Ahn Cheol-soo: "The 21st National Assembly's Top Priority is the 'Nth Room Case'... Consumers Should Also Be Punished"

"Current Law Makes Punishment Corresponding to Crime Nature Difficult... Legal Revision Needed"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, stated on the 23rd regarding the 'Telegram Nth Room case' that “regardless of ruling or opposition parties, progressives or conservatives, we should unite and prioritize handling sexual crimes including the Nth Room case as the top agenda in the 21st National Assembly.”

On the same day, Ahn attended the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly via video conference and said, “Public anger over the Nth Room is spreading,” adding, “A petition to the Blue House demanding the disclosure of personal information of those involved in the Telegram Nth Room and punishment for the members has reached 2.14 million signatures in just five days. We can no longer neglect this issue. The Blue House must respond, but the political circle must also respond,” he said.

He emphasized, “As the Nth Room criminals are being arrested, the public demands appropriate punishment for these perpetrators,” and added, “However, under current laws, it is difficult to expect punishments commensurate with the severity of the crimes, so it is necessary to propose related bills or amend existing laws.”

He continued, “I already promised measures against digital sexual crimes like the Nth Room during my press conference upon returning to the country last January, and in February, I announced the People’s Party’s child and adolescent pledges as well as women’s pledges.”

Ahn said, “When announcing the pledges, I stated that not only the producers and distributors of illegal filming materials would be severely punished, but consumers would also be penalized with fines,” and added, “As seen in the Nth Room case, current digital sexual crimes show that consumers do not merely watch passively but actively participate as key components of online criminal acts. Perpetrators initially start as consumers, then become distributors, and finally producers. This is why punishment for consumers is necessary.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.