"Let's Make Them Slaves" How They Became Demons [Playground of Demons 'n-bunbang'①]

Soranet → AVSNOOP → Telegram 'n-bunbang'
Threatening minors and women to produce and sell brutal sexual exploitation materials
'Ordinary viewers' pay money and flock to 'n-bunbang'
"Disclose the identity of 'n-bunbang' suspects" Cheong petition exceeds 2 million

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] [Editor's Note] An unspeakable 'violation of women's human rights' incident occurred in a Telegram chatroom. Those using nicknames such as 'GodGod', 'Watchman', and 'Doctor' threatened numerous women, including minors, referred to them as so-called 'slaves', and sold sexually exploitative materials for money. The men enjoyed the women's screams. Their crimes are beyond what can be reflected in an article. The situation at the time was described with expressions like 'souls were destroyed' and 'they died' out of concern for 'secondary damage.' We investigated what happened in the so-called 'n번방' and what can be done for the victims.

A man in his 20s, identified as Mr. A, who was charged with threatening minors and others to produce sexual exploitation materials and distributing them via the mobile messenger Telegram, appeared at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul, for a warrant hearing on the afternoon of the 19th.

The so-called "Baksa Bang," a paid obscene channel operated by Mr. A on Telegram, contained numerous sexual exploitation videos and photos targeting minors and several women.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Telegram 'n번방'?There lives a devil in that room. In a very ordinary form.

On the 16th, a group that used the messenger Telegram to threaten women, including minors, to create sexually exploitative videos and sell them for money was arrested by the police, raising public opinion that all related parties, including the so-called 'n번방' operators and viewers, should be punished.

'n번방' refers to secret chatrooms on Telegram. Each chatroom is numbered 1, 2, 3, etc., collectively called 'n번방'. These rooms contained videos of victimized women who were forced to shoot sexually exploitative content under various threats, and men purchased these videos with money. Some paid even higher amounts to watch or to humiliate the victims in real time.

The 'Doctor' arrested last Monday (16th) is one of the 'n번방' operators, and the title 'Doctor' is the nickname he used on Telegram.

Because of this, 'n번방' is also called 'Doctor's Room'. 'Doctor' is only one of many 'n번방' operators. The police are currently tracking other 'n번방' operators as well as men who participated in these rooms.

Ultimately, the arrest of 'Doctor' is not the end but merely means that the 'n번방' case has just surfaced. Where and in what form are the second and third 'Doctors' now around us?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ The meeting of devils and 'ordinary viewers'... an unbreakable link

Before 'Doctor', there was 'Watchman'. In 2017, he opened a blog named after the now-closed 'AVSNOOP'.

On that blog, he promoted the Telegram secret chatrooms. He received cultural gift certificates and distributed links to enter the 'n번방'. Those who paid to enter found that the Telegram nickname 'GodGod' was present in the room.

'GodGod's method of crime was the same as 'Doctor's, making sexually exploitative materials through threats. He mainly approached female adolescents who posted revealing photos on Twitter, impersonated the police, and threatened them by claiming they could be investigated for distributing obscene materials after obtaining their personal information. He then coerced them to produce more explicit sexually exploitative content by threatening to distribute the information.

'GodGod', who made sexually exploitative materials by threatening victims, created the secret chatroom number 1 and distributed the link. When the room was created, 'ordinary viewers' followed the room containing sexually exploitative materials of minors. Then rooms 2, 3, and so on were created, and many copied rooms sprang up like mushrooms. The viewers continuously followed these rooms and watched the victims' sexually exploitative materials.

◆ Created 'shelter' rooms to prepare for obscene material reports and operated 'n번방' day and night

Reporting obscene materials was useless. Even if the rooms were 'blown up' (deleted) due to accumulated reports, they preemptively created so-called 'shelter' rooms and reposted the links there. Then new rooms like 1, 2, 3 were created again. The 'n번방' operated continuously day and night. The victims could not escape from those rooms. Thus, the women died.

Some videos posted in 'n번방' are known to be illegal recordings such as child rape videos. There were also room rules. If a participant did not upload obscene materials they owned or did not participate in sexually harassing conversations, they were forcibly expelled.

Illegal recordings taken by the participants themselves were treated well inside 'n번방'. This is believed to be because the operators could create another 'n번방' with those videos and sell a kind of 'new video' to generate profits.

Among them, 'GodGod's 'n번방' was known to have many sexually exploitative videos made by threatening women. The victims were called so-called 'slaves' and forced to make videos through various threats, which were then sold to viewers for profit. Women, especially minors, died in the 'n번방' this way.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ From Soranet → AVSNOOP → Telegram 'n번방', the ongoing suffering of women

The blog name used by 'Watchman' to promote 'n번방' was inspired by AVSNOOP, called the second 'Soranet'. AVSNOOP is a compound of AV (Adult Video) and SNOOP (spy). It means a community where members share obscene materials and sexual experiences.

AVSNOOP was created in 2016 after 'Soranet' was shut down. Soranet first appeared in 1999 as 'Sora's Guide' and expanded in 2003, becoming the largest obscene material portal in Korea with over one million members at its peak, before being closed in 2016.

AVSNOOP, which was closed in 2017, similarly posted numerous obscene materials categorized by obscene content, entertainment establishments, and adult broadcasts.

The operator, Mr. Ahn, initially ran the site for free but switched to paid membership in December 2014 as members increased. He raised members' ranks (a total of 9 levels) and granted access to more obscene materials when they paid with gift certificates or cryptocurrency like Bitcoin.

