Hidden-camera alert at Han River pool turned Instagram hotspot

At around 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Yeouido Han River pool in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, singer PSY's "Daddy" blared from the speakers as laughter from swimmers filled the air.

With summer vacation and the holiday season in full swing, the pool drew not only families with young children but also visitors in their 20s and 30s who came with friends or partners.Lifeguards were stationed throughout the pool area to watch for accidents.

On the sun loungers in front of the pool, visitors in swimwear posed for photos with the water as a backdrop. Some filmed short-form videos with friends for Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, while parents busied themselves capturing their children's splashing on their phones.

The Yeouido Han River pool has recently emerged as a go-to summer destination, driven largely by word of mouth on social media. With adult admission priced at around 5,000 won and a nighttime DJ performance added this year for the first time, the pool has become a hit among younger visitors looking for an affordable escape from the heat.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Han River Future Headquarters, total visitors to Han River pools and water parks reached 220,975 in the 35 days from the June 19 opening through Thursday. The Yeouido pool saw the sharpest rise among all Han River pools, with attendance climbing roughly 70 percent year on year — from 45,728 last year to 77,837 this year over the same period.

The pool's popularity is equally visible online. As of Friday, the hashtag "#hangang pool" had appeared in about 45,000 Instagram posts. Reels and Shorts capturing the nighttime DJ parties and group swimming sessions have racked up tens of thousands of views each, with some posts easily surpassing that mark.

Visitors expressed satisfaction with the experience. "I came on the weekend and had such a great time that I brought my friends back," said Kim Ha-rim, 22. "You can spend the whole day here for 5,000 won — the value is unbeatable."

The surge in visitors, however, has also raised alarm about crime. Hidden-camera filming is the most prominent concern. "I do feel self-conscious wearing a bikini," said Lee Ho-yeon, 22, a university student who visited with a friend. "There are so many people taking photos, and some just keep holding up their phones — it makes you aware."

Crimes exploiting the crowds have already occurred. The Yeongdeungpo Police Station booked a man, identified only as A, on charges of illegal filming under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes after he allegedly filmed women without their consent at the Yeouido Han River pool on July 17.

He is alleged to have filmed women on the sun loungers in front of the pool. Police responded after two women filed reports, reviewed his phone and secured statements from the victims. The investigation is ongoing.

Concerns about privacy violations from videos posted on social media have also surfaced. "I was watching a DJ party video posted online and found one where my face was clearly visible," said a 26-year-old visitor surnamed Park. "It had hundreds of thousands of views, and I felt uncomfortable knowing my face had been shared without my consent."

Some visitors also raised concerns about groping and unwanted physical contact. "When it gets crowded, people bump into each other all the time, and it would be hard to tell whether a touch was intentional or just the result of the crowd," said a worker in her 30s surnamed Kim. "Even if someone were groped, I think it would be very difficult to identify the perpetrator."

The Han River Future Headquarters said it has been running its own crime-prevention measures to keep pace with the growing summer crowds. Public safety officers patrol the pool area every two hours, and local police also make regular visits. Anti-hidden-camera banners and notices have been posted throughout the pool, public announcements are made at least three times a day, and notices reminding visitors to check for hidden cameras have been placed in changing rooms and restrooms.

At the pool entrance Thursday, the first thing to greet visitors was a banner reading "Hidden-camera illegal filming under crackdown!" Alongside it, a notice warned that filming a person's body in a way that could cause humiliation against their will is punishable under the law. Additional crime-prevention banners bearing messages such as "No illegal filming" were posted around the pool area.

"We expect visitor numbers to increase further in August, so we are also considering joint prevention activities with police," a Han River Future Headquarters official said. "We will continue to strengthen our prevention efforts so that visitors can enjoy themselves with peace of mind."