Four tourists believed to be Malaysians were reportedly given a police warning after allegedly taking photographs inside a women-only nude bathing area at a bathhouse in Busan, South Korea.
The incident took place on November 9 at Hillspa, a traditional Korean bathhouse known as a jjimjilbang, in the Haeundae district.
According to a Threads post by Korean user Hanyoritta, police checked the tourists’ mobile phones and discovered photographs taken inside the bathing area. However, the images reportedly did not show any unclothed patrons, prompting officers to issue a warning instead of making arrests or imposing fines.
The woman said she had gone to wash off after using the sauna when she noticed the group entering the bathing area. The tourists were reportedly wearing hijabs and sunglasses despite being inside a section where other women were naked.
To her shock, the group allegedly began taking photographs of her. She quickly washed her face, changed into her clothes and alerted a staff member before contacting the police.
The tourists were subsequently brought to the bathhouse lobby, where they waited for officers while wearing spa attire and towels folded into sheep-head shapes over their hijabs.
The woman claimed she asked to inspect their phones, but one tourist who could speak Korean allegedly resisted. The group reportedly denied taking photographs inside the nude bathing area, although images found on their devices suggested otherwise.
She also expressed anger over the tourists allegedly laughing in front of the police, saying their reaction made it seem as though they did not understand the seriousness of the incident.
The woman said she only discovered the group were Malaysians when officers checked their passports. She added that she and the police had shown them leniency because they were tourists and did not want to ruin their trip.
However, she later decided to share the incident online, saying she was still unable to calm herself down. In a subsequent update, she revealed that she had lodged a complaint through South Korea’s government e-People portal over the police officers’ handling of the case.
The incident has since sparked debate among South Korean and Malaysian social media users, with SBS News reporting that many questioned both the tourists’ conduct and the police response.
Several South Korean users praised the woman for reporting the incident but questioned why the law was seemingly not enforced against the foreign visitors. Others criticised the police for being too lenient.
Taking photographs or recording people in public bathhouses is a serious criminal offence in South Korea.
Meanwhile, some Malaysian users apologised on behalf of the tourists, while others suggested they might have taken the pictures as souvenirs or memories because bathhouses were uncommon in Malaysia.
The Rakyat Post also reported that Malaysians living in South Korea were frustrated by the incident, saying such behaviour could worsen the scrutiny they already face at immigration checkpoints and within Korean society.
