Jo Joo-bin "Thankful to Stop the Life of the Devil" Controversy
Netizens Strongly Criticize, "Devil Is Just a Loser"
On the 25th, Jo Joo-bin (25), the operator of the 'Baksa Room,' was seen at the Jongno Police Station in Seoul before being sent to the prosecution. Jo is accused of producing sexual exploitation materials and selling them for money on the messenger app Telegram. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Jo Joo-bin (25), the operator of the 'Baksa Room' who threatened women to produce sexually exploitative materials and distributed them through Telegram, appeared in public. Jo expressed his feelings, saying, "Thank you for stopping the devil's life that I couldn't stop." Netizens criticized Jo Joo-bin's self-reference as a 'devil.' From the victim's perspective, the term 'devil' could make the perpetrator be perceived as a huge criminal, which raises concerns that victims might feel intimidated.
At around 8 a.m. on the 25th, as Jo left Jongno Police Station in Seoul for prosecution transfer, he responded to reporters' questions asking, "Don't you have anything to say?" by saying, "I sincerely apologize to President Sohn Seok-hee, Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun, Reporter Kim Woong, and everyone who was harmed by me." He continued, "Thank you very much for stopping the devil's life that I couldn't stop."
When reporters asked Jo questions related to the charges, such as "Do you admit to distributing obscene materials?" and "Don't you feel guilty about minors?" he remained silent. He then got into a prepared vehicle and was transferred to the prosecution.
On the 25th, at Jongno Police Station in Seoul, Jo Joo-bin (25), the operator of the 'Baksa Room,' was seen before being sent to the prosecution. Jo is accused of producing sexual exploitation materials and selling them for money on the messenger app Telegram. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
As Jo Joo-bin's 'devil' remark was revealed through the media, netizens expressed anger.
On Twitter and other social media platforms, comments strongly criticizing Jo's remarks included: "The devil's life is over? Now it's a life in hell," "This is really unacceptable, no guilt at all," "What devil? You're just trash," "He acts like he's something, but he doesn't seem to think he did wrong," "You are not a devil but a sex offender," and "Even calling you a devil is too generous; you're just a loser."
Jo is accused of luring numerous women, including minors, by baiting them with part-time jobs, obtaining their personal information, threatening them to produce sexually exploitative materials, and distributing them in Telegram group chats.
Meanwhile, Jo Joo-bin is the first case of a sex offender whose identity has been publicly disclosed. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency held a public disclosure committee on the 24th and decided to reveal Jo's name, age, and face.
The Public Disclosure Committee stated, "We thoroughly reviewed reasons for restricting disclosure, such as the suspect's human rights and potential secondary damage to the suspect's family and acquaintances due to the disclosure." However, "The suspect's crime method was malicious and repetitive, referring to unspecified many women as slaves and producing and distributing sexually exploitative videos."
They added, "The crime is serious, with about 70 victims including children and adolescents, and an arrest warrant has been issued with sufficient personal and material evidence secured." They concluded, "Considering the public's right to know, prevention of recidivism in similar crimes, and crime prevention, we comprehensively decided to disclose the suspect's name, age, and face as it aligns with the public interest."
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