'Co-conspirator of Jo Joo-bin,' Former Social Service Worker Arrested... "Severe Damage, Risk of Escape" (Comprehensive)

Over 200 Cases of Illegal Personal Information Accessed, More Than 17 Transferred
Jo Joo-bin Used Information Power to Threaten Female Victims

Public service worker Choi, suspected of leaking personal information to Doctor's Room operator Jo Joo-bin, is leaving the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, after completing the warrant hearing on the morning of the 3rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] A former social service worker who illegally accessed personal information and provided it to Jo Joo-bin (24, in custody), the operator of the Telegram 'Baksa Bang', has been arrested.

On the 3rd, Judge Won Jeong-sook of the Seoul Central District Court, in charge of warrants, held a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant substantive examination) for Choi (26), who is accused of violating the Personal Information Protection Act, and issued an arrest warrant that day.

Judge Won explained the reason for issuing the arrest warrant, stating, "Considering the significant role and importance of personal information in modern society, the severe damage suffered by the victims due to the suspect's provision of personal information, the seriousness of the case, and the risk of the suspect fleeing, the grounds and necessity for detention are recognized."

The Cyber Safety Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, investigating the 'Baksa Bang' case, applied for Choi's arrest warrant on the 1st of this month, and the prosecution filed it with the court on the same day.

Choi is suspected of illegally accessing the personal information of about 200 people while working as a social service worker at a district community center in Seoul and handing over the personal information of 17 individuals to Jo Joo-bin. It is understood that Choi has been discharged and is no longer working at the community center.

The police believe that Jo Joo-bin used the obtained data to demonstrate his information power in the 'Baksa Bang' he operated and threatened female victims to sexually exploit them.

With Choi's custody secured, investigations into other accomplices are expected to accelerate, as the personal information illegally accessed by Choi is likely related to female victims of 'Baksa Bang' or participants in the group.

The police are investigating whether Choi illegally accessed any other personal information, whether he provided personal information to anyone other than Jo Joo-bin, and are also examining whether there were other illegal activities within the community center since Choi had no authority to access the personal information.

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