"Is There No Rape Porn?" The 'Nth Room' Perpetrators Still Without Remorse

Situation in Telegram Chatrooms After Jo Joo-bin's Arrest
Continued Misogynistic Remarks... Some Attempting to Find 'Gangnam-mul'
Other Participants Planning Digital Sex Crimes, Claiming to 'Humiliate Acquaintances'

Jo Joo-bin, the operator of the Telegram 'Baksa Bang' who threatened women including minors to produce and distribute illegal sexual exploitation videos, was transferred from Jongno Police Station in Seoul to the prosecution on the morning of the 25th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Amid the social outrage sparked by the Telegram 'n번방' (Nth Room) case, where women were threatened to produce and distribute sexual exploitation materials, conversations seeking such materials are still occurring in a Telegram chatroom, raising concerns about the repercussions. Given the gravity of the issue, some critics argue that this behavior is effectively mocking the investigative authorities who are pursuing strict punishment.

On the 31st, a participant identified as A in a Telegram chatroom said, "Is there any rape content to watch?" and added, "Sometimes you see it, but I don’t know where it’s from." He also mentioned, "It’s harder to find lolicon (minors) than that."

In another chatroom, there were conversations promoting the availability of 'n번방' video materials, claiming that they could supply the content for a fee. Despite the ongoing national outrage over Cho Ju-bin (25, detained), the 'Doctor’s Room' perpetrator who committed horrific crimes against female victims, women’s suffering continues to be bought and sold for money in Telegram chatrooms.

Another participant, C, said, "I will create synthetic images of acquaintances," and asked, "Give me your personal Telegram talk." Creating synthetic images of acquaintances refers to digital sexual crimes involving the manipulation of others’ photos into pornographic images and sharing them among people.

Other participants in different chatrooms also posted photos of minors and engaged in obscene conversations. Some of them openly continued conversations involving digital sexual crimes, using terms like 'acquaintance defamation' and 'I want to do it.'

On the 25th, as the vehicle carrying Jo Joo-bin, the operator of the 'Doctor's Room' who is accused of producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials of women including minors on the internet messenger Telegram, left the Jongno Police Station in Seoul and headed to the prosecution detention center, citizens held a picket protest demanding severe punishment for Jo Joo-bin. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Experts point out that the behaviors of Cho Ju-bin and others stem from distorted sexual values.

Seo Seung-hee, head of the Korea Cyber Sexual Violence Response Center, told Asia Economy in an interview that at the core of this case lies the deeply rooted 'rape culture' among Korean men in our society. 'Rape culture' literally means that sexual crimes like rape have become embedded in male culture.

Seo said, "The perpetrators who sympathize in Telegram chatrooms show attitudes like 'We won’t be punished' and 'Why quit now when quitting raises suspicion,' effectively mocking public authority and public anger. They believe that consuming and purchasing sexual exploitation materials is something they can do, and they fail to recognize this as sexual violence, which has enabled such violence."

Regarding the lack of guilt and the mocking of victims, she pointed out, "Our society has not acknowledged sexual violence cases, often blaming victims by saying things like 'They were assaulted because of improper behavior,' 'Because they wore short skirts,' or 'Most sexual violence cases are fake Me Too or gold diggers.'"

She added, "The distorted sexual perceptions in this case are not unusual. The so-called 'rape culture'?which downplays sexual violence and shares a culture of misogyny?has been ongoing for a long time," she criticized.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Cho Ju-bin expressed remorse for his wrongdoing and is prepared to accept punishment to his newly appointed lawyer.

Kim Ho-je (38, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 39), who is representing Cho, said in an interview with the media, "He is reflecting on his wrongdoing and has fully admitted to distributing obscene materials."

In particular, Cho reportedly said that even though he is a lawyer and would not take on such a case, he wants to receive legal assistance. It is also known that he spoke about how he has lived his life.

*If you are experiencing difficulties due to illegal filming or distribution of photos or videos, threats using such materials, or sexual harassment in cyberspace, you can receive support from the Women's Emergency Hotline 1366 or the Digital Sexual Crime Victim Support Center (02-735-8994).