[Exclusive] Joo Jin-mo and Ha Jung-woo's Phone Hacker and Blackmailer Caught... Prosecution Files Charges and Detains

Prosecutors Arrest and Indict Two Suspects for Extorting 600 Million Won from Five Famous Celebrities
Jo Joo-bin's Claim "I Hacked Joo Jin-mo's KakaoTalk" Proven False
Ha Jung-woo, Whose Phone Was Seized by Prosecutors, Also a Victim

Movie actor Joo Jin-mo (left). Ha Jung-woo

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Criminals who hacked the mobile phones of famous celebrities such as actors Joo Jin-mo (45, real name Park Jin-tae) and Ha Jung-woo (42, real name Kim Sung-hoon), then threatened to leak their personal information to extort money, have been caught and brought to trial.

According to the legal community on the 10th, the Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Byun Pil-geon) indicted two individuals, Park (40) and Kim (31), on charges of extortion and violation of the Information and Communications Network Act on the 7th.

Park and others are accused of hacking the mobile phones and internet accounts of five famous celebrities, including Joo Jin-mo and Ha Jung-woo, last year, then threatening to leak personal information related to their identities and extorting approximately 600 million won worth of money and goods.

Investigations revealed that some of the victims, frightened by Park and others' threats to release personal information to the media, handed over money and goods.

Earlier, the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which investigated them, arrested the two last month, conducted an investigation, and then transferred the case to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

Meanwhile, the mastermind A, who directed Park and others' crimes, has not yet been apprehended.

In January, a KakaoTalk chatroom where Joo Jin-mo appeared to be exchanging photos of acquaintances and several women, evaluating their faces and figures, was made public, sparking controversy.

After criticism arose that women were insulted and sexually objectified, Joo Jin-mo apologized to the victims through his legal representative.

At that time, Joo Jin-mo said, "I felt extreme fear as criminal hackers threatened me, my family, and fellow celebrities with illegally obtained personal information. I did not comply with the hackers' threats because I thought they would continue to harass me if I did, but eventually, significant harm was caused to people around me and the women mentioned in the messages. I apologize to everyone."

He also stated, "I absolutely did not commit the immoral act of secretly filming and distributing photos of a person's body," and revealed that he had filed a criminal complaint against the perpetrators who hacked his phone and threatened him.

Recently, during the investigation of the 'Nth Room' case, where sexually exploitative videos were produced and distributed via Telegram, it was revealed that Cho Joo-bin (24, detained), the operator of the 'Doctor's Room,' claimed to have hacked Joo Jin-mo's KakaoTalk, attracting public attention.

Cho claimed, "Don't you know that Joo Jin-mo and the Doctor (myself) hacked it?" and "I received texts and photos from Mr. Jang and Mr. Hwang. Joo Jin-mo's KakaoTalk is filthy. He's about as weak as Jung Joon-young," explaining that he used chatroom screenshots to threaten Joo Jin-mo but no agreement was reached. However, the police previously stated that Cho's claims were false.

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that the Violent Crimes Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Ho-sam), which was investigating Ha Jung-woo's alleged propofol use, conducted a search and seizure of Ha Jung-woo's mobile phone at the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which is investigating the celebrity phone hacking case. Various speculations arose about the background of this, and it was reported that Ha Jung-woo also requested an investigation into those who hacked his phone along with Joo Jin-mo.