Korea, Thailand team up to bust digital pirates
In a quiet residential neighborhood in Chiang Mai, Thailand, behind closed doors and high-speed internet connections, an illicit digital pipeline was quietly siphoning millions of dollars away from Korea’s entertainment industry. For nearly a decade, a sophisticated piracy ring operated out of Thailand and Malaysia, hijacking live feeds of Korean television networks, K-pop broadcasts, and…
In a residential area of Chiang Mai, Thailand, a covert digital piracy network was quietly draining millions of dollars from South Korea's entertainment sector for over a decade. This clandestine operation, involving Thailand and Malaysia, intercepted live broadcasts from Korean television networks, K-pop channels, and popular dramas, and streamed them illegally to audiences in Southeast Asia.
Upon the authorities' intervention, the losses were pegged at more than 35 billion won, equivalent to $26 million. To thwart such illicit networks, Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Central Investigation Bureau of the Royal Thai Police inked a significant agreement in Seoul, laying down robust channels for immediate intelligence exchange, synchronized operations, and joint enforcement across borders.
This agreement was the outcome of a vast global operation in February, where Korean and police forces from Thailand, Malaysia, and the United States collaborated.
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- Korea, Thailand team up to bust digital pirates koreatimes.co.kr
