South Korea struggles to curb sexual exploitation sites 10 years after Soranet scandal
Por David D. Lee — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement South Korea This Week in Asia Lifestyle & Culture South Korea struggles to curb sexual exploitation sites 10 years after Soranet scandal
Despite tougher laws, a new wave of sites containing non-consensual sexually explicit videos and images of women has emerged
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David D. Lee Published: 8:00am, 9 Oct 2026 Updated: 8:09am, 9 Oct 2026 A decade after the shutdown of Soranet – a sprawling online hub for secretly filmed and non-consensual sexual videos that became a symbol of South Korea ’s digital sex-crime crisis – the country is still struggling to stamp out similar networks and copycat sites that have emerged in its wake.
Their prevalence reflects the difficulties of deterring such illegal activities, policing the online space and changing societal attitudes towards women.
Last month, a man was detained over an alleged Soranet offshoot that investigators said shared more than 2,000 sexually explicit videos, illegally filmed material and deepfakes.
The site also allegedly recruited participants for partner-swapping sessions that were later filmed and uploaded, while members shared photographs of family members and acquaintances so users could rate their bodies.
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