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Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey

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Korea’s Strange and Growing Flashing Problem

South Korea has had problems with flashing and public indecency for decades. The academic research on the issue goes back at least to the late 2000s, and honestly, probably much earlier than that. Yet despite years of concern, the incidents continue to happen with uncomfortable regularity.

In Korean media, flashers are often called “Burberry Men,” a nickname referencing the stereotypical image of a man in a trench coat exposing himself in public. It is one of those weird euphemisms that sounds almost comedic until you stop and think about what the crimes actually involve.

Because most victims are women and children.

And the recent cases are not exactly reassuring.

The Cases Keep Happening

One of the stranger serial cases happened in Asan between late 2022 and spring 2025. A man in his twenties committed nearly twenty offenses over that period. In one incident at a university, he set up a mobile phone near the entrance to a male washroom, then stepped into the hallway and exposed himself when women walked past. The phone captured both his body and the reactions of the victims.

That level of planning makes the whole thing feel even creepier.

In Seoul’s Jungnang-gu district throughout 2025, another offender repeatedly targeted elementary school girls. Similar incidents happened in Ulsan near apartment complexes. In many of these cases, the locations are depressingly predictable: around schools, parks, bus stops, train stations, elevators, and quiet residential areas.

Basically places where people should feel safe.

Then there are the public masturbation cases, which somehow make things even worse. Earlier this year in Cheongju, an elderly man approached women in a park and masturbated in front of them. A similar incident happened in Jeonju not long after.

If you talk to women who have lived in Seoul or Gyeonggi for a long time, you will hear stories about this sort of thing happening on buses and trains as well. It is one of those topics that men often underestimate simply because they rarely experience it themselves.

The Infamous Prosecutor Case

One of the most infamous public indecency scandals in Korea happened in 2014.

Kim Soo-chang, the chief prosecutor of Jeju, was caught publicly masturbating near a restaurant. The investigation later revealed he had done it multiple times. The scandal exploded because this was not some random drunk guy. This was one of the country’s top legal officials.

You would think the punishment would be severe.

Instead, the indictment was eventually dropped after he was ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment.

That outcome still frustrates many people today because it reinforced the perception that powerful people in Korea often escape serious consequences.

Why Does This Happen?

Psychologists generally classify flashing under exhibitionism or other paraphilic disorders. Research often links compulsive sexual exposure behavior to childhood trauma, abuse, or early sexualization.

That does not excuse the behavior, obviously. But it helps explain why some offenders repeat these crimes over and over despite the social and legal risks.

One disturbing detail is that many incidents involve children as targets. That raises the stakes enormously because the psychological effects on victims can last for years.

And Korea has already been dealing with broader concerns about crimes involving minors. Previous episodes of this podcast have touched on rising fears surrounding child safety and attempted kidnappings.

The Punishments Feel Weak

Under Korean law, flashing usually falls under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. If children are involved, additional charges can apply.

Still, the punishments often feel surprisingly light.

Convictions commonly result in around a year in prison or fines of roughly five million won. Many people feel that is nowhere near enough, especially for repeat offenders.

There have also been growing discussions about mandatory psychological treatment and restrictions on where convicted offenders can go.

Because right now, the system often feels reactive rather than preventative.

Even North Korea Has Cases

Oddly enough, even North Korea is not immune from this problem.

In 2023, reports emerged that two elementary school girls were flashed while walking early in the morning to clean statues of the Kim family. The details are limited, but the story stood out because even in one of the most tightly controlled societies on Earth, this sort of behavior still exists.

Human behavior, unfortunately, does not disappear just because a government tries to control everything else.

A Problem Korea Still Hasn’t Solved

Back in 2014, one Korean report warned that public indecency incidents would likely increase in the future.

And here we are.

Korea has excellent CCTV coverage, harsh public shame culture, and increasingly sophisticated policing technology. Yet these incidents continue happening. That suggests the issue runs deeper than simply catching offenders after the fact.

It is a social problem, a psychological problem, and in some cases a legal problem.

And like a lot of uncomfortable social issues in Korea, people often seem more comfortable joking about it than confronting it directly.