MBC’s investigative journalism program “PD Notebook” is set to shed new light on revenge porn -- a sexually explicit video uploaded with the intention of humiliating ex-partners depicted -- in the next episode set to air on Tuesday. 

“We have focused to highlight the seriousness of revenge porn issues that are fast spreading among ordinary people apart from celebrities,” the production crew said.

In recent years, the crimes of distributing sexually explicit videos along with the victims’ personal information online have been rising in South Korea. In some cases, victims’ jobs, college, major and even names are revealed, leaving an indelible stain on them. However, it is still not easy to catch the criminals with current investigation techniques. Even if they are caught, the punishment is mild compared to victims’ suffering.

The program is also set to cover upgrading hidden camera crimes. Criminals increasingly distribute videos, secretly taken, on porn sites rather than simply collecting them. This becomes a serious social issue as most victims are not aware that their videos are distributed online. Even if they find out them, it is still almost impossible to completely delete the video online. There is even a category named “Stealing a Peek” on porn sites where such videos are featured.

“PD Notebook” is set to tell what motivates people to commit such crimes and how to prevent them in the upcoming episode, which airs on Tuesday at 11:15 p.m.

The program is noteworthy for its role in stimulating the U.S. beef protest and raising questions over scientist Hwang Woo-suk’s subsequently discredited stem cell cloning.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)