Telegram Scarlet Letter... Vigilante or Criminal?

Introduction to the Telegram chatroom 'Juhonggeulssi' (Photo by Telegram chatroom Juhonggeulssi capture)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] As public outrage over the 'Nth Room case' intensifies, a group chat room called 'Juhonggeulssi' has emerged on Telegram, where personal information of those involved in the Nth Room is shared. Juhonggeulssi vowed to punish perpetrators of sexual exploitation pornography. However, indiscriminate disclosure of personal information and exposure of victims' identities have raised concerns about secondary damage.

Established in July last year, Juhonggeulssi has been identifying men who produce, purchase, or view sexually exploitative pornography and publicly sharing their personal information such as names, ages, phone numbers, and occupations. Since the 7th of last month, they have claimed to act as a 'vigilante group' by revealing these individuals' identities to assist police investigations. Before the official disclosure of identities, those like 'Doctor' Jo Joo-bin (24), his accomplice 'Butta' Kang Hoon (18), and Army Private 'Igiya' Lee Won-ho (19) were first exposed on Juhonggeulssi.

The individuals Juhonggeulssi points out as perpetrators range from teenagers to university students and office workers. They disclose related materials received through tips or found via social network services (SNS) searches. They also approach people seeking pornography on Telegram, provide the material, and then extract personal information. Although this is a clear criminal act, it has received positive evaluations amid strong public calls for severe punishment of perpetrators following the Nth Room case becoming a public issue.

However, this disclosure of personal information has also caused side effects. Not only perpetrators but also victims' photos, as well as photos of perpetrators' family and friends, have been posted, and the accuracy of identifying specific individuals as perpetrators can be questionable. Juhonggeulssi also pressured perpetrators by threatening to reveal their identities to acquaintances and even turned some men into slaves. Those enslaved were made to write apology letters and comply with various instructions. There are also indications that men who purchased child and adolescent pornography were threatened and ordered to post photos of foreign objects inserted into their bodies.

The police are expanding investigations into Telegram chat rooms engaged in vigilante activities, including Juhonggeulssi. Since the 9th, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency has been investigating the operators of the Juhonggeulssi chat room and those posting personal information. The police believe that Juhonggeulssi violated the Information and Communications Network Act by spreading criminal circumstances and personal information of hundreds involved in multiple sexual exploitation cases.

However, Juhonggeulssi expressed confidence in the face of police investigations targeting them. A person identifying themselves as a Juhonggeulssi operator, Mr. A, said regarding the police investigation, "No matter what information the police have, without Telegram's cooperation, it will be difficult to track us." Mr. A added, "Although group chat rooms like the Nth Room have disappeared, many criminals still exist," and "We have only punished perpetrators who committed heinous crimes and will continue such activities going forward."

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