Support for Name Changes and Appointment of Dedicated Lawyers for ‘Baksa Bang’ Victims... Prosecution Announces Victim Support Measures

Deletion of Damage Videos, Living Expenses, and Housing Support Also Provided

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Seokjin Choi, Seungyoon Song] The prosecution will support victims harmed by sexual exploitation materials distributed in the Telegram “Baksa Room” by allowing them to change their names and resident registration numbers. Additionally, a dedicated lawyer will be appointed to provide legal support, and efforts will be made to track and delete videos that victims wish to have removed.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Task Force (led by Chief Prosecutor Hyunjung Yoo), which is investigating the case involving “Baksa Room” operator Jo Joo-bin (24, in custody) and others, announced on the 2nd the “Baksa Room Case Victim Support Measures” containing these details.

◆Appointment of Public Defender... Legal Support for Name Change, Investigation, and Trial Stages

First, to prevent secondary damage to victims whose personal information was leaked, the prosecution plans to appoint a public defender to provide legal assistance for changing names or resident registration numbers.

This is a measure to realize the so-called right to be forgotten.

According to the prosecution, among the 16 victims who have been contacted, 13 expressed their intention to proceed with procedures such as name changes.

The prosecution selected Attorney Shin Jin-hee (49, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 40) as the public defender for 16 victims (7 minors). Attorney Shin will be responsible for comprehensive support, including name change procedures, participation in victim investigations during the investigation phase, and support through the trial phase.

A prosecution official said, “Under current law, name changes are made through family court rulings, and since there are legal difficulties in applying for a name change, we appointed a dedicated lawyer. Having one person in charge is expected to help maintain confidentiality regarding the victim’s details and efficiently handle the case.”

◆Detection and Tracking of Illegal Filming Videos... Requests for Deletion and Access Blocking

The prosecution plans to use the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s “Illegal Filming Material Detection System” to detect and track illegal videos for deletion, and provide illegal site domain addresses and videos to the Korea Communications Standards Commission to request deletion and access blocking.

To this end, the prosecution explained that it extracts the video DNA (a file grouping extracted features of the video) of illegal filming materials and stores it on a server. Then, it compares the DNA values of the original videos provided by victims with those stored on the server to identify the internet addresses (URLs) where illegal filming materials are posted.

A prosecution official stated, “We will sufficiently inform victims during the investigation process that such technical support is available so that the victims’ right to be forgotten can be practically guaranteed. We also plan to continuously consult with the Communications Standards Commission to sanction sites that repeatedly upload illegal videos.”

◆Economic Support and Personal Safety Protection

The prosecution has also prepared economic support measures such as medical expenses, psychological treatment costs, living expenses, and tuition fees for victims who suffered physical and mental harm due to the crime.

In particular, since most victims were financially vulnerable and began to suffer harm after being deceived by perpetrators’ monetary offers, the prosecution intends to provide the maximum possible economic support.

For medical expenses, support will be provided up to 15 million KRW per year and a total of 50 million KRW for injuries requiring more than five weeks of treatment. However, even injuries requiring less than five weeks of treatment may receive support if there is a special resolution.

Living expenses will be supported at 500,000 KRW per month for three months as needed, with the possibility of extension up to six months.

Tuition fees will be supported for victims currently enrolled in school, with payments ranging from 300,000 to 1,000,000 KRW per semester, provided twice.

Additionally, if crime victims find it difficult to live in their current residences, measures will be taken to allow them to live in rental housing at prices lower than market rates.

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