What to Do with These 'Gwanzong'... Followers of Jo Joo-bin Still Emerging

Opening Chat Rooms with Similar Names
Expert: "Mistaking Interest for Superiority"
"Strict Punishment Needed to Eradicate Related Crimes"

The operator of the 'Baksa Room,' Jo Joo-bin, is coming out of the Seoul Jongno Police Station to be transferred to the prosecution. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Judicial rulings on Cho Ju-bin, the operator of the 'Doctor's Room,' and his key accomplices are emerging one after another. However, on Telegram, there are individuals who, despite social condemnation, follow these figures and create group chats for sharing obscene materials.

On the 25th, a chatroom with a name similar to the one operated by Lee, known as Pacific, who conspired with Cho Ju-bin to distribute sexually exploitative obscene materials, was discovered on Telegram. Lee had operated a chatroom called the 'Pacific Expedition Team,' which distributed sexually exploitative obscene materials. Inspired by this, a chatroom named the 'Atlantic Expedition Team' was created, where various obscene materials were uploaded. Participants commented, "It's similar to the chatroom Pacific made," and "Even if they try to imitate, they can never operate it like Pacific." They also said, "In the Pacific Expedition Team, countless obscene materials piled up overnight, but that's not the case here."

In another chatroom, a notice stating "Mr. Park Joo-bin, the Doctor, and Mr. Lee from Pacific are innocent" was posted. The operator of this chatroom also ran a synthesis room where photos combining women's faces with obscene materials were shared along with the obscene material sharing chatroom. Although the chatrooms with the notice and obscene materials were closed on the 23rd, obscene materials continued to be uploaded to the synthesis room every moment. The victims of these crimes ranged from celebrities to ordinary people and politicians.

Experts explain that these follower crimes are committed to gain attention. Professor Lim Myung-ho of Dankook University's Department of Psychology said, "When people sympathize with Cho Ju-bin and his accomplices, they gain attention, and they mistake this attention for a sense of superiority, which leads to such crimes," adding, "On Telegram, attention functions as a form of power." Professor Lim further stated, "To eradicate these follower crimes, it is necessary to instill the awareness that illegal acts will inevitably be subject to investigation and severe punishment." Meanwhile, the police ended the operation of the Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Headquarters, which was launched through the Doctor's Room case, on December 30 last year and have switched to a permanent crackdown system to strictly respond to digital sex crimes.