The national police agency decided on Thursday that it will use subminiature surveillance cameras that can transmit video in real time as part of a plan to crack down on prostitution and illegal gambling.
Currently, the majority of prostitution establishments and gambling sites use CCTV or install steel doors to delay police entry and gain time to destroy evidence.
The cameras, each weighing 500 g, will be given to police officers to conceal on their persons and transmit images to the investigation command in real time.
Police said the cameras will bolster around-the-clock surveillance on the target establishments. A witness can also easily point out a suspect based on the video footage without seeing the person face to face.
Several years ago, the police planned to introduce surveillance cameras to gather evidence but backed down in the face of public criticism over possible human rights violations.
Lee Sung-han, chief of the National Police Agency, spearheaded the introduction of the new cameras by ordering officials to explore their use for investigation purposes.
