Gangnam plastic surgery clinic IP cam video leak caused a stir on the internet.
The ID Hospital, a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.
An IP camera, secretly recording patients during consultations, was found to have exposed about 30 women, including some celebrities.
Suspicions have been raised that videos taken in the changing room and electrocardiogram room of the plastic surgery clinic have been leaked, in addition to the videos from IP cameras already in circulation.
The images uploaded anonymously to social media showed women discussing their cosmetic procedures while being recorded without their knowledge or consent.
The incident has raised concerns about privacy in plastic surgery clinics and the need for stricter regulation to prevent such incidents in the future.
It has also highlighted pressure on South Korean women to conform to societal beauty standards and undergo cosmetic procedures.
South Korea has one of the highest rates of plastic surgery in the world, with an estimated one in three women in their 20s having undergone some form of cosmetic surgery.
The scenes behind the video images
Initially, ID Hospital denied any involvement in the incident, claiming that an outside contractor installed the camera without the hospital’s knowledge.
The police examine the Internet protocol camera (IP) video footage recorded at the clinic and confirm the facts.
A police official said: “We are collecting evidence to determine the damage. We are currently working with the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to block the further distribution of the leaked videos.”
In response, the clinic said: “There is a separate locked room in the dressing room and female patients will be made aware of this.”
However, after a police investigation, it turned out that the camera had been installed by a former employee of the hospital who had since left the company.
The incident has already damaged the reputation of the clinic and it remains to be seen how South Korea’s wider plastic surgery industry will react to the incident.
Police conducted an on-site investigation at the clinic to verify that the location of the leaked videos matched the dressing room of the cosmetic plastic surgery clinic in question.
The hospital issued an apology and pledged to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
While video recording in the treatment room and operating room is allowed with patient consent, it is illegal to record videos in the dressing rooms without consent.
The incident has damaged the reputation of the clinic and it remains to be seen how South Korea’s wider plastic surgery industry will react to the scandal.
The Korean Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons issued a statement condemning the hospital’s actions and calling for stricter regulations.
