"Telegram 'n번방' Members All Demand Personal Information Disclosure" Cheong National Petition

Request on Blue House National Petition to Disclose Personal Information of All 260,000 Telegram 'Nth Room' Users / Photo by Blue House National Petition Website

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] A petition demanding the full disclosure of the identities of 260,000 people suspected of participating in the so-called 'n-bunbang'?who threatened minors and others to produce sexual exploitation materials and distributed them through secret Telegram chat rooms?surpassed 10,000 signatures on the 20th.

On the same day, a petition titled "We want the full disclosure of all Telegram n-bunbang members' identities" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. As of 2 p.m. on the 20th, the petition had over 16,000 supporters.

The petitioner stated, "Sexual crimes against minors, especially children, through Telegram are unquestionably horrifying and heinous crimes that must never recur. However, these crimes will inevitably happen again in South Korea," adding, "because none of the 260,000 buyers who joined those chat rooms are being punished."

He continued, "Such crimes will always recur as long as there are consumers and no punishment for their purchasing behavior. More victims will emerge again," and said, "Even if children are raped or subjected to attempted murder, the maximum sentence is only 12 years, and heavy sentences are just 3 or 5 years at best. Is South Korea truly a country determined to eradicate child sexual crimes?"

He further pointed out, "All members who were in the Telegram rooms (n-bunbang) are sex offenders. All disgusting members who got excited, sympathized, and felt thrilled wanting to commit crimes while watching criminal content are not potential sex offenders but actual sex offenders."

The petitioner raised his voice, saying, "Girls in this land, including my daughter, have to live mixed with those 'n-bunbang' members. Those who sympathized while watching perverse and cruel sexual crime videos are all around us," and demanded, "Please disclose in detail the identities of the 260,000 criminals, including where all the 'n-bunbang' members live, which workplaces they attend, their ages, and what they look like."

The so-called 'n-bunbang' case refers to a digital sexual exploitation incident occurring on Telegram since November 2018. The victims include minors, and the number of perpetrators is estimated to be at least tens of thousands up to 260,000, while the number of victims remains unclear.

Earlier, the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant on the 19th for Mr. A, suspected to be the key figure known as 'Doctor' in the 'n-bunbang,' on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (production and distribution of obscene materials, etc.).

Additionally, on the 19th, a national petition demanding the disclosure of the identities of Mr. A and other key suspects in the 'n-bunbang' was posted, surpassing 300,000 signatures as of 2 p.m. on the 20th.