South Korean TV star resigns after ‘taking pictures of a woman’s “lower body” without her knowledge’ in latest celebrity spycam scandal to hit the country
- Kim Sung-joon pleaded for ‘forgiveness’ after he was caught at a metro station
- He was a former anchorman on broadcaster SBS’s flagship news programme
- K-pop celebrities have previously been embroiled in the voyeurism scandal
A South Korean TV star has resigned over claims he secretly filmed a woman’s lower body, in the country’s latest celebrity spycam scandal.
Presenter Kim Sung-joon pleaded for ‘forgiveness’ after police allegedly caught him red-handed at a metro station in Seoul.
Another passenger noticed Kim filming covertly and alerted police, according to news agency Yonhap.
Police said Kim had initially denied taking pictures – but they then found a photo of the woman on his phone.
South Korean TV presenter Kim Sung-joon (pictured) has resigned over claims he secretly filmed a woman’s lower body without her consent
The 55-year-old has now left his job at national broadcaster SBS.
‘I apologize for leaving a permanent scar on the victim’s heart,’ Kim said in a statement.
‘I also wish to ask for forgiveness from everyone at SBS, my former workplace, for causing the trouble.’
According to the Korean news agency, he was the lead presenter of SBS’s flagship news programme until May 2017 and later worked as a writer.
The phenomenon of ‘molka’, the use of secret cameras to take explicit pictures of woman, has shaken South Korea’s entertainment industry.
In March this year, K-pop star Jung Joon-young was arrested on charges of filming and distributing illicit sex videos without the consent of his female partners.
Protest: South Koreans hold up #MeToo placards in Seoul. The spycam scandal has already embroiled K-pop celebrities
Jung admitted to filming women and sharing them online, and announced his immediate retirement from showbiz.
Fellow K-pop singer Seungri was also a member of the chatroom, it was alleged, and similarly quit the business.
Seungri is also linked to a police investigation into Burning Sun, a nightclub where he was a public relations director.
Staff there are alleged to have used hidden cameras to film women and used alcohol and drugs to sexually assault them.
The scandal was a blow to the K-pop industry which is marketed by the South Korean government as a key cultural export.