SEOUL: South Korea will add hidden camera detection systems to the safety equipment installed in public restrooms under a legal revision passed by the National Assembly on Thursday (July 23).
The amendment to the Public Toilets Act requires local governments to install safety equipment including emergency bells and systems designed to detect illegal recording devices. Municipal authorities will also be required to inspect how the equipment is operated.
The current law requires mayors, county chiefs and district heads to install safety facilities, such as emergency bells, to prevent crimes and accidents in public restrooms. The revision, passed at a plenary session of the National Assembly on July 23, explicitly adds illegal camera detection systems to the list.
The measure comes as covert filming continues to be reported in public restrooms. Police detected 1,457 illegal filming cases in such facilities between 2021 and 2023, according to police data submitted to a lawmaker in 2025.
Authorities have conducted regular inspections of public restrooms using camera detection equipment, but the devices were not previously specified as required safety facilities under the law. - The Korea Herald/ANN
