'Hidden Eye' by MBC: Crime Prevention or Ethical Overstep?
MBC Every1's crime documentary series 'Hidden Eye' debuted in August 2024 with a bold premise: use real surveillance footage and expert commentary to reconstruct crimes and help prevent future offenses. With its rising popularity, the show has been added to MBC's regular Monday night programming slot, broadcasting at 8:10 PM.
What makes Hidden Eye stand out is its extensive use of actual footage—CCTV, police body cams, dashcams—from real-life incidents. With insights from criminologists, psychologists, and law enforcement professionals, the show examines how crimes unfold and what can be learned from them. Its stated mission is to raise public awareness and reinforce community safety.
The Upside: A Tool for Awareness and Prevention
One of the biggest strengths of Hidden Eye is its educational potential. By dissecting real crimes with precision and adding layers of expert analysis, the show doesn’t just recount events—it explains them. In one notable episode, analysis of dashcam footage from a vehicle theft in Korea helped viewers understand how the thief scoped out and executed the crime. This kind of detailed breakdown demystifies how crimes happen, encouraging viewers to take steps to protect themselves.
Psychologists interviewed for the show suggest that being exposed to the very real human cost of these crimes can raise empathy and vigilance. The visible pain of victims and the seriousness of the offenses remind the audience that safety isn’t guaranteed—and must be actively maintained.
Given its fact-based approach, the show has earned credibility. Viewers are not getting reenactments scored with ominous music—they’re seeing raw, unfiltered reality. And that makes a difference in how seriously they take the message.
The Downside: Ethical Boundaries and Emotional Fallout
Despite its constructive aims, Hidden Eye faces growing backlash, particularly over concerns of privacy and sensationalism. Many of the videos used in the show, while anonymized to a degree, feature real victims, many of whom never expected their darkest moments to become public content. For those victims, rewatching or knowing that others are watching their trauma can trigger further emotional harm.
Moreover, there’s a fine line between informing viewers and terrifying them. Some critics have labeled the program "fear porn"—a term for media that thrives on provoking anxiety. Constant exposure to violent or deeply disturbing content may leave viewers feeling unsettled or even distrustful of their everyday surroundings.
There’s also the legal angle. Whose footage is it? Do the people involved—not just the victims, but bystanders or even the accused—give consent? Often, the answer is no, raising issues around copyright law, privacy rights, and broadcast ethics. These concerns point to the need for clearer regulations regarding how and when such footage is used on public television.
Walking the Line: Can Crime TV Be Ethical and Useful?
There’s no denying that shows like Hidden Eye can play a role in social education. Knowing what a real scam looks like or how break-ins actually happen equips people with practical awareness. Yet, that usefulness must be measured against potential harm done—especially to victims who never consented to being part of a national broadcast.
The show's producers and network need to consider ethical storytelling more deeply. Could the same impact be achieved by reenactments based on real cases, which protect all identifying details? Can experts present data and insights without drowning viewers in a sea of traumatic imagery?
Certainly, the public has a right to understand the nature of crime in their society—but not at the cost of individual dignity. Striking the right balance between transparency and compassion is key.
Mixed Reactions: Public Opinion Remains Divided
Online, viewer responses reflect the complexity of the issue. On Reddit and Korean platforms like DC Inside and Naver Café, people are deeply split. Some praise the series for its fresh, honest approach to crime reporting. Others express discomfort or even anger, accusing the show of turning human pain into entertainment.
Some believe showing actual footage is the most effective way to make people care—stark visuals stay with viewers far longer than statistics or warnings. But others argue that this method can backfire, numbing audiences or fostering societal paranoia.
Regardless of where you stand, one fact is clear: Hidden Eye isn’t just a TV show. It’s part of an ongoing conversation about how we confront and process crime as a society.
Final Thoughts
Hidden Eye has entered a media landscape hungry for real stories—but grappling with ethical landmines. As the show grows in influence, it also assumes greater responsibility: to educate without exploiting, to inform without inciting fear.
If MBC can maintain that balance, Hidden Eye may become more than a popular TV show. It could be a case study in how powerful—and precarious—true-crime media can be.
