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Police open investigation after porn posted in Ulsan university's student group chat

Published: 07 Apr. 2025, 16:31

Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency [YONHAP]

Police have launched an investigation after dozens of pornographic materials were shared in a group chat for first-year students at a university in Ulsan.

At around 5 a.m. on Thursday, approximately 40 explicit images and videos were posted in a KakaoTalk group chat for first-year students in a certain university department in Ulsan, according to the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency and university officials on Monday.

The material included nude or partly nude photos and videos of women and was shared with the entire group, which had around 280 members.

The student who posted the content — or at least somebody posting with the student's account — also left a message saying, “Most of these are originals; message me directly if you want more.”

Following the incident, the student council leadership immediately shut down the group chat and warned members not to redistribute or alter the content. The case was also reported to the university’s human rights center.

University officials said if the device of the student who uploaded the files had not been compromised or hacked, they would report the case to law enforcement after completing an internal investigation.

The student who allegedly uploaded the image and video files claimed that their laptop had gone missing about a month earlier and suggested that someone may have used it to post the explicit materials. The university confirmed that the student had reported a stolen laptop on campus in early March.

Police are investigating the alleged theft and the dissemination of the illicit content.

Under Korean law, distributing illegally filmed sexual content is a serious offense. Those found guilty may face up to seven years in prison or a fine under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. Violators may also be punished with up to two years in jail or a fine of up to 20 million won ($14,700) under the Information and Communications Network Act.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]