Trial of Jo Joo-bin's accomplices, a gauge for group crime judgment... Full hearings to begin next month

Operator Jo Joo-bin of the Telegram 'Baksa Bang,' who threatened women including minors to produce and distribute illegal sexual exploitation videos [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Han Mo (27), an accomplice of Jo Joo-bin (24), who was arrested and prosecuted on charges of producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials, received his first trial on charges of organizing and participating in a criminal organization on the 14th. Among Jo’s group, who were additionally indicted on charges including organizing a criminal organization, Han is the first to have his trial merged with the existing sex crime cases.

The Criminal Division 31 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Seongpil Cho) held Han’s third trial in the morning on charges including violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (rape). Since the previous trial concluded the arguments on charges such as rape under the Child and Youth Sexual Protection Act, the hearing on the additional charges of organizing a criminal organization proceeded on this day.

Earlier, the prosecution concluded that Jo’s group, which produced and distributed child and youth sexual exploitation videos on the Telegram “Doctor’s Room,” constituted a criminal organization and additionally indicted eight people including Han last month. Through the indictment summary revealed in court on this day, the prosecution stated, “Han acted as a member of the criminal organization by filming sexual exploitation materials such as rape and distributing them in the Doctor’s Room.” Han’s side responded to the prosecution’s charges by saying, “We have not yet finished reviewing and copying the investigation records,” and “We will express our opinion later.”

The court set the next hearing date for July 11 and requested Han’s side to “submit evidence and written opinions on the charges of this case by the 3rd at the latest.” Since Han’s detention period expires on July 8, the court indicated that opinions on the charges must be submitted before then to decide on the direction of the case, including the issuance of an additional arrest warrant.

The trial on this day ended after about 15 minutes, having only discussed the future procedures. However, since the trial of Jo’s group, who are charged with organizing a criminal organization, is progressing the fastest with merged case hearings, it is expected to serve as a gauge for the court’s judgment on the charge of organizing a criminal organization in the future.

Jo and six others, including Lee Mo (16) known as “Taepyeongyang,” underwent the first preparatory hearing on charges including organizing a criminal organization on the 9th under the Criminal Division 30 of the same court (Presiding Judge Hyunwoo Lee), but no conclusion has been reached yet regarding the merged trial. Kang Hoon (19), known as “Buddha,” will be tried in the afternoon by the same court division as Han, but the hearing will focus on witness examination related to existing sex crimes, not charges related to organizing a criminal organization.