"42 Years Imprisonment, Acceptable?"... Naver Blocks Access to 'Jo Joo-bin Blog'

Private Access from Around 1 PM
Operating Since August Last Year... Posting Statements and More

Around 1 PM on the 3rd, the Naver blog 'I am Jo Joo-bin' was switched to private. / Photo by Internet homepage capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A Naver blog presumed to be operated by Jo Joo-bin, who was sentenced to 42 years in prison for producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials involving women including minors, has been discovered, sparking controversy. Currently, this blog is blocked by Naver.

At around 1 p.m. on the 4th, the blog titled 'This is Jo Joo-bin' was switched to private. According to the notification message posted by Naver, "This blog was created for purposes restricted under Naver's Terms of Use and Blog Service Operation Policy or contains multiple restricted posts, resulting in access being limited."

According to Naver's operation policy, usage may be restricted if posts "glorify or support crimes, criminals, or criminal organizations, thereby potentially encouraging or condoning crime and causing direct and serious risks to public safety." The blog reportedly received numerous reports from netizens after being discovered on the previous day (the 3rd).

The so-called 'Jo Joo-bin blog' is known to have been created in August of last year, during the time when Jo Joo-bin's appeal trial was ongoing. According to Yonhap News, the blog contained Jo Joo-bin's appeal reasons and statements at that time.

On the 7th of last month, a post claimed that the victim's testimony was false and that Jo Joo-bin was sentenced harshly due to public opinion manipulation.

In this post, Jo Joo-bin criticized the judiciary, saying, "42 years in prison. It's a burden I have to bear. This is understandable," "There are significant social misunderstandings and errors regarding the case that need to be corrected," and "42 years in prison, 30 years of electronic monitoring bracelet, totaling 72 years, making it impossible to return to society within my expected lifespan. The sentence against me is a declaration of defeat by the law towards public opinion."

Jo Joo-bin, sentenced to 42 years in prison for charges including the production and distribution of sexually exploitative videos involving women, including minors. / Photo by Yonhap News

Upon learning of this, the Ministry of Justice is currently investigating the specific circumstances under which Jo Joo-bin operated the blog. Under current law, correctional authorities may censor or restrict the sending of letters if there is concern that they could harm the rehabilitation of inmates or their healthy reintegration into society.

Meanwhile, Jo Joo-bin was sentenced to 42 years in prison in the second trial in June last year. The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 9 (Presiding Judge Moon Kwangseop) held the appellate trial for Jo Su-bin, who was charged with violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, organizing a criminal group, and concealing criminal proceeds, and handed down this sentence.

The court stated at the time, "The defendant organized an unprecedented sexual exploitation crime group, producing numerous perpetrators and creating a structure where victims' harm inevitably accumulates, calling for severe punishment and exemplary punishment," but also noted, "However, the defendant is a first-time offender with no prior record, and some victims reached settlements due to the efforts of the defendant's father up to this appeal, which are somewhat favorable circumstances."

It further explained the sentencing rationale, saying, "The case was consolidated from the first trial to the second trial, requiring a single sentence," and "Various circumstances including the defendant's age, environment, means, and results were considered."

From May 2019, over approximately 10 months, Jo Joo-bin is accused of threatening dozens of female victims including minors to film sexual exploitation videos and selling and distributing them in the secret messenger app 'Telegram' Doctor's Room. He was also charged with organizing and operating a criminal organization and was additionally prosecuted for concealing criminal proceeds, facing separate trials.

In the two first trials, Jo Joo-bin was sentenced to 40 years and 5 years respectively, totaling 45 years, but the sentence was somewhat reduced in the appellate trial due to consolidated proceedings, and settlements with some victims during the second trial were also considered major mitigating factors.

Jo Joo-bin, who was sentenced to imprisonment in both the first and second trials, later filed an appeal, but the Supreme Court dismissed it and finalized the 42-year prison sentence.

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