Article: Kang Hoon the co-conspirator of Cho Joo Bin's chatroom, "request for disclosure is a witch hunt...cancel." litigation
Source: Newsis
Source: Newsis
Kang Hoon (19), who was arrested on charges of being an accomplice of Cho Joo Bin (25)'s "Baksa Room" under the nickname "Butta" has filed a lawsuit against police.
According to a source within legal circles on the 16th, Kang Hoon filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Administrative Court against the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to suspend the disclosure of his personal information until the results of the trial are released.
Kang Hoon's lawyer stated, "the request to disclose personal information is usually made by the court after the suspect has been convicted. During investigations, the presumption of innocence should be observed. No other accomplices from the chatroom had their personal information disclosed since they are minors so why is Kang Hoon the only person. Considering the deep bruises Kang Hoon had to endure in his lifetime, as a minor his human rights should also be respected and protected and not just the public's interests."
According to a source within legal circles on the 16th, Kang Hoon filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Administrative Court against the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to suspend the disclosure of his personal information until the results of the trial are released.
Kang Hoon's lawyer stated, "the request to disclose personal information is usually made by the court after the suspect has been convicted. During investigations, the presumption of innocence should be observed. No other accomplices from the chatroom had their personal information disclosed since they are minors so why is Kang Hoon the only person. Considering the deep bruises Kang Hoon had to endure in his lifetime, as a minor his human rights should also be respected and protected and not just the public's interests."
However, Kang Hoon's lawyer explained that the lawsuit is not intended to deny the charges stating, "We are not trying to argue against the charges. We're only taking issue with the system that creates a biased witch hunt without proper procedure. I think the public's right to know has been met to some extent as the main culprit Cho Joo Bin was caught. Looking the circumstances and scope of Kang Hoon's participation, it's hard to say that he's the main culprit in this situation."
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| Kang Hoon "Butta" arriving at the Seoul Central District Court for his arrest warrant review |
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency held a review committee earlier today to decide whether to disclose Kang Hoon's identity publicly. Kang Hoon "Butta" filmed and exploited underage girls as an operator for Cho's "Nth Room" and police planned to unveil his face publicly at the Jongno Police Station at around 8am on the 17th when he was forwarded to the prosecution.
Some voiced concerns stating that since he was born in 2001 he's technically a "minor" since his 19th birthday hasn't passed yet. As such, he should be judged under the "Youth Protection Act" for teenagers just like all other suspects.
Update as of April 16th 11:40 pm KST
Police made the decision to publicly reveal his face and personal information.
