What Do You Think About the Arrest and Indictment of the First Operator of 'Digital Gyodoso'?

Digital Prison Posts Personal Information and Crimes of Over 120 People from March to August
Citizens Say "Operator Punishment Is Excessive" vs "Must Take Responsibility for Innocent Victims"
Experts Say "Digital Prison Controversy Calls for Judicial System Reform"

The operator of the first term of 'Digital Gyoso-do,' who arbitrarily disclosed personal information of criminals involved in violent crimes such as sexual offenses, has been arrested and indicted by the prosecution. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] As the operator of the website 'Digital Prison,' which arbitrarily discloses personal information of individuals presumed to be violent criminals such as sex offenders, was arrested and prosecuted by the prosecution, a heated debate has continued among citizens. Some argue that the punishment is excessive, claiming that the operator took the place of the judiciary's 'light punishment,' while others point out various side effects, including the occurrence of innocent victims, as problematic.

According to multiple media outlets, on the 2nd, the prosecution arrested and indicted A (33), the first operator of Digital Prison, on charges of unauthorized disclosure of personal information of sex offenders and others (violation of the Personal Information Protection Act, etc.).

A is accused of creating and operating the Digital Prison website and Instagram account from March to August, posting personal information and court sentencing results of suspects involved in digital sex crimes, murder, child abuse, and other cases without authorization. He was captured in Vietnam in September and extradited to South Korea.

During this period, A posted personal information and criminal facts of about 120 individuals over 170 times on social networking services (SNS) and the Digital Prison site, and is also charged with violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse by posting information of six sex offenders registered on 'Sex Offender Notification e.'

Previously, Digital Prison faced criticism for creating innocent victims by designating some individuals without charges as perpetrators.

In fact, a student attending a university in Seoul, whose identity was disclosed for allegedly producing sexual exploitation material, expressed innocence but eventually took extreme measures. Moreover, a university professor unrelated to sex crimes was falsely accused of being a sexual predator, sparking controversy.

As a result, some argue that the operator of Digital Prison should be punished. This is because personal information was arbitrarily posted even for those whose facts were not confirmed or whose criminal acts were not established, resulting in innocent victims.

A petition titled "Digital Prison, Blind Justice" posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 9th of last month. / Photo by Blue House National Petition Website Capture

On the Blue House's national petition board, petitions urging punishment for the operator of Digital Prison have been posted one after another.

One petitioner pointed out, "(The problem with Digital Prison) is that a single individual posts personal information of people who have not even been verified," adding, "This is not justice nor proper behavior. It is merely a site that repeats witch hunts with a 'just forget it' logic."

Another petitioner said, "An ordinary college student became a rapist overnight. His photo, school, major, and phone number were published on the 'Digital Prison' site. Although he claimed innocence, countless unidentified people harassed him with calls and texts, and a young person was socially destroyed without any legally proven evidence," urging, "Those who said they would not hesitate to take legal responsibility ruined another person's life and fled. If justice is alive, please arrest them."

On the other hand, there is also a view that punishment is excessive because the operator did the right thing. Digital Prison was created with the purpose of preventing evolving crimes by publicly disclosing the identities of sex offenders on the website.

Office worker Kim (27) said, "Crimes are evolving day by day these days. Many citizens felt uneasy because of this," adding, "However, with the emergence of Digital Prison, there is an awareness that if you commit a crime, your personal information (name, age, phone number, etc.) can be disclosed. I think it helps prevent crime by subjecting offenders to a kind of social judgment."

He continued, "Digital Prison was created with this intention. Thanks to it, criminals who committed heinous crimes and lived well could feel some of the victims' pain. It started with a good intention, so punishing it is too harsh," he raised his voice.

Photo by Yonhap News

In fact, shortly after starting its activities, Digital Prison disclosed the photo and alma mater of Son Jung-woo (24), the operator of 'Welcome to Video.' It also posted personal information of Nth Room users who produced and distributed sexual exploitation material.

Some argue that the root cause of such incidents is that sex offenders receive light punishments. They say that Digital Prison disclosed criminals' identities in place of the judiciary's lenient punishments.

Recently, the Supreme Court Sentencing Commission investigated 1,823 first-instance prison sentences related to digital sex crimes from 2014 to 2018 and found that only 12% of those prosecuted for producing and distributing child and youth sexual exploitation materials received actual prison sentences.

In particular, victims of digital sex crimes suffer secondary damage online, but most perpetrators receive light punishments such as suspended sentences.

Experts point out that the controversy surrounding Digital Prison highlights the need to improve South Korea's judicial system.

Kim Heonsik, a cultural critic, explained in an interview with cpbc Catholic Peace Broadcasting radio program 'Open World Today,' "There is a growing sentiment that public punishment is very insufficient compared to other countries, and so the Digital Prison site emerged as a private sanctioning method."

He added, "The need for self-help considering victims' human rights also means judicial system improvement is necessary," and suggested, "The judiciary should set a precedent for strict punishment in a reasonable manner so that such violent crimes no longer occur and ambiguous individuals do not suffer."

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