[Slate] Not Only Victimized by 'Voice Phishing'... Secondary Harm Adding Salt to the Wounded Heart

In the movie Citizen Deokhui, Deokhui (Ra Mi-ran) is a victim of voice phishing. In desperation, she sends a loan fee in advance and ends up suffering harm. She realizes at the bank that it was a scam and faints. The shock does not end there. The police neglect the investigation. They consistently show faces of disbelief and disdain. "The amount you lost to voice phishing... 32 million won? You made eight separate deposits?" "I was in a bit of a hurry for money." "No matter how urgent, making eight deposits to them... It's really frustrating." "Did your house catch fire? My entire fortune burned down, insurance didn't cover it, and my livelihood was cut off. Have you ever been left homeless on the streets?"

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Voice phishing evolves meticulously every year. They grasp information such as loan records and fluently use legal, financial, and investigative terminology. They reveal names of real banks, investigative agency departments, and officials, and even manipulate the caller ID. Thinking "Who would fall for voice phishing in this day and age?" is a sure way to get into serious trouble. Director Park Young-joo said, "I wanted to tell the story that voice phishing is a far more malicious crime than people realize."

The film is not just about raising social awareness. Its essence lies elsewhere. It is about the secondary harm inflicted on victims. Many victims firmly believe that at least the criminal justice system and those around them will be their support network. Theoretically, this belief is quite rational and reasonable. In reality, it is not. Sometimes, the people closest to the victim become the harshest secondary perpetrators.

When a crime occurs, people reinterpret the incident armed with confirmation bias. In the process, victims are often perceived as deserving of the crime. Memories that were once clear become blurred when victims are asked to testify as witnesses. Those who acted justly and fairly become servile out of fear of disadvantages they might face, and even those who were empathetic become cold to protect themselves.

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For Deokhui, Detective Park (Park Byung-eun) is a secondary perpetrator. He postpones the investigation repeatedly, citing a lack of leads. Immersed in a case that has attracted public attention, he ignores her desperate pleas. "Didn't you see that office earlier? A 10 billion won case exploded, and everyone is out of their minds. Victims are crying and wailing, and I have to handle all of that." "I'm a victim too. Huh? There's no such thing as big or small victims."

Secondary harm is as serious a problem as the crime itself. Usually, there are multiple perpetrators, and it continues over a long period in daily life. Kim Tae-kyung, director of the Seoul Eastern Smile Center, pointed out in his book The Right Not to Forgive that "Even though preventing secondary harm could be much easier than preventing the crime itself, it is not decreasing but rather increasing."

"Recently, there was a case of an Air Force soldier who took his own life after suffering secondary harm following a crime victimization. Victims who struggled to recover from the impact of the crime lose their motivation to heal due to secondary harm, leading to despair or suicide. What is even more tragic is that most secondary perpetrators do not even realize that their actions constitute secondary harm."

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The factors obstructing victims do not end here. It takes a long time to regain psychological stability and recover financial strength. According to numerous reports, the more involved victims are in criminal justice procedures, the more stress they experience. This is because victims are forced to testify as witnesses and endure the harm and inconvenience caused by investigative procedures. Even after several years, many suffer from trauma, and the fragile structure of their rebuilt lives is often shaken.

Citizen Deokhui views the crime incident strictly from the victim's perspective. It points to solidarity as a way to protect and support them as members of the community. Colleagues like Bongrim (Yeom Hye-ran) and Sukja (Jang Yoon-ju) do not see Deokhui as pitiful or vulnerable. They treat her naturally as a colleague, neighbor, and member of society. They provide a framework for daily life activities, reducing psychological confusion and helping maintain a sense of control. This, perhaps, is the crucial foundation for victim recovery.

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