"Sentence him to the highest legal penalty!" On March 25, in front of the Jongno Police Station in Seoul, South Korea, the crowd shouted at a 25-year-old suspect.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, at 8 o’clock on the 25th, the suspect in the "N-room" case, Zhao Zhubin, was escorted to the prosecution by Seoul police. He wore a neck brace and a gauze on his head, because he had hit himself in the washbasin while being detained.

Facing the questioning of reporters, Zhao Zhubin said that he sincerely thanked the victims and "thanks for stopping the demon life that I cannot extricate myself from." He was the first suspect in South Korea to be publicly displayed for a sexual crime.

What is going on in "room N"? What did the suspect, nicknamed "Doctor" Zhao Zhubin, do?

Zhao Zhubin, the suspect in "House N". Screenshot of Yonhap News Agency

What is "room N"?

"Room N" refers to an encrypted chat room opened on the social platform Telegram by the suspect. In these chat rooms, illegally captured sexual exploitation videos and photos are widely shared and can only be viewed by paying to become a member.

According to South Korea's "Central Daily" report, "House N" was originally created by a netizen with a net name of "GodGod" in February 2019, and then "Watchman" took over. In order to avoid searching, the operator constantly builds and dismisses chat rooms, and names them "room 1", "room 2", etc. by numbers, so they are collectively called "room N". Since Telegram's servers are located overseas, it is difficult for Korean police to track them down.

The chat room has different prices based on the content being shared. The highest-level admission fee is about 1.5 million won (about 8400 yuan), and transactions can only be made through cryptocurrencies.

In September 2019, Zhao Zhubin became the operator of Room N. His nickname is "Doctor", so the chat room he manages is also called "Doctor Room". Zhao Zhubin posted pictures of sexual exploitation for members to watch and collect membership fees. He also asked members to share similar content to maintain admission.

He seduced the victim on social media in the name of recruiting part-timers such as fashion models. After obtaining nude photos of the victim's face, he threatened to force the other to take sexual exploitation videos and sell them in chat groups. .

According to the investigation by the Seoul Police, there are about 260,000 members in the "room N", and there is a double counting of more than one account. The case involved at least 74 female victims, including 16 minors, and the youngest was only 11 years old.

Police have arrested Zhao Zhubin and related 17 suspects. Watchman, the second operator of Room N, was arrested late last year, but the original creator, GodGod, is still unknown. At Zhao Zhubin's residence, police seized 130 million won (about RMB 746,000) in cash and suspected that his cryptocurrency wallet contained billions of won in criminal proceeds.

3 million petitions publicize suspect status

Zhao Zhubin was arrested on March 19 for alleged violation of the "Law on Protecting Children and Adolescents from Sexual Assault." The police did not disclose his personal information.

The "House N" incident caused a huge response in South Korea. Many netizens initiated a petition on the Qingwatai National Petition page asking the authorities to disclose the identity and photos of the suspect and all members of the "House N". As of the 23rd, the number of petitioners has exceeded 3 million.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on the 23rd that the case was a crime committed by trampling on the victim, and instructed the police to investigate the case thoroughly so that all criminals get the punishment they deserve. He expressed condolences to all victims, including 16 minors.

Wen Zaiyin promised that the government will delete all videos involved in the case and provide victims with legal and medical support. Wen Zaiyin instructed that the police should recognize the seriousness of the case, conduct a thorough investigation of the persons involved, and severely punish the criminals. If necessary, the Police Department will set up a special investigation team, and the government will also formulate fundamental countermeasures to eliminate cyber crimes.

The Seoul Local Police Agency held a meeting on the release of information on suspects to discuss the possible impact of information disclosure. Given that the number of victims in this case was as high as 70, the crime was bad, and the suspects have been arrested. The police also have sufficient evidence. After considering various factors such as the right to know of the country, preventing the recurrence of similar crimes, and the public interest, they decided Disclose his name, age, photo, etc.

Zhao Zhubin used to be an "superior student"

According to the "Korean Herald" report, Zhao Zhubin, a suspect in "House N", is 25 years old. He was an active Internet user in high school and answered more than 500 questions on the Korean forum NAVER. In 2013, someone on the forum wrote a post about being sexually harassed by his uncle. Zhao Zhubin left a message: "Tell your parents (this incident) that sexual assaults often occur between relatives, so be vigilant."

He was admitted to the university in 2014, studying information and communication majors, and three of the four years had an average grade of 4.0 or higher in each subject. He has received scholarships many times and has published articles in the school newspaper. The classmates reported that Zhao Zhubin did not have extreme behaviors during the university period. It looks like ordinary students, but the relationship with classmates is not very harmonious.

Zhao Zhubin has often participated in volunteer activities on weekends since October 2017 and has continued until recently. He once said: "I started participating in volunteer activities after serving in the military service. I want to help others because I have been helped by others."

According to South Korean SBS TV, a police investigation found that Zhao Zhubin started illegal activities after graduating from college in 2018. The initial stage was to set up a website to sell drugs by false advertising, and took over the "room N" one year later.

On March 25, Zhao Zhubin was transferred to the prosecutor by the police. When asked by reporters whether he confessed to distributing images of sexual exploitation, whether he confessed his crimes, whether he was ashamed of a minor victim, whether he admitted to conspiracy to kill, he remained silent.

What about the members of "room N"?

South Korean police are pursuing members of Room N. The investigation is difficult because Telegram is an overseas software. So what kind of punishment will they find if they find these members?

According to the BBC, under current Korean law, the actions of most members of Room N may not constitute a criminal offence. Because according to the special law of South Korea related to punishment for sexual violence crimes, if there are sexual exploitation videos or pictures of adult women, even if they are illegally shot, as long as they are not directly filmed or transmitted, they are just watching. There is no such act in the law. Specific clauses state that penalties are required.

According to Japan ’s “Diplomat” website, Seo Seung-hee, director of the Korean Cyber ​​Sex Response Center, pointed out in an interview with local media that South Korea lacks relevant laws to punish crimes related to mobile communication services such as Telegram. As there are no specific provisions governing these acts, the court will decide what to do. She believes that all accomplices should be punished adequately.

Beijing News reporter Chen Qinhan