Prosecutors to Conduct Third Interrogation of Jo Joo-bin This Afternoon... Interest in Whether New Lawyer Will Be Appointed

Jo Joo-bin, the operator of the 'Doctor's Room' who threatened dozens of women including minors on the internet messenger Telegram and forced them to film obscene materials which were then distributed, is coming out of Jongno Police Station in Seoul on the morning of the 25th to be sent to the prosecution. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] On the 30th, the prosecution will conduct the third summons investigation of Jo Joo-bin (24, in custody), the operator of the ‘Baksa Room’.

Jo, who had previously undergone two investigations without the help of a lawyer after his appointed attorney resigned, will have a meeting in the morning at the detention center to appoint a new lawyer.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Task Force (Chief Team Leader Yoo Hyun-jung, Head of the Women and Children Crime Investigation Department) plans to summon Jo in the afternoon for the third investigation.

During the two investigations conducted on the 26th and 27th, the prosecution questioned Jo about the circumstances of opening and operating the Baksa Room on Telegram, details of the groups (rooms), the number and ranks of members in each group, the operation methods, and the roles of key accomplices.

The prosecution reported that Jo did not exercise his right to remain silent and responded sincerely during the investigation.

Meanwhile, Yang Je-min, a lawyer from the Oh Hyun law firm previously appointed by Jo, resigned on the 25th when the case was transferred to the prosecution, stating, “The family’s explanation that it was a simple sex crime and the facts I directly confirmed were too different, so I can no longer proceed with the defense.” As a result, Jo currently has no lawyer.

It is known that Jo will meet with a new lawyer at the Seoul Detention Center where he is incarcerated on the morning of the day. Whether Jo will actually appoint the lawyer he meets is currently unknown.

After receiving Jo on the 25th and conducting investigations for two consecutive days, the prosecution reportedly focused on reviewing the legal grounds for charges applicable to Jo by examining the vast amount of investigation records without interrogating him last week.

When the police transferred Jo to the prosecution, they applied a total of 12 charges including ▲ production and distribution of obscene materials under the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse ▲ filming using cameras under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes ▲ coercion and mediation of sexual acts against children under the Child Welfare Act ▲ coercion ▲ threats ▲ conspiracy to murder, among others. The investigation records amount to 38 volumes, including separate volumes, totaling 12,000 pages.

The prosecution is reviewing whether the crime of organizing a criminal organization under the Criminal Act can be applied to Jo and his accomplices who played a leading role in operating the Baksa Room.

Additionally, the prosecution plans to continue investigations by directing the police to conduct further investigations into Jo’s fraud and extortion cases against Son Seok-hee, president of JTBC, and Yoon Jang-hyun, former mayor of Gwangju.