[Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber Investigation Unit 3. Resale and database prohibited]

Operators and members of a pornographic website, which openly advertised its aim to pursue group sex and distributed illegally filmed content, have been apprehended by the police.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber Investigation Unit 3 announced on the 29th that it had arrested 8 operators, including A, the operator of the pornographic website 'Honors Club', on charges of distributing obscene material under the Information and Communications Network Act.

They are accused of operating the site for about four years from January 2022 to April of this year, posting or aiding the distribution of approximately 700 obscene photos and videos, including recordings of members' group sexual acts.

According to the police, the site presented itself as a 'polyamory' group that advocates for an open sexual culture, under the guise of 'couple meetups' and 'married couple meetups'.

The operators are understood to have held regular offline meetings in regions such as Gyeonggi, Busan, and Daegu, and filmed scenes of group sexual acts to share on the site and social networking services (SNS).

They aimed to build their own community called 'Honorland', and it appears they increased their membership by operating platforms beyond the website, including Daum Cafe, Telegram channels and chat rooms, and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.

The website had 6,325 members, with 2,361 members on Daum Cafe, 736 participants in the Telegram channel, 944 participants in the Telegram chat room, and 6,214 followers on their X (formerly Twitter) account.

The members were found to be composed of various age groups, including couples in their 50s and 60s, and young unmarried men and women.

 [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber Investigation Unit 3. Resale and database prohibited]

It was investigated that A, who was a former member of a cafe affiliated with 'Soranet', a site previously involved in controversies over the distribution of illegally filmed content and plots for sex crimes, took over existing cafe member information, recruited individuals with specific sexual preferences, and then established the site.

The police initiated the investigation upon a request from the Korea Communications Standards Commission, secured the site's database (DB) to identify the operators, and shut down the site on the 15th of last month.

The police have identified 56 members of the site on charges of distributing obscene material, apprehending 7 of them, and are continuing investigations into the remaining 49 individuals.

A police official stated, "We plan to respond strictly with a zero-tolerance policy not only towards the creators and operators of pornographic websites but also towards their members," and added, "We also plan to expand investigations into illegal pornographic sites that are evolving into corporate structures by linking with gambling sites."