The Seoul High Court Division 8-3 upheld a life imprisonment sentence for Kim Noksikwan, the ringleader of the Telegram sexual exploitation crime group known as “Jagyeongdan.” The ruling matches the first-trial outcome and covers offenses including directing group operations, possessing and distributing sexual exploitation materials, viewing illegal recordings, enhancing dissemination efforts, and compensating victims.
Sentence and Criminal History
On the 29th, Chief Judge Kim Sung-soo and the panel imposed the life term alongside restrictions. Court records highlight Kim’s prior convictions: 10 years of probation for public doxxing and postings, 10 years for child, adolescent, and disabled-related sexual crimes, and a 30-year maximum for repeat offenses.
Judge’s Key Remarks
The chief judge noted, “The defendant endured a four-year, five-month trial, narrowly escaping the death penalty, with only 25 victims formally named.” He added that despite other perpetrators taking their lives during proceedings, Kim cooperated by aiding newly identified victims and planning large-scale penalties.
“Even content derived from online harms continues to circulate widely today,” the judge stated. “Rehabilitation efforts using victims’ sexual materials proved psychologically beneficial.”
Further emphasizing severity, he explained, “The defendant’s transformation and scholarly demeanor fail to restore victims’ normal lives, instilling lasting frustration and fear.” “Completely alleviating victims’ lingering anxiety demands substantial punishment for reflective offenses,” he asserted.
The judge continued, “Witnessing the defendant’s ‘Nth room’ involvement and assessing it reveals individuals who reform yet commit fresh crimes. Even anticipating societal risks from evolving crimes necessitates heavy penalties.”
Accomplices and Related Cases
A “Seonim Jeondosa” figure, identified as Kang, received four years in prison and five years of probation. Among nine accomplices involved in victim grooming, Telegram channel operations, material possession and distribution, and victim assistance, four faced imprisonment while five got probation for mitigating factors.
One defendant received a full penalty mirroring Kim’s accomplices. Experts view directly targeting and confining long-term perpetrators as appropriate, though publicly sentencing peripheral accomplices—excluding Kim—proves challenging due to prosecutorial hesitance.
Group Operations and Impact
Kim launched Jagyeongdan in late May 2020 amid pandemic restrictions, structuring it as a pyramid scheme for sexual exploitation on Telegram. Operations persisted until January 2021, victimizing 234 individuals, with 159 classified as major cases.
Victims received degrading labels like “Moksa” (lawyer) or were confined to “Moksabang” (lawyer room). Roles included “Jeondosa” (evangelist) and “Yaebi Jeondosa” (deputy evangelist), enforcing a rigid hierarchy where evangelists recruited beneath Kim and deputies.
One accomplice, sentenced last November, disclosed 10 years of doxxing probation, 10 years for related sexual crimes, and 30 years for repeat violations. Details encompassed crime group logistics, victim report handling, and pandemic crime specifics.
