"Victims Are Also Criminals" ... Nth Room Victims Cry Twice

Framing as 'Innocent Victims' via YouTube and SNS
"Government's Support for Female Victims Aimed at General Election" Fake News
Clear Secondary Harm... Low Gender Sensitivity in Our Society
Victims Likely to Withdraw Further Due to Fear of Criticism

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyungmin Kim, Seungyoon Song, Jeongyun Lee] "The perpetrators of the Nth Room case are actually the people called 'victims.'"

Recently, on YouTube and various social networking services (SNS), claims that portray the victims of sexual exploitation pornography cases as perpetrators have frequently appeared. Such trends reveal the low level of gender sensitivity in our society, experts point out. Professor Myungho Lim of the Department of Psychology at Dankook University stated, "Criticizing the female victims of the Nth Room as perpetrators is a clear case of secondary victimization," adding, "If such victimization continues, it will not only have a negative impact on society but also fail to foster healthy social discussions."

The main argument used by YouTubers and others who label victims as perpetrators is that these individuals initially provided sexual photos or videos to earn money. In the process, since they were harmed by operators of 'Doctor's Room' or 'Nth Room,' they argue that strictly speaking, they are not victims.

A recent example is a video uploaded to YouTube containing such claims, which garnered about 60,000 views and 6,600 likes. The video mentioned that a female victim of the Nth Room sold various obscene materials exposing her body. Some YouTubers argue that the victims became targets of sexual crimes through their own 'deviant accounts' (anonymous accounts posting images of their own bodies), and some even attempted prostitution, thus claiming they are both victims and perpetrators. There are also critics who say the government's economic support for the female victims is a move aimed at the general election.

Similar claims can often be found in some online communities. The argument is that since the victims also sought money and approached others, they should be punished just like perpetrators. Some even spew harsh criticism such as "They deserve it" or "Both victims and perpetrators are the same criminals."

Im Kyungyoung, director of the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center, said, "If victims are blamed, other victims who have not yet come forward may fear being criticized and thus refrain from disclosing their experiences," causing negative side effects. Following the #MeToo movement that shook South Korea in 2018, analysts say that the 'pure victim' frame demanding victim-like behavior is also at work in the current Nth Room case.

Conspiracy theories blaming the prosecution for the publicization of the Nth Room case are also rampant. It is claimed that the prosecution is deliberately amplifying the Nth Room case targeting the general election. On SNS, there is widespread content alleging that the prosecution is coercing specific statements from Jo Joo-bin. In the legal community, amid controversies over 'prosecution-media collusion' between certain media outlets and the prosecution, and growing doubts about the investigation of the Nth Room case, some interpret that the foundation for fake news production has been laid.

On the other hand, despite such secondary victimization, victims who want to widely disclose their experiences to prevent recurrence are emerging one after another. Unlike those who engage in secondary victimization, many people send messages of encouragement in solidarity with the victims through SNS posts. Director Im said, "To overcome the perpetrator-centered culture prevalent in Korean society, it is necessary not only to improve laws and systems but also to change our everyday culture."