Suspicions of Assisting Suicide, Minor Sexual Exploitation, and Drug Abuse
DC Inside Refuses Site Closure, Korea Communications Commission Delays Decision
Concerns are mounting as the online community DC Inside's (DC) 'Depression Gallery' has once again become a medium for extreme choices. It has been 19 days since a teenage female student active in this gallery jumped from a building in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
According to the police on the 7th, around 3:55 a.m. on the 5th, two teenage females attempted an extreme choice on Hannam Bridge in Seoul but were rescued. After receiving a report that 'two women were hanging over the railing,' police who arrived at the scene persuaded and rescued them, then handed them over to their guardians.
The two individuals, who met through the Depression Gallery, were live-streaming their attempt at an extreme choice via social networking services (SNS). Previously, on the 16th of last month, Ms. A also made an extreme choice while live-streaming on SNS from a building in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The video capturing Ms. A’s jump was reportedly circulated online communities after her death.
As a result, public opinion demanding the closure of the Depression Gallery has intensified. In addition to criticisms about aiding suicide and copycat crimes, suspicions of drug misuse and abuse have been raised. Testimonies have even emerged claiming that men belonging to the so-called 'Sindaebang Fam' exploited this gallery as a channel to sexually exploit women with weak mental and physical conditions.
In particular, there have been testimonies that this gallery was used as a channel for the sexual exploitation of minors. In December 2021, a man in his 30s, Mr. B, who worked as an instructor in the academy district of Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, was suspected of contacting and engaging in prostitution with minors he met through the Depression Gallery, which led to a police investigation.
On the 17th of last month, immediately after Ms. A’s jump, the police requested the temporary closure of this gallery, which was suspected to be a channel for crimes such as minor sexual exploitation.
However, last month DC refused the site closure request citing post copyright issues, and the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) postponed the decision to block the site, stating they would seek additional legal advice. Instead, DC and the KCSC announced a policy to 'strengthen monitoring.'
In this situation, with another attempt at an extreme choice mediated by the Depression Gallery, responsibility for the KCSC’s delay in deciding to block access to the site is expected to increase.
Meanwhile, the KCSC plans to hold a special telecommunications advisory committee on the 12th to review whether to block the Depression Gallery bulletin board.
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