The Nth Room: South Koreans Cry Out As Nth Room Remains Open.
For the past few days, the hashtag Shut_The_ Nth_Room has been trending on twitter. South Koreans are displeased with their government’s reaction to the scandal of internet sex exploitation that happened in a telegram chat group called “the Nth room”. Reports reveal that this room is still open and a lot of the perpetrators of the crime roam free.
Victims of the Nth room have come out to speak of the horrific things they were made to do. These acts have made a lasting impact on their physical and mental health. We can all agree that the Nth room situation is an alarming one and is serious enough to attract the attention of the whole world.
Well-meaning people and Koreans are calling the attention of the international community and all women rights activists so that something can be done to make sure that evils such as this do not happen again. As we all know, abuse of one is an abuse of all.
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What Is The Nth Room?
The Nth room is a telegram chat room where atrocious sex crimes have been committed. Women and minors in South Korea are suffering from this crime. There are an estimated 260,000 men involved in this crime. Eighty percent of the subscribers of the Nth room have been found to be Minors.
How Do Women End Up In The Nth Room?
These women are found through their public service records and threatened until they cooperate. The men involved in this contact these young girls and force them to do gruesome things such as cutting themselves.
- Destroying their genitals
- Performing gruesome and sadistic acts
- Having incest
Major Suspects In The Case
On March 23, 2020, SBS first disclosed the identity of the “Doctor’s room” suspect.[11] His name is Cho Joo-bin (Korean: 조주빈, born October 14, 1995).[11] On March 24th, following a decision of the Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, an official identity disclosure measure was taken, on the basis of Article 25 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. The suspect is Cho Joo-bin, born in 1995; this is the first case where an official identity disclosure measure has been taken for a sexual criminal. It has been revealed that Cho Joo-bin graduated from a technical college in Incheon, and was a reporter for the university newspaper. It is also suspected that he was active as a live member, although this has not been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the user with the nickname “watchman” who was known as the mastermind and the individual who made nth room popular was arrested in September 2019. He was revealed as Mr. Jeon, a 38-year-old company worker, who had received a suspended sentence for pornography distribution in the past. Mr. Jeon was indicted on suspicion of operating an Internet site featuring illegal recordings, and a sentence of imprisonment of 3 years 6 months was sought by the prosecution. However, since it was revealed during the trial that there is a connection with the nth room, an application is underway for the resumption of hearings.
Mr. Shin, the prior operator of nth room, who had inherited it from “God God” was a male in his 30s, who had previously received a suspended sentence for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Offenses, and was taken into police custody in September 2019. He received a sentence of 1-year imprisonment in the first hearing, and since the prosecution did not appeal, it is anticipated that this sentence will become final in the second hearing.
Source: Wikipedia
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The Law Against Sexual Abuse In South Korea
- Any person who rapes a child or juvenile by assault or threat shall be punished by imprisonment with labor for an indefinite term or for a limited term of at least five years.
- Any person who commits any of the following acts by assaulting or threatening a child or juvenile shall be punished by imprisonment with labor for a limited term of at least five years:
- Putting genitals into a part of the body of the child or juveniles (excluding genitals), such as the mouth or anus;
- Putting a part of the body (excluding genitals), such as fingers, or implements into the genital or anus of the child or juvenile.
- Any person who commits an offense prescribed in Article 298 of the Criminal Act against a child or juvenile shall be punished by imprisonment with labor for a limited term of at least two years or by a fine of at least ten million won, but not more than 30 million won.
Source: Law Viewer
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Are Women And Girls Safe?
Women are not safe anywhere patriarchy rears its ugly head. In a place where women are expected to submit to male “heads”, women are exposed to all kinds of abuse. This abuse begins in the home, women are told to submit to male authority from when they are little girls to when they become old women.
This submissiveness is an added advantage to predators who thrive where the victims are unable to speak up for themselves due to inequality between genders. In South Korea, although the government is trying to bridge the gap between both sexes, the culture of the people keeps the average woman thinking of herself as less and as a commodity to be bought and sold by the man.
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How To Ensure Sexual Abuse Is Eradicated
It is important to note that the Nth room scandal could have been exposed sooner if one of those girls were thought to speak up against any form of sexual abuse. Teaching girls and women that they are human beings who deserve to be treated right will go a long way in making sure perpetrators of the acts are duly revealed.
The government should review the laws against sexual abuse of any kind, whether it happens in the home, on the streets or in the workplace. People who engage in such acts should receive sterner punishment to deter others. Women should be free to live their lives and have careers just like their male counterparts.
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