20s Man Who Shared Cat's Cruel Murder on SNS... Suspended Sentence to Prison Term on Appeal

Animal Abuse of Cats, Rabbits, etc. Shared on SNS
Court: "Difficult to Conclude Low Risk of Recidivism"

A man who shared photos and videos of animals he abused and killed in a so-called 'animal version of the Nth Room,' known as the 'Gore Specialty Room,' was sentenced to prison in an appellate court.

A video of stray cat abuse shared in a KakaoTalk open chat room.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 18th, the Criminal Appeals Division 1 of Daejeon District Court (Presiding Judge Na Kyung-sun) overturned the original ruling that suspended the prison sentence of A (29), who was tried for violating the Animal Protection Act, and sentenced him to 8 months in prison. The fine imposed was also increased from 1 million won in the first trial to 2 million won.

The appellate court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "It is true that the defendant admitted all the crimes at this stage of the trial and has no prior criminal record, which is a favorable circumstance. However, considering the circumstances and motives leading to the crimes, as well as the methods used, the nature of the crimes is very serious, and there is no justifiable reason for causing pain to animals and taking their lives, which makes the blameworthiness very high."

Furthermore, the court pointed out, "Considering the defendant's life-disregarding tendencies, it is difficult to conclude that the likelihood of reoffending is low. Taking all these factors into account, the original sentence was unreasonably lenient."

Conversation content exchanged by participants in the open chat room [Image source=Animal Rights Action Kara]

Earlier, A was indicted on charges including shooting a stray cat with an arrow in Yeongdong, Chungbuk, in January 2020, filming the cat looking at him while collapsed, and then killing it in a cruel manner. In 2020, near his home in Taean-gun, Chungnam, he abused cats by luring them into traps using dead sparrows and confining them, and around September of the same year, he mutilated a rabbit's body.

It was revealed that he posted photos and videos of the crimes multiple times from mid-September to the end of December 2020 in a KakaoTalk open chat room called 'Gore Specialty Room.' He committed the crimes after purchasing knives through internet sites in 2018 and early 2020.

The Gore Specialty Room was a KakaoTalk open chat room where participants shared methods of capturing wild animals, cutting their bodies, and videos and photos of abuse. Known as the 'animal version of the Nth Room,' about 80 people participated, most of whom were minors.

Animal Rights Action Kara announced on January 13, 2021, that it would file a complaint with the Seoul Mapo Police Station regarding the KakaoTalk open chat room 'Gorejeonmunbang'.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Some of the chat contents spread on social media, sparking a movement among netizens demanding severe punishment for those involved. In fact, when a petition calling for strict punishment was posted on the Blue House's National Petition site, it received 270,000 signatures.

Civil organizations such as Animal Freedom Coalition and Animal Rights Action Kara reported A and other chat room users to the police in January 2021. The chat room leader, who was also indicted alongside A, was fined 3 million won for violating the Animal Protection Act by posting videos of cruel killings, and the fine has been finalized.

The 'Gore Specialty Room,' a KakaoTalk open chat room, was shut down in January 2021 after the police began their investigation.

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