South Korean international footballer Hwang Ui-jo has been sentenced to a one-year prison term, which has been suspended for two years, for recording sexual encounters with a woman without her consent, according to Yonhap news agency. The 32-year-old former Premier League striker pleaded guilty to the charges in October.
“Given the severity of the social harm caused by illegal filming offenses, it is essential to enforce a strict penalty,” remarked Judge Lee Yong-je, as reported by Yonhap.
“Mr. Hwang recorded sexual intercourse without the victim’s consent on four separate occasions using his mobile device,” the judge continued.
When asked by journalists if he had any words for the victim after the case, Hwang expressed, “I’m sorry.”
“I sincerely apologize to football enthusiasts and feel genuinely remorseful,” stated Hwang, who was part of Nottingham Forest’s reserve team before transferring to Turkiye.
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The Seoul Central District Court did not confirm the judgment when approached by AFP.
The controversy emerged when Hwang’s sister-in-law shared private explicit videos of him in a bid to extort money in June 2023. She is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for her actions.
During the closing arguments in October, prosecutors requested a four-year prison sentence for Hwang. However, the court decided to impose a suspended sentence, taking into account Hwang’s admission of guilt and his expressed remorse, as reported by Yonhap.
The court also considered that the distribution of the footage on social media was carried out by a third party without Hwang’s consent, according to the news agency.
Hwang faced charges for illegally recording sexual acts without the consent of his partners on four occasions between June and September 2022. While two victims were initially identified, Hwang was ultimately convicted in relation to only one case, as stated by Yonhap.
Having represented South Korea over 60 times and currently playing for Alanyaspor, Hwang initially maintained his innocence before later confessing to the offenses in court.
The forward participated in all four matches for his team during the Qatar 2022 World Cup and last represented his country in 2023. Local reports indicate that his conviction may prevent him from playing for the national team in the future.
According to the regulations of the Korea Football Association, a member can face expulsion for committing sexual offenses.
South Korea has been grappling with a widespread issue of “molka,” which refers to illicitly recorded videos, including those taken in public restrooms and leaked intimate videos of K-pop celebrities.
In a tragic incident, Goo Hara, a former member of the girl group Kara, took her own life in 2019 after being blackmailed with “revenge porn” by an ex-boyfriend.
Additionally, former K-pop artist Jung Joon-young completed a five-year prison sentence last year for gang rape and illegal filming, which was part of one of South Korea’s most notorious spycam scandals.
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