[Crime Insight] From Sexual Exploitation, Illegal Filming to Deepfake... 'Cyber Sexual Violence' That Destroys Personality

Social Outrage Over Doctor's Room and n번방
Diverse Types and Crime Profit Generation
Half of Victims Are Minors, Urgent Need to Prevent 'Secondary Damage'
Must Cut Off 'Criminal Intent'...Focus on Undercover Investigations

Telegram 'Baksa Bang' operator Jo Joo-bin. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

'1.6 million cases.' This is the approximate number of crimes occurring annually in South Korea. The types of crimes are diverse, including violent crimes, intellectual crimes, traffic crimes, and cybercrimes, and their methods are increasingly evolving. In a reality where anyone can become a victim, having awareness of crimes and knowing preventive measures can minimize damage. In , we aim to analyze major domestic crime trends based on the latest cases, and cover prevention, response methods, and policy changes. The first topic is 'cyber sexual violence,' which has sparked social outrage through incidents like the 'Doctor's Room' and 'Nth Room' cases.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] #1. On the 9th of last month, the personal information of Kim Young-jun (29), the suspect in the so-called 'Second Nth Room' case, who disguised himself as a woman to record and distribute nude videos of about 1,300 men during video calls, was disclosed. Kim Young-jun is suspected of making video calls with over 1,300 men from November 2013 to recently, recording their obscene acts, and distributing them. The police seized about 27,000 videos (5.55 terabytes) filmed by Kim Young-jun and three original storage devices.

Investigations revealed that Kim Young-jun posted photos of women on chat apps, contacted men through these posts, disguised himself as a woman using voice-changing software, conducted video calls, recorded them, and distributed and sold the videos via Telegram and other platforms. Additionally, he lured seven children and adolescents to his residence and motels, forced them into similar sexual acts, and recorded these acts.

#2. The personal information of Choi Chan-wook (26), who is accused of approaching male children and adolescents to produce sexually exploitative materials and possessing obscene materials featuring minors online, was also disclosed on the 22nd of last month. Choi Chan-wook is believed to have committed these crimes by approaching 65 teenagers since May 2016. The police estimate that the sexually exploitative materials he possessed include 3,841 photos and 3,703 videos, totaling 6,954 items. Some of these were directly distributed online by him.

Following the so-called Telegram 'Doctor's Room' and 'Nth Room' incidents last year, which caused national outrage, cyber sexual violence crimes have continued unabated this year. From March 2 to October 31 this year, the police have been conducting a 'Focused Crackdown on Illegal Distribution Networks and Distributors of Cyber Sexual Violence.' As of the end of last month, 423 cases and 449 suspects have been apprehended, with 36 suspects detained.

Sexual Exploitation, Illegal Filming, Deepfake... Evolving Cyber Sexual Violence

The types of cyber sexual violence are becoming increasingly diverse. Among the crimes detected by the police, 267 cases (278 arrests) involved 'sexual exploitation materials' produced by targeting children and adolescents or through threats and coercion. In Daegu, a suspect was arrested for operating an illegal sexual exploitation material distribution site from March 2019 to recently, posting 1,746 sexual exploitation materials, and earning 360 million KRW through illegal gambling site banner advertisements. Similarly, in Busan, two suspects were arrested for operating an illegal sexual exploitation material distribution site and promoting illegal sites.

There were 62 cases (69 arrests) of illegal filming distribution. In Gyeongbuk, a suspect was arrested last September for illegally filming a drunken victim's body in a motel and distributing the footage in a group chat with four friends. In January this year, six suspects in Jeonbuk were all arrested for luring victims, forcibly administering drugs, sexually assaulting them, filming, and distributing the footage.

Crimes involving 'illegal synthetic materials' created using deepfake technology, which produces sexual videos by synthesizing acquaintances or celebrities, amounted to 53 cases (54 arrests). In Gwangju, a suspect was arrested for producing illegal synthetic materials by editing the faces of 13 university classmates and others with photos of other people's bodies using synthesis programs from September to December last year and distributing them on social networking services (SNS). Additionally, 41 cases (48 arrests) of distributing illegal sexual videos were also caught by the police.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Distribution for Money... Structure for Generating Criminal Profits

Cyber sexual violence has evolved beyond mere possession to a structure that generates criminal profits through various platforms. Actual arrest cases confirm that illegal sexual exploitation materials are sold via messengers, generating illegal profits ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of KRW.

