Suspect behind water park peeping questioned
Police on Friday requested an arrest warrant for a 33-year-old man believed to be the accomplice of the woman arrested earlier this week for allegedly filming inside women’s dressing rooms at local water parks and an outdoor pool with a hidden camera.The man, whom Yongin police only identified by the surname Kang, allegedly asked the woman, a 27-year-old surnamed Choi, to film the scenes for money.
He reportedly paid her 2 million won ($1,700) in four payments. Kang was arrested at Baekyangsa Service Station in Jangseong County, South Jeolla, some 186 miles south of Seoul, Thursday, as he tried to escape police. Choi was arrested in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday.
Police are investigating whether the two suspects, who lived some 165 miles from each other, met. Choi lived in Yongin, while Kang’s home was in Gwangju. The two are believed to have met at least once, on Monday in Gwangju, although it remains unclear what they talked about.
The two first met via a social networking service, and Kang allegedly asked Choi to film naked or half-dressed women in four different locations in Gyeonggi and Gangwon. The man is believed to have bought a Taiwan-made camera, which looks like a cellphone case, specifically for that purpose.
Officers from Yongin Dongbu Police Precinct said Kang admitted to the crime in questioning and said it was out of “curiosity.” Kang reportedly told authorities that the video clips were saved on an external hard drive, and that he threw away the device four to five months ago along with the camera his accomplice used.
Police said he flatly denied accusations he spread the videos.
“Kang once studied for the civil service exam, so he’s well informed about the law,” said Kim Hyo-seong, who heads the cyber team at Yongin Dongbu Police Precinct. “He hired his own lawyer and seems to have prepared for this moment [arrest]. It’s going to take a while to check whether he’s subject to other allegations.”
BY LEE SUNG-EUN, PARK SU-CHEOL [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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