LYON, France – A criminal organization engaged in the illicit streaming of 72 Korean and international channels and the dissemination of nearly 110,000 video files has been dismantled following coordinated efforts between authorities in Korea, Indonesia, and INTERPOL.
The unlawful operation, which had been operational for approximately nine years, took advantage of the high demand for domestic real-time broadcasting content among Korean expatriates, resulting in estimated losses exceeding KRW 16 billion (USD 1.23 million).
The perpetrators had acquired subscriptions to 40 Korean cable TV services and rebroadcasted the content to Indonesia. Additionally, they provided video-on-demand (VOD) services to users accessing their platform via customized TV boxes, applications, and web browsers.
INTERPOL facilitated joint enforcement actions between Korean and Indonesian officials.
The successful collaboration falls under the INTERPOL Stop Online Piracy Project (I-SOP). Coordination with the Indonesian Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP), the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), and the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) led to the apprehension of three suspects behind the illegal Internet Protocol television (IPTV) service.
The illicit service first came to the attention of copyright holders who alerted Indonesian authorities in May 2023. Following the initiation of a comprehensive investigation, INTERPOL organized meetings and facilitated joint enforcement operations between Korean and Indonesian officials.
Subsequently, simultaneous raids were conducted in both countries in late October, resulting in the arrests.
LIM Seonghwan, Director General of the Copyright Bureau MCST, stated:
“The MCST’s Copyright Crime Forensic Investigation Division will continue to expand international cooperation investigations in collaboration with INTERPOL’s I-SOP project to address copyright infringement crimes occurring overseas. We also plan to enhance our digital investigative capabilities, including digital forensics.”
I-SOP is a five-year initiative funded by the MCST, aimed at combating crimes involving intellectual property infringement such as trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy.
Digital piracy poses a global threat, impacting creative industries including film, TV, music, and publishing, as well as the economy at large. The illegal downloading and distribution of such content lead to significant financial losses for the affected industries, consequently affecting tax revenue and employment opportunities. Of particular concern is the link between these crimes and other illicit activities, including terrorist financing, money laundering, and human trafficking.