An employee of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has been sentenced to one year in prison for illegally recording sexual encounters with a fellow staff member without her consent. The sentence was handed down on July 18 by the Busan District Court’s 10th Criminal Division, with the court also ordering the defendant to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program.
The 40-something male employee, identified only as A, was convicted of violating South Korea’s Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. He had worked with the victim, a woman in her 30s identified as B, who was employed on a short-term contract from April to July 2023.
During this time, A secretly filmed their sexual encounters using a mobile phone placed on a bedside table. The victim only discovered the recordings later and subsequently reported the case to the police and the Korean Film Gender Equality Center ‘Deundeun’ in May 2024.
In its ruling, the court emphasized the seriousness of the harm caused to the victim, stating, “The defendant’s actions severely damaged the victim’s dignity, reputation, and overall life. Despite offering a financial settlement, the victim has made it clear that she has no intention of accepting it.”
The court did note that the footage had not been distributed or uploaded online, which factored into the sentencing.
This incident has further spotlighted workplace sexual misconduct within the South Korean film industry, raising concerns about employee safety and institutional accountability, especially in prominent cultural organizations such as BIFF.
The Busan International Film Festival, one of Asia’s most prestigious cinematic events, has yet to issue a public response regarding the conviction.