"260,000 n-bunbang Members, Public Disclosure and Punishment Needed" Unanimous Voice in the National Assembly (Comprehensive)

Jo Joo-bin, the main perpetrator of the Nth Room case who produced and sold illegal sexual exploitation videos on Telegram, is heading to a transport vehicle on the morning of the 25th at Jongno Police Station in Seoul to be transferred to the prosecution. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 25th, the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee held an emergency plenary meeting and received a briefing on the current issues regarding the Telegram ‘n-bunbang’ incident. At this meeting, the committee members unanimously agreed that the identities of 260,000 individuals involved in the ‘n-bunbang’ case should be disclosed and that they should be punished.

Kim Sung-tae, a member of the Future United Party, said, "This is a crime committed by the digital native generation who grew up in a digital environment," adding, "I judge that all 260,000 people who viewed the videos, as well as those who distributed them, are accomplices. Strict and continuous investigations must be conducted." Park Dae-chul, also from the same party, strongly stated, “Not only should Jo Joo-bin and the operators be severely punished, but since the subscribers are ‘followers of the devil,’ all 260,000 must be thoroughly investigated to eradicate this den of evil.”

Park Kwang-on, a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, directly asked Han Sang-hyuk, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, “Is it possible to punish all involved parties and disclose the identities of all 260,000 people?” In response, Han Sang-hyuk said, “I believe it is possible.” Park emphasized, “In addition to the main perpetrators who filmed and distributed the videos, those who purchased and distributed them for a fee should also be included under sex crimes and punished severely,” adding, “It is also necessary to significantly strengthen the legal responsibilities of internet service providers who offer these services, not just the users.”

Lee Won-wook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out, “There is a need to distinguish between ‘sexual exploitation materials’ and ‘obscene materials,’ as they are being used interchangeably.” He criticized, “This issue has been publicized since early last year, but the nation has found nothing, which has caused public anger.” Park Sun-sook of the Minsheng Party said, “Although extraterritorial regulations were introduced in 2018, they have not been enforced,” emphasizing, “The government must regulate overseas operators based on administrative activism.”

Meanwhile, on this day, the Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee decided to adopt a ‘resolution’ related to the Telegram n-bunbang incident and is currently conducting consultations between ruling and opposition party secretaries regarding the related content.