his phone. I heard there are pictures of famous celebrities too. What celebrity would allow that to be filmed?!"
"Now I understand why Son Heung-min's dad cares so much his son's self-management and is meticulous about the types of women he dates."
" Honestly, there has been too many rumors about Hwang Ui-jo's complicated private life with women.. if this is true, I think it's only a matter of time until he becomes the next Jung Joon-young."
"If he really filmed molka he needs to get kicked.. ban Park Na-rae from coming out on broadcasts too, let's all live in fairness."

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