Even without payment, members who uploaded obscene materials were promoted in rank based on points earned. This led members to competitively upload obscene materials.

As a result, Mr. Ahn's site posted about 460,000 obscene materials, including those featuring children and adolescents. Visitors increased, reaching about 120,000 daily visitors later. The membership exceeded one million.

Adult website [Image source=Yonhap News]

Eventually, Mr. Ahn was prosecuted and punished. The court stated, "The defendant allowed the distribution of numerous obscene materials, including child pornography, for over three years, sexually distorting women and children, causing great harm to society, and gained significant economic benefits from the crime, making the offense serious."

The court added, "However, considering that the defendant admitted wrongdoing, had no prior record, did not personally post obscene materials, and made efforts to prevent child pornography by setting banned words in the site's search function, the sentencing was determined accordingly."

Mr. Ahn, who operated a site featuring children and adolescents, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison and ordered to forfeit 340 million won of criminal proceeds.

If the operators of Soranet and AVSNOOP had been severely punished, could the current Telegram 'n번방' have been created? This is also why there is a public call to enact the so-called 'n번방 Punishment Law.'

Currently, the fact that 'n번방' members receive better treatment from operators when uploading illegal recordings and sexually exploitative materials, the progression from Soranet to AVSNOOP to Telegram, and the sale of sexually exploitative materials using cryptocurrency are not coincidences, but reasons for concern.

Digital Sexual Violence Prevention Campaign. Photo by ShareNcare - ShareNcare

◆ Lured by high-paying part-time jobs... emergence of 'Doctor', 'n번방' operator

'Doctor' reportedly lured minors mainly with the bait of high-paying part-time jobs, such as "Would you like to try modeling?" or "Would you like to do a dating part-time job?" Then, under the pretext of signing an employment contract, he obtained the victims' personal information.

At first, he requested photos that were not very explicit. Then the demands escalated, and if refused, threats began. 'Doctor' is known to have always disclosed the victims' personal information when distributing sexually exploitative materials, including birth dates, home addresses, and phone numbers.

From the victims' perspective, fear that their families could be harmed because of them, self-loathing for being in such a situation, and humiliation from being treated as sexual playthings surrounded by men led them to die. It was extreme suffering.

However, 'Doctor's crimes became even more brutal. Some victims were forced by 'Doctor' to carve words like 'slave' or 'Doctor' on parts of their bodies with knives. Thus, the souls of women in 'n번방' were destroyed.

He demanded sadistic sexual acts, perverse behaviors, and torture, recording them on video. He threatened to distribute these videos to family and acquaintances and continuously collected videos.

He told victims he would not upload videos of 'slaves who completed all tasks' and instilled fear by coercing them to believe that if they ran away, their personal information would be exposed. With the videos and photos secured, 'Doctor' sold room entry tickets and the videos and photos themselves.

Men purchased room entry tickets costing over 1 million won and entered the rooms to watch naked minors. Entry fees were accepted only in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies to avoid police detection. Besides the paid rooms, 'Doctor' operated 'sample rooms' and 'bulletin boards' for promotion.

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board

◆ "Disclose the identities of n번방 suspects"?2 million sign petition at Blue House... boiling anger

On the 19th, Seoul Central District Court Judge Won Jeong-sook, in charge of warrants, issued an arrest warrant for 'Doctor' Mr. A on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (production and distribution of obscene materials, etc.).

Judge Won stated the reason for issuing the warrant: "The suspect threatened and coerced dozens of women, including children and adolescents, to produce obscene materials and distributed them to gain huge profits, causing extreme suffering to the victims and promoting a distorted sexual culture in our society, making this a serious case."

She added, "There is concern for harm to the victims as the suspect used illegally obtained personal information to threaten victims and their families. The charges are substantially proven, and there is a risk of evidence destruction and flight."

A man in his 20s, identified as Mr. A, who was arrested on charges of threatening minors and others to produce sexually exploitative materials and distributing them via the mobile messenger Telegram, is seen leaving the courtroom after a warrant hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 19th.

The so-called "Doctor's Room," a paid obscene channel operated by Mr. A on Telegram, contained numerous sexually exploitative videos and photos targeting minors and several women.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, on the 18th, a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board demanding the disclosure of Mr. A's identity, titled "Put the perpetrator who drove young students to hell on the photo line," had 2,101,708 supporters as of 1 a.m. on the 23rd.

The petitioner pleaded, "Please put the perpetrator who drove them to hell on the photo line. Do not let him cover his face with a hat or mask under any circumstances."

They emphasized, "If this is not a devil, then what is? He must be put on the photo line with his bare face!! For those who lightly regard others' shame, the word 'human rights' is a luxury."

A petition demanding the disclosure of all 'n번방' participants' identities had 1,442,706 supporters as of 1:30 a.m. on the 23rd.

The petitioner appealed, "All members who were in the Telegram rooms are sex offenders. Watching the cruel sexual crimes against young girls, not only did they stand by, but they also got excited, sympathized, and felt thrilled wanting to commit crimes themselves. All those disgusting members are sex offenders. They are not potential sex offenders but just sex offenders."

Meanwhile, the police are reviewing whether to disclose Mr. A's identity. The identity disclosure review committee consists of seven members: three internal police members and four external members, and decisions are made by majority vote. If identity disclosure is decided, it could be the first case under the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes to disclose a suspect's identity.