Telegram 'n-bunbang Incident', Request for International Joint Investigation Surpasses 140,000 Signatures on Blue House Petition

Photo by Cheong Wa Dae National Petition Board Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A petition demanding the punishment of the operator of the illegal sexual exploitation "n-bunbang" using Telegram has gained more than 140,000 supporters as of the 22nd.

On the 2nd, a post titled "We petition for an international joint investigation for the fundamental resolution of the sexual exploitation case, the n-bunbang case" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner explained, "After the webhard cartel collapsed and punishments were enforced for sharing sexually exploitative materials through group chats, the perpetrators sought another distribution channel: Telegram. The term 'n-bunbang' refers to secret Telegram rooms created for the purpose of sharing victims' personal information and sexually exploitative materials."

He continued, "The n-bunbang is just the beginning; similar n-bunbangs are springing up everywhere, causing countless victims to suffer. Among the victims are minors, including children and adolescents. Victims do not report due to fear and concern that their personal information will be revealed, and photos and videos spread rapidly, leaving victims with indelible scars."

Furthermore, the petitioner emphasized, "We must investigate by tracking traces left through cultural gift certificate transactions, cash transactions, or fundamentally by finding n-bunbangs that are created in real time."

The petitioner also argued that since Telegram's servers are located in Germany, investigations are not easy, and international joint investigations must be conducted.

He stated, "International joint investigations take a long time and involve complicated procedures, but there are precedents where digital sex crime issues were resolved through such cooperation, and it is the most effective way to eradicate such cases. Similar cases include cooperation with the Netherlands in 2016, with the United States and the United Kingdom in 2017, and with the United States in 2018. The n-bunbang case can also be resolved through international joint investigations."