One suspect arrested by the police possessed about 18,000 child sexual exploitation materials in a cloud account since October 2019 and sold them to unspecified individuals, earning 10 million KRW in illicit profits. Another suspect operated 67 Telegram channels from January to April this year, selling numerous illegal filming materials in exchange for cultural gift certificates, earning 30.23 million KRW in criminal proceeds.

While some sell directly through messengers, many create separate sites and generate revenue through banner advertisements, as in the previous cases. For example, from July last year, a suspect opened and operated 10 illegal sites, posted about 120,000 illegal filming materials, and earned approximately 150 million KRW through gambling banner advertisements.

The police use pre-indictment seizure and confiscation measures to actively recover criminal proceeds to fundamentally block criminal desires. So far, the police have directly seized 69.19 million KRW and applied confiscation measures on 313.66 billion KRW, recovering about 380 million KRW in criminal proceeds. Additionally, 15 suspects have been reported to the National Tax Service for tax collection.

Disclosure of suspects' personal information to guarantee public's right to know and prevent related crimes has also become active. Following last year's disclosure of six individuals including Doctor's Room operator Jo Joo-bin and accomplices Nam Kyung-eup, Kang Hoon (Buda), Lee Won-ho (Igya), Nth Room operator Moon Hyung-wook (GodGod), and accomplice Ahn Seung-jin, this year the personal information of Kim Young-jun and Choi Chan-wook has been disclosed, totaling eight individuals.

Kim Young-jun (29), who was arrested on charges of distributing naked photos and videos (so-called 'body cam') of over 1,300 men over eight years, is coming out of the Seoul Jongno Police Station detention center to be transferred to the prosecution. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Choi Chan-wook (26), who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor and producing and distributing sexually exploitative materials, is being transferred from Dunsan Police Station in Seo-gu, Daejeon to the prosecution.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Suspects and Victims Mainly in Their Teens and Twenties... Victim Recovery Comes First

A key characteristic of cyber sexual violence is that both perpetrators and victims are concentrated among young people in their teens and twenties. Among the apprehended suspects, 175 (39.0%) were in their twenties, and 151 (33.6%) were teenagers. This means that 7 out of 10 perpetrators are aged 20 or younger.

The situation is even more severe for victims. Among 378 victims identified by the police, half (190, 50.2%) were minors. Victims in their twenties numbered 147 (38.9%). The police explain, "Younger age groups familiar with the internet environment are vulnerable to digital sex crimes."

Because cyber sexual violence victims are often young and susceptible to secondary victimization, recovery is not easy. The police have requested deletion and blocking for 453 cases and provided protection and support measures such as personal protection, counseling center linkage, and pseudonymous statements for 440 victims.

However, raising awareness about cyber sexual violence is considered a priority. Alongside arrest activities, the police have engaged in crime prevention efforts using various means such as educational sites, YouTube, and cyber prevention instructors targeting youth. This approach reflects the judgment that awareness raising is essential.

Core Change: Introduction of 'Undercover Investigation' in September

Since last year's Doctor's Room and Nth Room incidents, institutional changes to strengthen cyber sexual violence investigation capabilities and prevent victimization have continued. Along with significantly strengthened punishments, various institutional measures to protect victims are being implemented, and systems for rapid investigation and prevention of secondary victimization have been introduced. A representative example is the police-operated 'Illegal Filming Material Tracking System,' which registers illegal videos distributed on SNS or overseas illegal sites, detects and analyzes distribution routes, and requests deletion and blocking.

The most notable change is the introduction of 'undercover investigation' for cyber sexual violence. Following the passage of the amended Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse by the National Assembly in March this year, undercover investigations targeting digital sex crimes against children and adolescents will be possible from September.

Undercover investigations are broadly divided into 'identity non-disclosure investigations' and 'identity disguise investigations.' Identity non-disclosure investigations involve police officers hiding their identity and approaching suspects as buyers of sexual exploitation materials to collect evidence. Identity disguise investigations go further by allowing the creation of virtual identity cards. Identity non-disclosure investigations must be reported to the National Assembly and the National Police Commission, while identity disguise investigations require a prosecutor's request and court approval, with control regulations in place.

The introduction of undercover investigations is particularly noteworthy because it enables 'proactive monitoring' of digital sex crimes characterized by anonymity and fluidity. It is also expected to be effective in crime prevention by creating a deterrent psychological effect on offenders. The police's challenge is to minimize initial implementation errors and ensure immediate responses to cyber sexual violence. After the law's enforcement in September, the police are preparing by selecting and training dedicated undercover investigators and producing manuals for immediate use in the field.

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