[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] On the 24th of this month, the day before Telegram 'BangsaBang' operator Jo Joo-bin (24) was sent to the prosecution, three document files including 'Doctor's Entertainment Industry Gossip' were uploaded in a Telegram group chat called 'Juhonggeulssi' (The Scarlet Letter). The files, presumed to be conversations from the Doctor's Room, contained claims that the Doctor boasted of his acquaintance with Son Seok-hee, JTBC president, stating, "I was the one who removed the CCTV and black box during the hit-and-run incident," and that he received money from former Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun. The files also included information that the hacking of actor Joo Jin-mo's phone was the Doctor's doing, as well as the real names of many celebrities whom the Doctor allegedly enslaved. During the prosecution transfer process the next day, Jo apologized, saying, "I apologize to President Son Seok-hee, reporter Kim Woong, Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun, and all others who were harmed."
As the public outrage grew over the involvement of participants in the Telegram Nth Room case, group chats sharing personal information about these individuals appeared on Telegram.
On the 27th, the Telegram chat room 'Juhonggeulssi' shared names, occupations, photos, and messenger conversation screenshots of individuals suspected to be perpetrators related to the Nth Room case, including Jo. Nearly 3,000 people participate in this chat room, which has been active since the 7th, aiming to assist police investigations by publicly exposing the identities of those involved in sexual exploitation and obscene materials.
The males identified as perpetrators by Juhonggeulssi range from teenagers to university students and office workers. They disclose related materials either through tips or by searching social networking services (SNS). Around 11 p.m. on the 24th, the day before Jo was sent to the prosecution, a file mentioning Son Seok-hee, JTBC president, and former Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun was also released.
Another chat room called 'Jungang Jeongbobu' (Central Intelligence Department) also claims to be a vigilante group on Telegram. They began activities after the Nth Room incident surfaced and disclose personal information of those possessing or distributing child and youth pornography. They also share information about individuals suspected of 'Ji-in Neung-yok'?a practice of indiscriminately distributing synthesized images of acquaintances' faces with obscene photos on SNS.
As indiscriminate personal information disclosure continues, cases presumed to be victims have emerged. In November last year, a post circulated on Telegram claiming that a high-ranking active police officer had joined the Nth Room but left after his identity was revealed, with his affiliation and photo also posted. However, the officer and the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency stated that they were victims of identity theft and personal information exposure. Similar complaints led to an internal investigation, which concluded without charges. Professor Lee Geon-soo of Baekseok University's Department of Police Science explained, "While it is understandable to be outraged by the Nth Room case, it can lead to human rights violations and defamation. It is advisable to report information about suspected participants to investigative agencies rather than distributing it in group chats."
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