Concerns and Distress Expressed in a Milyang Mom Cafe
Milyang Police Station Appears in Google Searches Alongside 'Gyeonchalseo'
Recently, amid a YouTuber's expos? and growing public outrage over the 2004 'Miryang Middle School Girl Sexual Assault Case,' residents of the Miryang area are suffering.
On the 12th, a post titled "I live in Miryang" was uploaded on an online community. Mr. A, who graduated from elementary, middle, and high school in Busan and attended university in Seoul, introduced himself as currently living in Miryang due to work issues. Originally, his workplace was in Seoul, but not wanting to be separated from his family, he moved to Miryang with his wife and children. However, with the recent renewed attention on the Miryang case, he expressed feeling suffocated and complained that people seem to be blaming him, which weighs heavily on his heart.
On the 12th, a post titled "I am a person living in Miryang" was uploaded on an online community. Mr. A, who graduated from elementary, middle, and high school in Busan and attended university in Seoul, introduced himself as recently moving down to Miryang due to work issues. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]
Mr. A said, "When I got off the KTX at Miryang Station after a business trip, it felt like everyone on the train was staring only at me," and added, "All the school names for my children start with Miryang, so I worry that when they go to university or enter society later, they will face harsh stares just because of the name 'Miryang.'" He also wrote, "What on earth is the Miryang mayor doing? There has been no response at all," and "I wish the perpetrators' identities were thoroughly exposed and they received their due punishment."
Amid growing public outrage over the 'Miryang Middle School Girl Sexual Assault Case,' recently exposed by YouTubers, residents of Miryang are suffering due to the 'Miryang Warning.' [Photo source: Miryang City Hall website free bulletin board]
Men of similar ages to the perpetrators in Miryang are also suffering. A post titled "My older sister brought a groom born in 1987 from Miryang, but my parents oppose it," which was uploaded on an online community last year, is being revisited. At that time, netizens responded with comments such as, "If the marriage partner was born in 1987, that matches the perpetrators' age group," "There are many perpetrators whose identities haven't been revealed, so people from Miryang can't be trusted," "All men and their families who lived in Miryang during that time should be filtered out," and "Even if I were a parent, I would never accept a man from that area as a son-in-law."
Amid the public anger spreading throughout the Miryang region, a local mom caf? has been filled with concerns and sighs from mothers with sons. Community members mentioned the flood of critical comments and expressed worries that their unmarried children might be viewed negatively. In response, other members pointed out the seriousness of the case, writing critical opinions about the incident, saying, "The issue resurfaced because proper punishment was not carried out at the time."
The Miryang Police Station even became searchable as 'Minjung's Mold'
Moreover, a situation arose where searching for 'Miryang Police Station' on the portal site Google returns 'Miryang Police Station (Minjung's Mold).' When searching 'Miryang Police Station' in the Google search bar, a notice appears in the upper right corner showing 'Miryang Police Station (Minjung's Mold).' 'Minjung's Mold' is a derogatory term mocking 'Minjung's Cane,' which is used to criticize the police. As of 11 a.m. on June 12, the phrase 'Miryang Police Station (Minjung's Mold)' was removed, but instead, the slang term 'Gyeonchal-seo' (a derogatory term for police) was attached. Since 'Miryang Police Station' is a national institution without a specific owner, users can arbitrarily change its name. By searching the address on Google Maps and clicking the 'Suggest an edit' button, users can propose a new name. If many users submit the same suggestion simultaneously, the name is automatically changed.
When searching for 'Miryang Police Station' in the article search bar, a notice saying 'Miryang Police Station (Minjung-ui Gompangi)' appears at the top right. 'Minjung-ui Gompangi' is a slang term mocking 'Minjung-ui Jipangi' (the people's cane), commonly used to criticize the police. After media reports, as of June 12, the phrase 'Miryang Police Station (Minjung-ui Gompangi)' was removed, but instead, the slang term 'Gyeonchalseo' is attached. [Photo by Google Maps]
The reason such derogatory terms appear prominently on the map is presumed to be due to public anger toward Miryang city and its law enforcement surrounding the Miryang sexual assault case. In particular, netizens dissatisfied with the police who caused secondary harm to the victim during the investigation are believed to have collaborated in some online communities to suggest changing 'Miryang Police Station' to 'Minjung's Mold' or 'Gyeonchal-seo.'
The Miryang middle school girl gang rape case that occurred in 2004 involved 44 male high school students from the Miryang area committing group sexual crimes over a year against five underage female victims, including the victim Ms. Choi (then 13 years old). Including those indirectly involved, the number of people implicated is known to be as high as 119. The prosecution indicted only 10 who actively participated, and in April 2005, the Ulsan District Court transferred the 10 indicted individuals to the Juvenile Division of the Busan Family Court, concluding the case. Fourteen others were released with a 'no prosecution' decision due to reasons such as settlements with the victim and absence of complaints. None of the perpetrators received criminal punishment.
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