Lotte Gambling Leak: Taiwan CCTV Restrictions and Security Concerns

While four Lotte Giants players (Na Seung-yeop, Ko Seung-min, Kim Dong-hyuk, and Kim Se-min) who were attending spring training in Tainan, Taiwan, were forced to return to Korea on charges of entering an illegal gambling house, the issue of ‘legal legitimacy’ is being raised in the Taiwanese legal community and local media regarding the circumstances surrounding the leak of the CCTV footage that became the starting point of the incident. According to Taiwanese law, CCTV footage is subject to strict protection, and distributing it without permission is subject to serious criminal punishment separate from the players’ gambling charges.

On the 13th, Lotte Club bowed its head by acknowledging that its players had visited a gambling house and issuing an apology. “First of all, we apologize for any inconvenience caused by the content related to the players,” he said. “After interviewing the players and finding out the facts, we confirmed that Na Seung-yeop, Ko Seung-min, Kim Dong-hyuk, and Kim Se-min visited a place classified as illegal in the relevant country.”

Lotte then added, “Regardless of the reason, we plan to immediately send home the four players who committed an act that violates the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and the club’s internal rules. We will also immediately report it to the KBO Clean Baseball Center, and the club will take corresponding measures depending on the results.”

Lastly, Lotte apologized again, saying, “The club feels the current situation seriously. We will take strict action against any additional matters that are confirmed through the full investigation. We have also warned the entire team. We apologize once again for causing trouble.”

However, apart from the ‘substantial truth’ of visiting a gambling house, the circumstances in which personal information that should be protected by law were leaked are truly a ‘mystery’. Taiwan’s criminal code defines the act of recording or distributing another person’s private activities or body parts without justifiable reason as a violation of confidentiality. It is believed that this video was first leaked to social media by recording CCTV inside the arcade without the players’ consent.

Additionally, according to Taiwan’s Information Protection Act posted on the Korea Legislative Information Institute, collected personal information, including CCTV footage, must be used only within the intended purpose. If you are suspected of a crime, you must submit the video to an investigative agency, but posting it on social media is difficult to recognize as a ‘public purpose’. In Taiwan, violation of this is treated as a serious crime that can result in administrative fines and even imprisonment.

The first leaked video even pointed out the actions of Lotte player A and included the provocative phrase, “Did you come to steal tofu (Taiwanese slang for sexual harassment)?” An official familiar with the situation in Taiwan said, “It appears to be an intentional leak with a specific purpose or to embarrass the players rather than simply implementing justice.”

According to multiple Taiwanese media outlets, including ET Today, the case is under the jurisdiction of the 6th Branch (Police Station) of the Tainan Police Department. No charges related to sexual harassment were found. It is said that no reports from related parties have been received yet. Player A considers this a movement to order a drink. According to a report by Taiwan’s M News on the 14th, the owner of the business said he was not a party to the sexual harassment.”

Apart from the disciplinary action of the KBO and the team for the mistakes of the players involved, it is clear that the ‘CCTV leak mystery’, which occurred without due regard to due legal procedures, is also a serious matter that must be dealt with.