South Korea ‘Online Po*n Racket’ Busted: 6,000-Member Po*nography Site Over User-Filmed S*x Videos, 15 Arrested
South Korean police have arrested 15 people linked to Honors Club, an online po*nography site with more than 6,000 members accused of distributing around 700 s*xually explicit photos and videos, including user-filmed content. Authorities say the platform operated from 2022 to 2026 and recruited members through Telegram, Daum cafe and X. Investigations into dozens of additional users are ongoing.
South Korean police have arrested 15 people linked to an online po*n website with more than 6,000 members, accusing operators and users of distributing hundreds of s*xually explicit videos and photos, including footage allegedly filmed by members themselves.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said the site, known as Honors Club, operated for more than four years and attracted thousands of users through various online platforms. Authorities allege the website functioned as a hub for sharing explicit content and recruiting new members, leading to a wide-ranging investigation that culminated in the site's shutdown earlier this year. Daniel Dae Kim Explores Booming South Korea for CNN.
South Korea ‘Online Po*n Racket’ Busted
According to police, eight operators of the site were booked on charges of distributing obscene materials in violation of the Information and Communications Network Act. Seven site members were also arrested on the same charge.
“We will respond strictly under a zero-tolerance principle, not only against those who open and operate obscene websites, but also against members who take part in distributing such materials,” a police official said. How Viral Leaked Videos Land on Po*n Sites? Cybersecurity Expert Amit Dubey Breaks Down How Private Clips End Up on Adult Websites.
Investigators allege that the operators ran the platform from January 2022 through April 2026, during which approximately 700 s*xually explicit photos and videos were uploaded or shared through the site. Among the material were videos allegedly showing group s*xual activity involving members of the community, according to police.
Po*n Site Marketed as Open-Relationship Community
Authorities said Honors Club presented itself as an online community for married couples and partners interested in open relationships. However, police allege that the operators used the platform to distribute explicit content while actively recruiting new members through multiple online channels, including a Daum cafe, Telegram channels and chat rooms, and an account on X.
The website itself had 6,325 registered members, police said. Related online communities connected to the platform included 2,361 members on Daum cafe, 736 users on a Telegram channel, 944 participants in a Telegram chat room, and 6,214 followers on X. Police said the user base included married couples in their 50s and 60s as well as younger unmarried men and women.
Investigators said the alleged main operator had previously been active in an online community associated with Soranet, a notorious South Korean po*nography website that was shut down following years of controversy involving illegal filming and content linked to s*xual crimes.
According to police, the operator obtained member information from the earlier community and used it to recruit individuals with specific s*xual interests before launching Honors Club.
The investigation was launched after the Korea Communications Standards Commission requested police action. Authorities said investigators secured the platform's database, identified its operators and shut down the site on April 15. Police have also identified 56 members suspected of distributing obscene materials through the platform. While seven have been arrested, investigations involving the remaining 49 individuals are continuing.
Police said the case highlights the increasingly organised nature of illegal online po*nography operations. Authorities indicated they will expand investigations into similar websites, including operations that may have links to online gambling platforms and other organiSed online activities.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it plans to continue monitoring and dismantling illegal content-sharing networks operating through websites, messaging apps and social media platforms.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 01, 2026 08:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
