Entertainment Industry Insider Jailed For Secretly Filming Colleague During Sexual Encounter

An employee of the prestigious Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has reportedly been jailed for illegally recording a colleague without her consent.

According to reports on July 18, the Busan District Court’s 10th Criminal Division handed down a prison sentence of one year to the perpetrator for secretly filming his colleague. In addition, he has also been ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program.

The employee, a man in his 40s, has been identified only as “A.” He was convicted of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. He had worked with the victim, a woman in her 30s, identified as “B.”

“B” was employed at BIFF on a short-term contract from April to July 2023. During this period, “A” secretly filmed their sexual encounters using a mobile phone placed on a bedside table. The victim discovered the recordings later and reported the case to the police. She also reported it to the Korean Film Gender Equality Center in May 2024.

The court stated that the defendant’s actions had severe consequences for the victim’s reputation and life, adding that she had turned down his offer of a financial settlement. The court, however, also noted that the videos had not been circulated or distributed online, and took it into account in the sentencing.

The incident has served as yet another bleak reminder of how the lack of accountability and employee safety in the Korean entertainment industry has institutionalized sexual harassment, even at a highly prestigious organization like BIFF.

BIFF has not made any public statements addressing this case as of yet.