Two Accomplices of Jo Joo-bin in the 'Son Seok-hee·Yoon Jang-hyun Fraud' Arrested for "Fear of Evidence Tampering and Escape"

Published 06 May.2020 20:50(KST)

Jo Joo-bin, the operator of the 'Doctor's Room' who threatened dozens of women including minors on the internet messenger Telegram and forced them to film obscene materials which he then distributed, is coming out of Jongno Police Station in Seoul on the morning of the 25th to be sent to the prosecution. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The court has issued arrest warrants for two men in their 20s who participated in fraud crimes against Son Seok-hee, president of JTBC, and Yoon Jang-hyun, former mayor of Gwangju, orchestrated by Jo Joo-bin (24, in custody), the operator of the Telegram 'Baksa Bang'.

On the 6th, Kim Tae-gyun, the judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, held a pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant substantive examination) for Kim (29) and Lee (24), who are accused of fraud and other charges, and issued arrest warrants on the same day.

Judge Kim explained the reason for issuing the warrants, stating, "Considering the facts of the criminal charges, the roles and degree of involvement of the suspects, the methods of the crimes, the scale of the damage, and the duration of the offenses, a severe punishment is expected. Taking into account the progress of the investigation and the suspects' attitude during the investigation and interrogation, there is a concern that the suspects may destroy evidence or flee."

Kim and others are suspected of meeting Son and former Mayor Yoon in person under Jo's instructions, extorting tens of millions of won, and delivering the money to Jo. They are also accused of exchanging cryptocurrency paid by Baksa Bang members as entrance fees and posting advertisements on social networking services (SNS) to lure victims during Jo's fraudulent drug sales scheme.

Earlier, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Special Investigation Unit on Digital Sex Crimes applied three charges against Kim and others on the 1st, including fraud, concealment of criminal proceeds, and violation of the Narcotics Control Act, and requested pre-arrest warrants.