YouTuber "Narakbogwanso" Sentenced to Prison in First Trial for Disclosing Identities of Miryang Sexual Assault Case Perpetrators

A YouTuber who disclosed personal information without consent in connection with the "Miryang Middle School Girl Group Sexual Assault Case" that occurred in South Gyeongsang Province 20 years ago has been sentenced to prison in the first trial.

On January 28, Judge Kim Jooseok of the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 6 sentenced a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, to one year and six months in prison and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a stalking treatment program on charges including defamation.

For charges of assault and certain violations of the Information and Communications Network Act, which are subject to non-prosecution upon the victim's request, the court dismissed the indictment, taking into account that some victims expressed their wish not to pursue punishment.

YouTube channel 'Narakbogwanso'. Screenshot from YouTube

According to the court, Mr. A operated his YouTube channel "Narakbogwanso," where he identified several individuals as perpetrators of the 2004 Miryang Middle School Girl Group Sexual Assault Case and disclosed their personal information, thereby inflicting secondary harm and carrying out private sanctions.

Investigations revealed that the posted videos contained specific personal information, including names, facial photos, ages, and workplaces.

Previously, prosecutors stated, "Mr. A continued to post videos containing the personal information of victims whose identities had been revealed, causing anxiety and fear. Some victims had never been investigated by authorities or involved in the incident, yet he defamed them by disclosing false information for the purpose of slander."

The first-instance court pointed out, "The defendant committed the crime out of a misguided sense of justice, having learned that almost no one had been criminally punished in connection with the Miryang Middle School Girl Group Sexual Assault Case, and sought to shame the perpetrators and impose private sanctions."

The court continued, "He used information obtained via online communities, his YouTube channel, and tip-off emails without any minimal verification, resulting in many unfounded or exaggerated claims, which spread widely online and appear to have caused severe psychological and financial harm."

However, the court also considered the following in sentencing: "Although the defendant initially attempted to justify his actions during the investigation, he eventually admitted to the crime and showed remorse. He reached settlements with the victims, who expressed no desire for punishment, deposited 4 million won each, deleted the videos, and appears to have ceased his YouTube activities."

Additionally, the court stated, "Taking into account ongoing discussions about the existence of defamation by stating facts and the victims' efforts toward recovery, the defendant was not taken into custody in court."

The Miryang sexual assault case involved 44 high school students in the Miryang area who sexually assaulted a middle school girl over the course of a year in 2004.

Only 10 perpetrators were brought to trial, 20 were sent to juvenile detention centers, and the remainder were either settled with the victim or not included in the complaint, resulting in no prosecution.

The case regained attention early last month after a YouTube channel disclosed the identities of those alleged to be perpetrators, and as other YouTubers and bloggers joined in revealing the identities of suspected perpetrators, controversy over "private sanctions" erupted.

In response, those featured in the videos filed complaints against the YouTubers and bloggers. The operator of the Narakbogwanso channel, Mr. A, along with other defendants facing similar charges, were all sentenced to prison by courts including the Changwon District Court and the Seoul Southern District Court.

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