Guerrilla Links in Late-Night Group Chat
Dozens Enter XX Room Exploding After 1 Hour
Sharing Pornographic Files Like Doctor's Room Zip
Even Holding Review Sessions Before Chat Room Disappears Without a Trace 'Poof'
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] At 12:20 a.m. on the 1st, a 'link' was posted in a Telegram group chat. This room was a place where about 300 people gathered for casual conversations. Clicking the link led to a chatroom called 'xx room that explodes in 1 hour.' Despite the late hour, about 40 people followed the link and gathered in the chatroom, and participants began demanding, as if it were a familiar situation, "Hurry up and give us child pornography."
After 1 to 2 minutes, the operator who created the chatroom distributed dozens of child and adolescent sexual exploitation materials in the form of photos, videos, and compressed files. Included were obscene materials believed to have been produced and distributed by 'Doctor' Jo Joo-bin (24). Compressed files such as the so-called 'Doctor Room sample compilation' and 'Doctor's big integrated classification of 57 people,' which were presumed to require payment to Jo, were also posted.
The operator mechanically uploaded obscene materials, and people responded with demands and comments like "Upload something more extreme" and "This is material I've never seen before." Some participants even reviewed the videos after checking them. About an hour after various obscene materials were shared and the review session began, around 1:20 a.m., the chatroom suddenly disappeared without a trace. It was so-called 'blown up.'
The same situation occurred again around 11 p.m. on the same day. The room created at that time lasted about two hours. The number of people entering the chatroom was about 100, more than before, and not only the operator but also participants shared obscene materials they possessed.
After the so-called 'Nth Room' and 'Doctor Room' incidents broke out, the police have been strengthening investigations by operating a special digital sex crime investigation unit and securing nicknames of 15,000 members who participated in the Doctor Room. However, despite public shock and criticism, group chatrooms sharing obscene materials on Telegram remained active. They evade crackdowns by suddenly posting links in general chatrooms and sharing sexual exploitation videos only for a set period. They did not engage in monetary transactions for fear of police tracking. Sharing and reviewing obscene materials became like a game for them.
Current law stipulates that if a person distributes obscene materials knowing that the individuals depicted are minors, they face imprisonment of up to 7 years or a fine of up to 50 million won. Telegram has a system that automatically downloads photos or videos from chatrooms upon clicking. Because of this, one may unknowingly possess child and adolescent pornography. Punishment for this is imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 20 million won.
The police plan to block remaining obscene material sharing chatrooms on Telegram and continue investigations into them. A police official said, "We are continuously requesting Telegram to delete such chatrooms," and urged, "Please report to the police immediately if you find chatrooms sharing obscene materials."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
