Prosecutors Reassign Case to Investigator Who Was Sued by Son Jung-woo's Father... Direct Police Investigation

On the 6th, Son Jung-woo, the operator of 'Welcome to Video,' was released from Uiwang Seoul Detention Center in Gyeonggi-do.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The police have begun investigating a case in which the father of Son Jeong-woo (24), the operator of the world’s largest child sexual exploitation site ‘Welcome to Video,’ who was released after a court decision rejected his extradition in a recent extradition review, filed a complaint and accusation against Son for charges including concealment of criminal proceeds.

On the 12th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office stated, “Considering the court’s decision to reject extradition, on the 7th we reassigned the complaint case filed by the father of the extradition review subject to the Women and Children Crime Investigation Division, which is the department handling the original case.”

They added, “After consulting with the National Police Agency, which handled the investigation of the Welcome to Video operator and members from 2017 to 2018, on the 8th we directed the police headquarters to conduct additional investigations related to the above complaint case and Welcome to Video personnel.”

This case, initially assigned to the 4th Criminal Division (Chief Prosecutor Shin Hyung-sik) in May, was reassigned to the Women and Children Crime Investigation Division (Chief Prosecutor Yoo Hyun-jung), which originally investigated Son’s case, immediately after the Seoul High Court’s decision to reject Son’s extradition. The Women and Children Crime Investigation Division then decided to forward the case to the Cyber Investigation Division of the National Police Agency for investigation and only supervise the investigation.

A representative from the Central District Prosecutors’ Office said, “We will make every effort to ensure a thorough investigation into the source and movement of criminal proceeds from overseas that were not confirmed during the 2018 investigation, including investigation materials from the U.S., and allegations of violations of the Act on the Regulation and Punishment of Concealment of Criminal Proceeds.”

A police official said, “On the 10th, we received all related materials including investigation records from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. If necessary, we will strictly investigate by requesting additional evidence from the U.S. through criminal judicial cooperation.”

The Cyber Investigation Division of the National Police Agency began an internal investigation in October 2017 after receiving an international criminal judicial cooperation request from the U.S. in September of that year. They investigated Son and transferred him to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in early March 2018 under detention.

The Women and Children Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, which took over the case, conducted supplementary investigations and on the 22nd of the same month indicted Son under charges including production and distribution of obscene materials under the Youth Protection Act and distribution of obscene materials under the Information and Communications Network Act.

Son, who was released on the 6th, is currently staying at a relative’s house in Seoul, not at his father’s home in Dangjin, Chungnam.

Son’s father, Son Mo (54), filed a complaint and accusation with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on May 11, a week before Son’s first extradition review hearing, accusing him of violating the Act on the Regulation and Punishment of Concealment of Criminal Proceeds and forgery and use of forged documents to prevent his son’s extradition to the U.S.

Currently, Son’s father has no intention of withdrawing the complaint and accusation against his son and believes that if there is wrongdoing, Son should be punished.

The police plan to summon Son’s father soon for questioning as a complainant and accuser.

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