Recently, I read an article on CNN about a 24 year old man named Cho Joo Bin who coerced at least 74 women, some who are minors, to act out demeaning sexual acts. For example, "one girl wrote the word slave above her genitals" while another was forced to "bark like a dog while naked". Cho has been arrested for "distributing child pornography, sexual abuse, blackmail, coercion, fraud, illegal distribution of private information, and sexual assault through illegal filming". The acts were committed on "Telegram", a live broadcasting app that operates like a chat room. Room hosts can choose to either publicize or privatize the rooms by adding an entry fee. Viewers pay the room host to receive videos of these girls. This issue received lots of attention as four million South Koreans signed two petitions that would pressure the legal system to deal the harshest punishment.
While the news is indeed shocking, this is an extreme manifestation of the ongoing issues of sexual harassment and assault that is present in not only these private chat rooms, but also in the workplace. In the past, citizens have protested illegal filming and harassment of women. For example, "tens of thousands of women" protested against the motels that hid cameras in their bedrooms and restrooms. This was an incredibly big issue in 2018. I've watched videos on Youtube of undercover activists who visited these motel rooms to locate and disable these cameras. This could only been done by an expert because the cameras were hidden very well within objects like a flower vase, remote control, sprinkler system, coffee maker, lamps, and etc. These activists would use equipment such as infrared detectors to locate metallic objects planted in walls and the previously mentioned objects and fixtures. In addition, South Korea also dealt with the scandal where Korean pop artists were arrested for illegally filming and distributing sex tapes among each other. This was an even more shocking news compared to the one in 2018 because it not only displayed acts of sexual harassment, but also an abuse of power over women by Korean pop artists and the entertainment industry. The news served as a tool that would disillusion many of the fans of the Korean pop industry.
An aspect of Korean society that exacerbates the issue of sex crimes is its lenient justice system. For example, an individual who distributes or possesses child pornography is sentenced to only one year in prison or fines up to $16,000. For comparative purposes, a person who is convicted of possessing or distributing child pornography can be sentenced up to 10 years of prison. I think the leniency is an issue because it does not provide enough incentive for distributors to stop their immoral acts.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/asia/south-korea-telegram-sex-rooms-intl-hnk/index.html
Comments
Hey Brandon! This post was interesting to read. It saddens me to read something so evil, yet something that is not as talked about as much as it should. I also think that the Korean justice system should wake up and be harsher with punishments to prevent future actions like this. To think this guy coerced at least 74 women is wild to me.
This post was really interesting to read. I've heard of the huge scandal among Korean pop artists, but I wasn't aware of the one in the article. It's really unfortunate to hear about the sexual harassment and assault that has been a big problem in Korea. I wonder why the justice system is so lenient towards these crimes. I hope that Korea is able to listen to the petitions and make a change in their legal system.
I found it interesting to learn about South Korea's big problem with sexual harassment and treatment towards women. This is a big revolving problem in Korea and I have heard a lot about it from articles as well. The fact that a lot of Korean men think lowly of Korean women is not okay, and crime punishment should definitely be harsher. This shows how different an ideal or philosophy can be, even in highly developed countries like Korea.