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                Korean Surveillance School Trains Citizen Snoops

   by Jason Strother

   SEOUL - Law-breakers in South Korea beware.  Citizens trained to
   videotape illegal activity are on the loose and making extra income by
   selling the tapes to the police.

   Ji Soo-hyun leads a double life. Three-months ago, the housewife began
   a career catching lawbreakers red handed.  Ji, 54, says her specialty
   is going undercover at private tutoring schools.
   "I pretend that I am going to enroll my kids in the school.  I ask the
   faculty about extra services.  There are a lot of illegal activities in
   these schools, like staying open too late and charging additional
   fees.  These are the types of things I record," Ji noted.

   When Ji is on her mission, she uses a small, concealed camera to record
   video.

   A cameraman is among the students of the Seoul paparazzi school - the
   same place that taught Ji how to secretly film illegal activity.

   Academy director Moon Seong-ok also helps students find buyers for
   their secret footage.
   "The students want to make money.  I contact them with police agencies,
   local governments, health agencies and education authorities who pay
   them," Moon explained.
   Moon claims citizen paparazzi can earn between $20 and $30,000 a year.
   But some observers say the government should not be paying neighbors to
   spy on neighbors.

   "When it comes to citizen paparazzi, the government is outsourcing
   responsibility to civilians and everyone knows it is a big problem.
   However, people don't really see it as an important issue," said Chun
   Sang-chin, a sociologist at Seoul's Sogang University.
   Chun says that is because people worry that if they complain, it will
   seem like they have something to hide.
   Citizen paparazza Ji Soo-hyun says she does not feel sympathy for
   people breaking the law.
   "At first I felt guilty about reporting on these people, but the more I
   did it, I realized how much illegal activity is going on around us," Ji
   admitted.
   Ji says she is now turning her camera on people who skip out on paying
   their taxes.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/korea-surveillance-school-trains-citi
   zen-snoops/692110.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/korea-surveillance-school-trains-citizen-snoops/692110.html