CW: This article contains discussion of harassment and non-consensual filming. For help contact 1800 RESPECT, and for the SCO: +61 2 8627 6808, and [email protected]
Multiple women have come forward to report harassment and non-consensual filming on the University of Sydney Camperdown campus by an individual known as Minje Kim.
Kim runs a highly popular ‘personal coaching’ service via instagram, where he claims to “Guide Men to build social confidence” and provides instructional videos on how to approach women.
In many of his videos, Kim approaches women on the University of Sydney campus while recording the interaction on a pair of Rayban Meta Smart Glasses, which come with a discreet in-built camera.
Many women have claimed that content posted to Kim’s instagram page of 384,000 followers was both recorded and uploaded without their consent. In the past week, a Reddit post in r/usyd warning students about Kim was circulated around student communities and social media, prompting multiple women to come forward with victim statements against Kim.
Statements provided to Honi allege Kim did not tell students about the nature of their interaction, in which he often requested phone numbers or social media contacts. One student reported they were told by Kim that he was not recording them, only to later find their conversation shared online.
“When I asked if he was recording, he lied and said no”, the student stated. “We talked briefly, and he asked for my phone number, but he didn’t mention that his glasses could record video. Later, I found out he had posted our conversation on Instagram, where it got over 3,000 likes.”
One victim told us that they attempted to bring the alleged harassment to the attention of NSW Police, stating “I reported this to the police, but they said filming in public is legal.”
While in New South Wales, the Surveillance Devices Act (2007) prohibits the recording of a private conversation, the definition of private conversation under this act does not include conversation to which it can be reasonably expected might be overheard.
Due to the majority of Kim’s video’s being filmed in public spaces on the University campus, pursuit of legal action may be difficult for individuals recorded without consent. If the content, however, was being filmed for commercial purposes, consent likely needs to be obtained.
In this incident, students claim they were not made aware that their conversations were being recorded until they were published and distributed on Kim’s social media.
As with many popular male-oriented lifestyle coaches, Kim’s viewership seems to largely come from young men, who often take to the video’s comment section — or in some cases, the personal social media pages of individuals depicted — to comment on womens’ physical appearances. Comments on Kim’s videos make statements such as “women have it so easy”, “ask what is your body count” or express disapproval when women in the videos state they are in a relationship.
Along with these allegations of non consensual filming, one student stated that Kim “asked if I was Chinese because of my clothing style, which made me really uncomfortable.”
Another student, who was also secretly recorded, stated that after the video was uploaded to social media, they faced online harassment, “Many derogatory comments attacking my appearance and making anti-Chinese remarks have appeared, causing me significant mental distress.”
One student reported an instance where Kim “started making me uncomfortable with small actions, like deliberately getting closer, putting his hand on the back of my chair, and even trying to hold my hand multiple times.” The student also stated that upon her leaving the situation, Kim asked where she lived and if he could come to her apartment.
This student recounted ongoing harassment from Kim after the initial in-person interaction, stating that “Later, he sent me a few photos showing off his muscles, but I didn’t reply”.
The majority of the women who have come forward against Kim are international students. Victim statements indicate that Kim’s behaviour has been taking place for over a year, with the earliest known instance dating back to September of 2023.
It is unknown at the time whether Kim is a student at the University of Sydney. Victims state that Kim has claimed to be both a student of pharmacy and engineering at the University, though his actual student status remains unclear to Honi.
A statement by the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) Education Officer read, ““We strongly condemn any form of harassment and violations of students’ privacy. This week, SUPRA has written to the DVCE’s office, urging the university to take immediate steps to protect the safety of the community. We encourage any affected PG students to reach out to SUPRA’s legal service for support”
Following the backlash of the Reddit post, Kim has taken down the videos of the students on campus in the last few days, but videos of Kim approaching women in other public settings around campus — such as Victoria Park and Broadway — remain.
When contacted for comment, Kim denied the existence of the videos, stating, “There is no uni videos bro”.
When asked for comment, a University Spokesperson stated that, “We’re committed to creating a safe environment for our students and staff and are deeply concerned by these reports. We’re taking steps to investigate and protect our community, and have reported the matter to the relevant authorities.”
The SRC Women’s Officers were contacted for comment but did not reply.
If you have experienced any form of sexual misconduct online, offshore or on campus you can access University services here or in cases of emergencies or urgent help contact 000 immediately.
Amendment: This article was amended to include comment from SUPRA and further safety resources (18/10/24, 11:54am).
