Digital Prison Operator Repatriated to Korea... 2nd Phase Investigation Continues (Comprehensive)

Digital Prison Operator, Male in His 30s, Mr. A, Repatriated to South Korea
Remains Silent When Asked 'Any Words for the Victims'
Focused Investigation Planned on Accomplices Including Second-Term Operators

The first operator A of the internet site 'Digital Prison,' which illegally discloses personal information such as the faces and names of sex offenders, is being forcibly deported through Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 on the 6th. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The operator of the website 'Digital Prison' was repatriated to South Korea from Vietnam on the 6th. This occurred 14 days after he was apprehended through a joint investigation with the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO, Interpol) on the 22nd of last month.

The operator of Digital Prison, a man in his 30s identified as Mr. A, arrived at the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport at around 6:23 a.m. that day. Wearing a white hat, short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and a mask, he appeared before the press. When asked questions such as "Do you have anything to say to the victims?" he did not respond and immediately boarded the escort vehicle.

The police took custody of Mr. A at the airport and are currently transporting him to the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency, which is investigating the case. Mr. A will undergo a COVID-19 test and will be questioned according to procedures once the results are available. If the test is positive, he will be quarantined in a facility; if negative, he will be interrogated at the investigative agency without quarantine.

Since March of this year, Mr. A has been accused of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., by unlawfully posting personal information and court sentencing results related to suspects and persons involved in digital sex crimes, murder, child abuse, and other cases on the Digital Prison website and Instagram account. The police arrested Mr. A in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on the 22nd of last month through an international joint investigation with Interpol. The National Police Agency designated the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Daegu Police Agency as the lead investigative body and has been conducting investigations related to Digital Prison since May.

The first operator A of the internet site 'Digital Prison,' which illegally discloses personal information such as the faces and names of sex offenders, is being forcibly deported through Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on the 6th. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The police plan to investigate the exact motive and circumstances of Mr. A's crimes and verify the existence of accomplices. They also consider the second-generation operator who took over Digital Prison from Mr. A as an accomplice and are investigating accordingly. Until now, information about the second-generation operator has been shrouded in secrecy, but with Mr. A's arrest, some information about the second-generation operator is expected to emerge. It is highly likely that Mr. A had some form of contact with the second-generation operator during the handover of the site. The second-generation operator previously revealed in an interview with Asia Economy that he has about five helpers assisting him.

Digital Prison had enjoyed tacit public support fueled by nationwide outrage over a series of 'Nth Room incidents.' However, it became a target of criticism after innocent victims emerged due to the disclosure of personal information. There have been cases where personal information was indiscriminately posted simply because individuals were socially controversial despite having no connection to crimes. Currently, Mr. A is being sued by mixed martial artist Kim Do-yoon, who suffered damages from the wrongful disclosure of personal information, as well as by Professor Chae Jung-ho of the Department of Psychiatry at Catholic University Medical School, who experienced similar harm, and by the bereaved family of a university student who expressed grievances over the disclosure and subsequently took their own life.

Although the first-generation operator was arrested, Digital Prison continues to be operated by the second-generation operator. After the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) blocked access to the entire site on the 25th of last month, the site changed its address and resumed operations but was blocked again on the 28th. The site opened again after a second address change, but access to it is currently blocked as well.

Meanwhile, a man in his 40s identified as Mr. B, who fled after fatally striking a taxi driver on the street in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in February 2018, was also repatriated to South Korea alongside Mr. A on the same day. Mr. B fled to Hong Kong on the day of the accident, then re-fled to Vietnam, where he was arrested in Da Nang last September for violating local laws. He served a one-year sentence and was repatriated to South Korea upon completion of his term.

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