Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
'Nth room' creator faces indictment for sexual abuse of teens
Moon Hyung-wook speaks to reporters as he is taken to a police van near Andong Police Station in North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
The creator and operator of the notorious porn channels known as “the Nth rooms” is facing indictment on charges of sexually abusing dozens of women.
The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency sent the Telegram sexual abuse case to the Daegu District Public Prosecutors' Office Monday, handing over Moon Hyung-wook, 24, who is suspected of sexually abusing at least 21 women, mostly teenagers, between February 2019 and this January.
Yonhap
“I regret it and I'm sorry,” Moon said as he was taken to a van parked near Andong Police Station. “I apologize to the victims and their families … I think I had wrong perceptions about sex.”
Asked whether he knew Cho Ju-bin, another suspect arrested in a sweeping investigation of sexual abuse cases on the Telegram chat app, Moon said he did not.
Moon is suspected of luring teenagers to send sexual photos and videos, which he allegedly used to blackmail them to get more and shared online. He is also suspected of “instructing rape” in three cases, according to police.
Moon told police he had received gift certificates worth 900,000 won ($730) from members of his chatrooms, or 10,000 won per person.
However, police said, unlike Cho, who allegedly made hundreds of millions of won through cryptocurrency trade, Moon's main motive for his crimes was not money but sexual gratification.
So far, police have identified 21 alleged victims. After Moon confessed that he and his accomplices had committed crimes against 50 women since 2015, police are expanding their investigation.