Forced Investigation Planned for Paid Members with Identified Charges
Accelerating Analysis of Jo Joo-bin's Mobile Phone and Tracking of Criminal Proceeds
Further Examination Underway for Son Seok-hee and Yoon Jang-hyun Fraud Cases
Possibility of Disclosing Personal Information "Left Open"
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 Ho-nam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police investigating the Telegram 'Nth Room' case have reportedly secured the nicknames of about 15,000 participants in the chat rooms. The police have initiated compulsory investigation procedures, including filing charges against individuals whose criminal acts have been identified.
A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official stated at a press briefing on the 30th, "The number of members analyzed so far was extracted based on nicknames," adding, "Excluding duplicates, we currently have about 15,000 cases."
He continued, "These are members who entered and exited groups related to the 'Doctor's Room,' whether free or paid, identified by their nicknames," and added, "Although duplicates have been removed, if nicknames were changed, it is impossible to distinguish them, so we cannot make definitive conclusions."
In particular, the police explained that there has been progress in investigating some participants, including paid members. The police plan to specify criminal charges against some members who joined the 'Doctor's Room' operated by Jo Joo-bin (24, in custody) and shared sexually exploitative materials, and to proceed with compulsory investigation procedures such as search and seizure.
The police have also requested cooperation from major overseas virtual currency exchanges and secured meaningful data necessary for the investigation, with additional requests pending. It is also known that they have received cooperation regarding social network service (SNS) account information through the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The police said, "We consider those who deposited funds into wallets through electronic wallets or virtual currency exchanges as paid members and are currently focusing investigative efforts on them," adding, "Some have been subject to search and seizure, and we will take necessary measures regarding other exchanges as well."
The police are also concentrating on analyzing related materials, including nine mobile phones seized during the search of Jo’s residence. Among these, seven phones were either deregistered or unused. Of the remaining two, one was in Jo’s possession, and the other was found hidden inside the house, according to the police. A police official said, "We seized about 20 digital evidence items, and analysis of seven mobile phones has been completed," adding, "The remaining two are in progress, and we expect meaningful data once they are unlocked."
However, the police have determined that Jo did not live a luxurious lifestyle through criminal proceeds, as he resided in a rental home and did not own a vehicle. Accordingly, it is presumed that the criminal proceeds remain somewhere. The police are also focusing investigative efforts on tracing Jo’s criminal proceeds. A police official said, "The amount of illicit profit will be revealed by finding the number of paid members and calculating how much was received," adding, "We are currently verifying the 130 million won found at the residence."
Meanwhile, the fraud cases involving Son Seok-hee, president of JTBC, former Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun, and freelance reporter Kim Woong, which Jo mentioned upon being sent to the prosecution, are still under police review. Previously, the police only forwarded the case in which Jo deceived reporter Kim by promising to provide a hit-and-run video involving President Son and embezzled 15 million won to the prosecution, while the cases involving President Son and former Mayor Yoon were not forwarded. Regarding this, a police official explained, "There are parts that Jo has testified to, and there will be evidence secured through victim investigations, but it must be completed first."
Regarding whether to disclose the personal information of paid members of the Doctor's Room, the official said, "Since the review itself concerns individuals, in principle, meetings are held one by one to decide on disclosure," adding, "We can only say for sure after arrest and investigation. The possibility remains open."
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