S Korea police accuse four of secretly filming hotel guests

SEOUL, Mar 21 (AP): South Korean police said on Thursday they've arrested four people on suspicion of secretly filming about 1,600 guests in hotel rooms and posting or streaming the footage on the internet.

The Korean National Police Agency said on Thursday the mini-spy cameras were set up in TV set-top boxes, hair dryers or electrical outlets in 42 rooms in 30 hotels throughout South Korea.

A police statement accused the men of earning about 7 million won ($6,210) in total by posting or livestreaming the footage on an overseas-based internet site they opened late last year.

If convicted, the two main culprits could each face up to seven years in prison, according to police.

One of the main culprits allegedly installed the cameras after entering the hotels as a guest. The other was accused of being responsible for launching and managing the now-shuttered website. The other two were allegedly involved in buying the spy cameras or funding the internet site's operation, according to police.