South Korean footballer Hwang Ui-jo gets suspended jail term in sex-video scandal

South Korea's Hwang Ui-jo exercises during a training session at the National Football Center in Paju, South Korea, Monday, May 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) (AP)

Seoul, South Korea — South Korean international footballer Hwang Ui-jo on Friday received a suspended jail term for filming sexual encounters with a woman without her consent, the country’s Yonhap news agency said.

The 32-year-old former Premier League forward, who pleaded guilty in October, was handed a one-year jail sentence suspended for two years.

“Considering the seriousness of the social harm caused by illegal filming crimes, it is necessary to impose a strict punishment,” Judge Lee Yong-je said Friday, according to Yonhap.

“Mr. Hwang filmed sexual intercourse scenes against the will of the victim using his mobile phone on four occasions,” the judge added.

Asked by reporters whether he had anything to say to the victim following the case, Hwang said he was “sorry”.

“I personally apologise to football fans and genuinely feel very sorry,” said Hwang, who was a reserve for Nottingham Forest before moving to Turkiye.

The Seoul Central District Court declined to confirm the ruling when contacted by AFP.

The scandal came to light when Hwang’s sister-in-law posted private explicit videos of Hwang in an attempt to blackmail him in June 2023.

She is now serving three years in prison for blackmail.

Prosecutors had asked the court for a four-year jail term for Hwang when they made their closing arguments in the case in October.

The court Friday noted Hwang’s acknowledgement of his wrongdoing and his remorse in handing him a suspended sentence, according to Yonhap.

The fact that a third party distributed the footage on social media without his involvement was also taken into account, the news agency said.

Hwang had been charged with illegally filming sex without his partners' consent on four occasions between June and September 2022.

Two victims were initially named, but Hwang was convicted on charges related to only one, Yonhap said.

Hwang, who has featured more than 60 times for South Korea and now plays for Alanyaspor, had initially claimed he was innocent before admitting the offences in court.

He last played for his country in 2023 and local reports suggest he may now no longer be able to do so because of his conviction.

The Korea Football Association’s regulations state that a member can be expelled for committing sexual offenses.

South Korea has battled an epidemic of “molka”, or spycams -- illicitly filmed videos that include everything from women in public restrooms to leaked sex videos from K-pop stars.

Goo Hara, a former member of girl group Kara, killed herself in 2019 after being blackmailed over “revenge porn” by an ex-boyfriend.

Former K-pop singer Jung Joon-young last year completed a five-year term for gang rape and illicit filming in one of South Korea’s high profile spycam scandals.

Article written by Claire Lee