[Summary] Hwang Kyo-ahn: "Curiosity about n번방 entry, judgments may differ" Political circles criticize in unison

Hwang Kyo-ahn "Judgments May Differ on Those Who Entered 'n번방' Out of Curiosity"
Political Circles Criticize "Failure to Recognize the Seriousness of the Incident"

Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the United Future Party, is speaking at a discussion hosted by the Broadcast Journalists Club held at the Broadcasting Hall on Mokdongdong-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, on the 1st. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the United Future Party, is facing public backlash for his remarks on the Telegram sexual exploitation case known as the 'n번방' (Nth Room) case, stating that "judgments may differ for those who entered the Nth Room out of curiosity." Both ruling and opposition parties have collectively criticized Hwang's comments, saying he "fails to recognize the seriousness of the case."

On the 1st, at a Broadcasting Reporters' Club invitation debate held at the Broadcasting Hall in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, Hwang addressed the issue of publicly disclosing the identities of all 'n번방' members, saying, "The representative of the Nth Room has been punished and detained, but individual judgments are necessary for those involved," and added, "For those who entered the room out of curiosity but stopped participating upon realizing it was 'inappropriate,' judgments such as identity disclosure may differ."

He continued, "However, I believe those who have been in and out of the Nth Room for a long time can be punished," and added, "Among the members, those who condoned the crime, remained, or participated in activities should be subject to punishment."

However, Hwang's remarks sparked controversy. Critics argued that he did not understand the gravity or seriousness of the issue. It was pointed out that entering the 'n번방' or its derivative chat rooms requires a complicated process, such as finding or receiving a link to a specific chat room and paying about 2 million won worth of virtual currency to the operators, making it impossible to enter out of mere curiosity.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a written briefing that day, "Hwang's thoughtless remark about 'curiosity' is provoking public anger," emphasizing, "(The Nth Room) is not a system that one can enter out of simple curiosity."

Kang added, "Even the free rooms for recruiting paid members are operated secretly by invitation or receiving access links. It is not a system that can be entered out of mere curiosity," and questioned, "Is Hwang trying to dismiss joining the Nth Room as simple curiosity and show leniency to the horrific criminals?"

He further criticized, "He lacks a basic understanding of the serious sexual exploitation crime that is the Nth Room case," and said, "To qualify as the leader of the main opposition party, he should first make efforts to properly understand the seriousness of digital sex crimes, including the Nth Room case."

Sim Sang-jung, co-chair of the Justice Party's election committee, issued a press release that day, strongly criticizing, "Does Hwang see the Telegram Nth Room as a place one can enter out of 'curiosity'?" and asked, "Is the United Future Party's position that only those who stayed long in the den of crime should be punished, while those who were there briefly should be exempt?"

Sim added, "Does he believe that users of the Telegram Nth Room, who paid tens to hundreds of thousands of won and went through multiple steps to access sexual exploitation materials, are innocent?" and said, "Hwang's remarks are highly problematic. We urge him to apologize immediately to the victims and the public."

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

The Open Democratic Party's female proportional representation candidates also issued a statement, saying, "We want to ask if Hwang is aware that his words are inconsistent," and criticized, "It is doubtful whether Hwang, who judges that one can enter the Nth Room only by curiosity despite the need to pay tens or hundreds of thousands of won in entrance fees via separate links or Bitcoin, can continuously establish a strong system against sexual crimes."

They added, "In this situation, remarks about curiosity provoke anger over how lax Hwang's awareness is regarding sexual crimes and youth issues," and said, "It is unbelievable that such remarks come from the leader of a political party."

Meanwhile, the United Future Party stated that their position is to impose strict punishment regarding the 'n번방' case.

Kim Jong-in, the United Future Party's overall election committee chairman, dismissed the controversy related to Hwang's remarks that day, saying, "Our party's position is that the list of all people who entered the Nth Room should be disclosed regardless of their status, and they should be severely punished."

As criticism intensified, Hwang also explained through his YouTube channel 'Hwang Kyo-ahn Official TV' that day, "The part where I said 'individual judgment is necessary' was a general legal response."

He emphasized, "All 260,000 perpetrators and related persons of the Nth Room case cannot be subject to such general standards. The principle of zero tolerance must be strictly applied," and added, "It is impossible to access with mere curiosity. They committed heinous crimes that cannot be forgiven and must not be forgiven."

*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).