"Suwon's Public Restrooms Have No Hidden Camera Concerns"...Suwon Launches Real-Time Detection System at 45 Locations

Suwon City is taking its first step in creating "clean restrooms free from illegal recording" by establishing a real-time detection system that catches illegal filming crimes in public restrooms in real time.

According to Suwon City on the 22nd, the city has secured 112.5 million won through a supplementary budget this year for the "public restroom safety management facility installation project" and plans to install illegal recording detection systems at 45 public restrooms in the region.

The project will be financed equally through national treasury and city funds. The city participated in a demand survey by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety last year to secure national funding, and completed the budget procurement for project implementation after the recent supplementary budget was passed.

The core of this project is to elevate the response to illegal recording crimes from the existing "inspection" method to a "real-time detection" approach.

Until now, prevention of illegal recording in public restrooms primarily relied on staff using detection equipment to check whether cameras were installed. The newly installed system will continuously detect illegal recording devices if they are placed inside restrooms.

The installation targets 45 public restrooms located at tourist attractions and commercial facilities. The standard installation cost per location has been set at 2.5 million won.

The city currently has 182 public restrooms, and 118 open restrooms designated to make privately-owned facilities accessible to citizens, totaling 300 restrooms.

The project targets 45 public restrooms excluding open restrooms, meaning real-time detection systems will be established first at one out of every four public restrooms in Suwon, or 24.7 percent.

As illegal recording crimes continue, related laws are also being strengthened.

The revised "Public Restroom Act" promulgated last month explicitly includes "illegal recording detection systems" among the safety management facilities that mayors, county governors, and district chiefs must install, in addition to existing emergency bells. The revised law takes effect in February next year.

The revised law requires local governments to conduct regular inspections of public restrooms at least twice a year and periodic inspections when necessary, while also examining not only whether illegal recording cameras are installed but also the malfunction and false alarms of safety management facilities, as well as operation and maintenance status.

The city plans to first build the system at 45 locations this year, monitor its operational effectiveness, and then decide whether to expand it.

The city believes that if the real-time detection system starting at some public restrooms proves effective in actually preventing illegal recording and alleviating citizen concerns, the scope of application can be gradually expanded.

A city official stated, "Since this is a project being launched for the first time this year, we plan to install and operate it first," and added, "If the need is confirmed during the operation process, we will also consider expansion."