Digital sex crimes in online communities ignite new wave of gender conflict
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The coincidence of two online groups distributing sexually exploitative and defamatory material is spiraling into a gender conflict. As recent social controversies increasingly pivot to issues of gender equality, there are growing concerns that the simmering gender conflict may flare up once again.
In one case, referred to in the media as the "Seoul National University (SNU) Nth Room case," male alums from the university created and distributed sexually exploitive content involving dozens of female alums.
In the other, a major women's online community has seen some users disseminate sensitive personal information of men they met through dating applications.
This has led to complaints that the media and police are neglecting the case because women are involved.
According to the police on May 27, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Unit is conducting a preliminary investigation into a case of sexual defamation involving a women's online community.
This comes after the National Police Agency ordered a comprehensive investigation into the related incidents on May 20.
The case involves users of a large women's community, with over 840,000 members, who allegedly disseminated personal information of men using dating apps, including U.S. soldiers stationed in Korea.
Reverse discrimination
The community members are also accused of posting photos suspected to be illegal recordings, including those of minors, and making obscene comments about the men's bodies.
This has prompted accusations of "reverse discrimination" from male community users. They argue that the case is receiving less public attention and weaker investigative efforts compared to the "SNU Nth Room" case.
In the incident being referred to as the SNU Nth Room case, reminiscent of the notorious "Nth Room" case disclosed in 2019 where perpetrators blackmailed victims into providing explicit content for distribution, two SNU alumni were arrested early last week for producing and distributing pornographic material containing images of female SNU alumnae in Telegram chatrooms since 2021.
Male community users argue that the case involving the female online community case shows that women can also be perpetrators, yet it is receiving less attention compared to the "SNU Nth Room" incident.
"We are concerned that the female perpetrators will receive lenient punishment," one male community user said.
There are also allegations that "journalists avoid publicizing information unfavorable to women."
A posting by Rep. Huh Eun-ah, leader of the Reform Party, expresses concern about the women's community sexual harassment incident. Captured from Facebook
"Female Nth Room" draws political attention
Politicians have also responded. On May 16, Rep. Huh Eun-ah, leader of the New Reform Party, posted on social media, calling it a "clear case of the second Nth Room incident" and expressed hopes for severe punishment comparable to that of the original Nth Room perpetrators.
Rep. Na Kyung-won, a newly elected member of the People Power Party for Dongjak District, Seoul, also weighed in, calling it a "serious sexual crime" and urging for "strict punishment for crimes of the same nature committed against men."
Experts believe that those responsible for disseminating personal information in the recent women's community defamation case are likely to face punishment.
The photos shared within the community were mostly taken from dating apps or social media, where the men had voluntarily posted them.
However, if community users shared these photos alongside personal details or made sexually harassing comments, it could indeed constitute defamation. If any of the shared photos are confirmed to be illegal recordings, and especially if they include nude images of minors, the severity of the punishment could increase significantly.
Attorney Jang Yoon-mi noted, "There is a possibility of punishment under the Information and Communications Network Act for defamation," emphasizing that the issue is highly condemnable regardless of gender.
Difference between female community incident and Nth Room case
Some legal professionals argue that the female community incident cannot be equated with the Nth Room case.
The Nth Room case involved the production and distribution of sexual exploitation material of minors over an extended period, and the severity and sentencing are significantly different.
Attorney Lee Eun-eui, specializing in sexual violence cases, said, "The deepfake pornography used in the SNU incident is a clear example of sexual exploitation material, and if proven, the charges could be more severe than defamation." She added, "The long-term harassment and threats by the perpetrators in the Nth Room case set it apart from the community incident."
As gender equality standards are increasingly applied to sexual exploitation crimes, there are growing concerns that the gender conflict, which had somewhat subsided during the COVID-19 pandemic, might resurge.
Renewed gender conflict concerns
Prof. Seo Yi-jong of the Sociology Department at Seoul National University commented, "The gender conflict that accumulated over the 2010s was momentarily suppressed due to external factors like COVID-19. Given that a significant number of men feel strongly about reverse discrimination, there is a possibility that the conflict could intensify."
A report titled "2023 Public Conflict Awareness Survey of Koreans," conducted by the Korean Society Conflict Resolution Center and Korea Research, revealed that the perception of gender conflict increased from 29.0 percent in 2013 to 53.1 percent last year. The survey included 1,000 men and women aged 19 and older nationwide.
Beyond incidents similar to the Nth Room case, gender elements are also being emphasized in other social controversies. Recently, star dog trainer Kang Hyung-wook faced allegations of workplace abuse. The situation escalated into a "feminist controversy" when it was revealed that the employees who reported the abuse allegedly used misandristic terms.
In the conflict between Ador and HYBE, allegations arose that Ador CEO Min Hee-jin made anti-feminist remarks, turning a corporate management dispute into a gender conflict issue.
Need for focus on core issues of individual crimes
Experts stress the importance of focusing on the core issues of individual crimes rather than dividing all incidents along gender lines.
Prof. Heo Chang-deok of the Sociology Department at Yeungnam University said, "The flaw of binary logic is that it pushes crucial discussions to the background. In the case of the Seoul National University Nth Room incident, discussions should focus on victim protection and measures to prevent recurrence, but currently, only unproductive debates are being repeated."
This perspective highlights the need to address the fundamental aspects of each crime, ensuring that the discourse does not get derailed by gender-based arguments, and instead prioritizes victim protection and effective prevention strategies, experts said.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.