'Naver Search Ranking Manipulation' Gang's Assets of 3.7 Billion Won Seized for Preservation

The prosecution has frozen assets worth 3.7 billion KRW belonging to a group that manipulated Naver search rankings using macro programs and accounts registered under other people's names.

The Crime Proceeds Recovery Team of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office announced on the 18th that it has seized approximately 3.7 billion KRW in assets from 14 individuals indicted on the 16th for manipulating search rankings on the portal site Naver.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the prosecution, these individuals, including advertising agents, program developers and sellers, and account sellers, received advertising requests from advertisers and used a 'macro program' that automatically repeated searches for specific keywords, along with Naver accounts registered under other people's names, to manipulate the exposure of advertisements to appear at the top of Naver search results. They earned a total profit of approximately 22.1 billion KRW through these crimes.

The prosecution tracked the assets of the 14 indicted individuals and identified approximately 3.7 billion KRW worth of assets, including apartments, cars, rental deposits, and deposit claims. After analyzing their statements regarding the assets and confirming the acquisition process, the prosecution filed for seizure of the assets, and all 14 requests were approved.

Earlier, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office indicted them in May on charges of violating the Information and Communications Network Act and computer-related obstruction of business. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office requested the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office to recover the proceeds of the related crimes.

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