Alanyaspor's South Korean footballer Hwang Ui-jo was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, on Friday after being convicted of filming sexual encounters with a woman without her consent, Yonhap news agency reported.
The 32-year-old former Premier League forward, who pleaded guilty in October, was found to have recorded sexual acts against the victim's will on four occasions using his mobile phone.
Judge Lee Yong-je emphasized the need for "strict punishment" due to the "seriousness of the social harm caused by illegal filming crimes."
When asked by reporters if he had any message for the victim, Hwang expressed his "sorry."
"I personally apologize to football fans and genuinely feel very sorry," said Hwang, who was a reserve for Nottingham Forest before moving to Türkiye.
The Seoul Central District Court declined to confirm the ruling when contacted by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The scandal came to light when Hwang's sister-in-law posted private explicit videos of him in an attempt to blackmail him in June 2023. She is now serving three years in prison for blackmail.
Prosecutors had requested a four-year jail term for Hwang when they made their closing arguments in October.
The court on Friday noted Hwang's acknowledgment of his wrongdoing and his remorse in handing down the suspended sentence, according to Yonhap.
The fact that a third party distributed the footage on social media without his involvement was also taken into account, the news agency said.
Hwang had been charged with illegally filming sex without his partners' consent on four occasions between June and September 2022. Two victims were initially named, but Hwang was convicted on charges related to only one, Yonhap said.
Hwang, who has earned more than 60 caps for South Korea and now plays for Alanyaspor, had initially claimed his innocence before admitting the offenses in court.
He last played for his country in 2023, and local reports suggest he may no longer be eligible due to his conviction.
The Korea Football Association's regulations state that a member can be expelled for committing sexual offenses.
South Korea has struggled with an epidemic of "molka," or spy cams – illegally filmed videos that include everything from women in public restrooms to leaked sex videos of K-pop stars.
Goo Hara, a former member of girl group Kara, took her own life in 2019 after being blackmailed over "revenge porn" by an ex-boyfriend.
Former K-pop singer Jung Joon-young completed a five-year term last year for gang rape and illicit filming in one of South Korea's high-profile spycam scandals.
