"Judge Kang Young-soo Who Released Sohn Jung-woo Should Be Disqualified as Supreme Court Justice," 270,000 Agree in One Day on Blue House Petition

Court Denies Extradition of Son Jung-woo to US for Operating 'Child Sexual Exploitation Material Site'
Petitioner: "Public Opinion Views Decision as Contrary to Basic Morality"

Son Jung-woo, the operator of the world's largest child sexual exploitation material site 'Welcome to Video,' was released on the afternoon of the 6th after the court's decision to deny extradition to the United States, leaving the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A petition criticizing Chief Judge Kang Youngsoo, who presided over the case of Son Jungwoo (24), the operator of the world's largest child sexual exploitation site "Welcome to Video," was posted on the Blue House petition board after Son was released on the 6th due to the court's decision not to extradite him to the United States. The petition gathered more than 200,000 signatures within a day, meeting the official response criteria of the Blue House.

On the 6th, a petition titled "Request to revoke the qualification of Kang Youngsoo, Senior Presiding Judge of the Seoul High Court, as a Supreme Court Justice candidate" was posted on the Blue House petition board.

The petitioner opened by saying, "Kang Youngsoo, who is currently a candidate for Supreme Court Justice, presided over the case of 'Welcome to Video,' the world's largest child sexual exploitation site, and simultaneously refused the extradition of Son, the operator of the site and a global criminal, to the United States."

He continued, "A livelihood-type criminal who stole a carton of eggs received a sentence of 1 year and 8 months," and criticized, "However, Son, who created the world's largest child sexual exploitation site, including victims who were only a few months old, received a sentence of only 1 year and 6 months despite instigating and leading such a horrific crime."

He questioned, "Is this truly a just ruling?" and expressed outrage, "If someone who made such a ruling becomes a Supreme Court Justice, just imagining what kind of country would be created is frightening. Wouldn't it be a paradise for child sexual offenders?"

Furthermore, the petitioner criticized again, "A person who incited child sexual exploitation worldwide and profited from it serves only 1 year and 6 months and is now released into society. To boldly say that 'it is also possible to resolve this through investigation and trial within Korea' is an arrogant statement that can only be made because the judge is not a child and belongs to the privileged class who will never suffer sexual exploitation in their lifetime."

Finally, he added, "Such a person who issues rulings against public opinion and basic morality cannot be considered qualified as a Supreme Court Justice candidate," and "I petition to revoke his candidacy." As of 7 a.m. on the 7th, the petition had garnered about 276,100 signatures.

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board

Earlier that day, the Criminal Division 20 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judges Kang Youngsoo, Jung Moonkyung, and Lee Jaechan) decided not to approve the extradition of Son requested by the prosecution.

The court explained, "It seems reasonable not to extradite the criminal to the requesting country (the United States)," and added, "To break the vicious cycle of crimes related to child and adolescent pornography, it is necessary to secure Son's custody domestically to collect additional information and evidence needed for investigation and actively utilize them."

Meanwhile, Son was indicted on charges of operating a child sexual exploitation site on the so-called 'dark web' from 2015 to 2018 and distributing 220,000 cases of infant sexual exploitation material, and was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison.

Son, who completed his sentence in April, was re-detained under an extradition arrest warrant as the United States requested his extradition. Following the court's decision not to extradite him to the U.S., Son was released from the Seoul Detention Center that afternoon.