Kim Nokwan, Ringleader of "Vigilante Group" Copycatting Nth Room, Sentenced to Life Imprisonment by Supreme Court

Sexual Assault of Minors,
Production of Exploitation Material
261 Victims, Around 2,000 Exploitation Files

Yonhap News Agency

Kim Nokwan, who acted as the ringleader of the sexual violence crime syndicate known as the "Vigilante Group," has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Supreme Court’s Second Division, presided over by Justice Kwon Youngjun, on September 10 upheld the lower court's ruling that sentenced Kim Nokwan to life imprisonment on charges including the production of child sexual exploitation materials and aggravated rape, both in violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse. The court also maintained the order to attach an electronic monitoring device for 30 years, imposed a 10-year restriction on employment at child, juvenile, and disability-related institutions, as well as a 10-year order for disclosure and notification of personal information.

From August 2020 to January of last year, Kim Nokwan organized the "Vigilante Group," the country’s largest cyber sexual assault crime syndicate, referring to himself as "Pastor." He was arrested and indicted in February last year on charges of sadistically and perversely sexually assaulting minors and others, producing, and distributing sexual exploitation material.

The "Vigilante Group" obtained personal information of women who uploaded nude photos on social media (SNS) or engaged in conditional dating, as well as men attempting to enter Telegram “adult video chatrooms” or “acquaintance humiliation rooms.” The group threatened to release this information to extort nude photos and produced and distributed sexual exploitation materials. In some cases, they lured victims in person and committed actual sexual assault.

There are 261 victims in this case, more than three times the number in the similar Telegram "Nth Room" case (73 victims). Kim Nokwan and his accomplices produced approximately 2,000 sexual exploitation files.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.