Minjung Party Members Demand Replacement of Judge Oh Deok-sik Handling 'n번방' Case in Surprise Protest in Front of Court

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-gi] Members of the Minjung Party held a protest in front of the courthouse demanding the replacement of Judge Oh Deok-sik, the presiding judge in the case of Lee (16), nicknamed 'Taepyeongyang,' an accomplice of Jo Joo-bin (24), the operator of the 'Doctor's Room' case.

Five Minjung Party members and YouTubers staged a sit-in protest at around 10:10 a.m. on the 30th in the lobby on the first floor of the Seoul Seocho District Court Complex, shouting slogans such as "Replace Judge Oh Deok-sik." The court reported the protesters, who had gathered suddenly, to the police.

A police official explained, "They came to submit a petition requesting the replacement of the judge handling Lee's case, held a press conference, and made statements. Since their actions did not constitute criminal offenses such as obstruction of business or violence, they were not arrested on the spot." Judge Oh Deok-sik has been criticized for his lenient rulings in past sexual crime cases.

On the Blue House's national petition board, more than 400,000 people agreed to a petition requesting the exclusion of Judge Oh Deok-sik from the Nth Room case trial. Previously, in 2018, Judge Oh presided over the first trial of Choi Jong-beom, who was charged with illegal filming, assault, and threats against the late singer Goo Hara, and acquitted him of the illegal filming charge, drawing criticism for lacking gender sensitivity.

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