4 tourists, allegedly M'sians, detained after taking photos in traditional nude bathhouse in Korea

Four supposedly Malaysian tourists were caught taking photos inside a women-only nude bathing zone in a Busan bathhouse.

According to a Threads post written in Korean by user Hanyoritta, the Nov. 9 incident occurred at Hillspa in Haeundae; it is a jjimjilbang, a traditional Korean bathhouse.

The group of tourists had their phones searched by police, and the authorities found photos taken inside the bathhouse, according to the post.

However, the photos did not contain any unclothed patrons, so the police gave the four women a warning, and they were allowed to leave.

According to Hanyoritta, Korean authorities did not arrest or fine them.

Police called

The user said she went to wash off sweat from the sauna and was about to leave when she noticed the group of tourists entering the bathhouse.

The tourists were clothed, wearing hijabs and sunglasses inside a room where other women were naked.

To the user's surprise, the tourists started taking pictures of her.

She quickly washed her face, changed into her clothes and told a staff member about the incident before calling the police.

Tourists allegedly laughed in front of police

Staff brought the tourists to the bathhouse lobby, where they sat wearing spa attire and sheep-head towels over their hijabs.

While waiting for the police to arrive, the user asked to see the tourists' mobile phones and claimed that one of the tourists who could speak Korean resisted.

The women reportedly told police that they had not taken photos inside the nude bathing area, but photos on their phones showed otherwise.

The user said she was angered and claimed that the women were laughing in front of the police as though they did not understand the gravity of the situation.

She overheard that the tourists were Malaysian when the police checked their passports.

She added that both she and the police showed the women "leniency" as they were tourists and did not want to ruin their trip, but decided to retell the story on social media as she was "still unable to calm herself down".

In a later update, she said she had filed a complaint with Korea's government portal, e-People, regarding the police officers' actions.

Netizens from both countries weigh in

According to SBS News, debates have sparked online regarding the tourist's behaviour and the police response.

Many Korean online praised the user for reporting the incident but questioned why the law did not apply to foreigners.

"You did a great job reporting it without giving up," wrote one user.

Filming or taking photographs in public bathhouses is a serious criminal offence in Korea.

Others criticised the Korean police for being too lenient and kind.

Many Malaysian users apologised on behalf of the tourists, explaining that bathhouses were uncommon in their home country.

"Perhaps they simply wanted to take pictures as souvenirs and memories," wrote one user.

The Rakyat Post reported that Malaysians living in Korea were frustrated by the incident as they already faced scrutiny at immigration and in Korean society.