'Bangguseok 1yeol' Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun: "A Society That Points Fingers at Victims... Leading to the 'Nth Room' Case"

Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun (left), Congressman Pyo Chang-won (right) / Photo by JTBC, screenshot from 'Banggu-seok 1-yeol' video

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Hee-eun Park] Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun shared her opinions on digital crimes.

On the 17th, JTBC's 'Banggu-seok 1-yeol' will feature Assemblyman Pyo Chang-won and Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun, head of the external cooperation team for the 'Nth Room' case task force, discussing digital crime-themed films 'Disconnect' and 'Socialphobia'.

During a recent recording of 'Banggu-seok 1-yeol', reporter Joo Sung-chul mentioned a memorable scene from 'Socialphobia'. He said, "The scene where the entire screen turns into a chat window is the climax of the movie."

He continued, "When only the conversations exchanged in the chat window appeared quietly, everyone held their breath watching," adding, "The moment the protagonist, who was the perpetrator, switched to the victim's perspective and the huge screen was covered with 'ㅋㅋㅋ', it was a chilling horror."

Regarding this, Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun stated, "The real problem in reality is that the perpetrator pretends to be the victim," emphasizing, "The social atmosphere that actually points fingers at the victims has led to the current 'Nth Room' case."

She also asserted, "The only way to comfort the victims is for the perpetrators to be properly punished."

Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun explained the punishments for the 'Nth Room' perpetrators, saying, "According to the current laws on the protection of children and adolescents from sexual offenses, severe sentences are fully possible."

Regarding recent amendments to sexual crime-related laws, she said, "Not only the Ministry of Justice but many others have worked hard," adding, "Before that, there were many tears and pains of victims, so I am very pleased that the 'Nth Room Prevention Act' has been passed."