South Korean police conducted a major porn site bust on Friday, arresting 15 people connected to an online platform with over 6,000 members. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber unit booked eight operators and seven members of Honors Club for distributing obscene materials. Consequently, the porn site bust shut down a network that had operated for more than four years. A police official declared a zero-tolerance policy toward such crimes.
The operators ran Honors Club from January 2022 through April 2026. They uploaded and circulated roughly 700 explicit photos and videos, including group sexual activity among members. The site presented itself as a community for couples seeking open relationships. However, police found it mainly distributed sexually explicit content. Moreover, the operators recruited members through multiple channels, including a Daum cafe, Telegram groups, and an X account. The site attracted 6,325 members, while related online groups drew thousands more followers.
The main operator previously belonged to a community linked to Soranet, a notorious Korean pornography site. That site shut down after years of controversy over illegal filming and sexual crimes. The operator allegedly used member information from that earlier network to recruit for Honors Club. The police launched the investigation after the Korea Communications Standards Commission filed a request. Investigators secured the site’s database and shut it down on April 15.
The porn site bust extended beyond the operators. Police identified 56 members suspected of distributing obscene materials. Seven have already faced arrest, while investigations into the remaining 49 continue. The arrested members included couples in their 50s and 60s as well as younger unmarried individuals. Police emphasized they would not only target site operators but also members who actively spread illegal content.
A police official reinforced the agency’s commitment to strict enforcement. “We will respond strictly under a zero-tolerance principle,” the official said. “This applies not only to those who open and operate obscene websites, but also to members who take part in distributing such materials.” Furthermore, the police plan to widen investigations into evolving illegal pornography networks, including those linked to online gambling platforms.
The case highlights the growing sophistication of digital sex crimes in South Korea. As a result, authorities are intensifying their crackdown on organized online obscenity. The porn site bust signals a broader push to hold both hosts and participants accountable for spreading illegal content.
