Miryang Gang Rape Incident: YouTuber Controversy Over Private Retribution and Chun Woo-hee’s Role in Han Gong-ju

Amidst all of this, actress Chun Woo-hee, known for her portrayal of the protagonist Gong-ju in the film “Han Gong-ju”which centers around the incident, made an appearance on tvN’s entertainment show “You Quiz on the Block”on June 5th. During her appearance, she brought up the movie, further drawing attention to the actions of the YouTuber.

During her appearance on “You Quiz on the Block,”Chun Woo-hee spoke about her role in the independent film “Han Gong-ju,”which she considers a crucial moment in her career. The 2014 movie depicts the harrowing story of a young girl who is sexually assaulted and subsequently bullied and alienated by her attackers. For her powerful performance in “Han Gong-ju,”Chun Woo-hee received the Best Leading Actress Award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, and her emotional speech, accompanied by MC Kim Hye-soo, garnered widespread attention.

Chun Woo-hee fondly recalled, “Despite our limited budget, the film was a collective effort filled with sincere contributions from everyone involved. We were concerned about whether the public would take notice of such a challenging narrative, but we firmly believed in the significance of our story.”

She conveyed her strong connection to the character, stating, “It was as if I had a close friend to lean on and depend on. Even though I have moved on from other roles, I have always remained devoted to Gong-ju.”

While Chun Woo-hee’s sincere words have been noted, the online community remains in chaos over the widespread practice of “private retribution,”which involves the public disclosure of the wrongdoers’ identities without any limitations.

A YouTuber recently disclosed the whereabouts of a man who was involved in the “Miryang gang rape incident” , resulting in his termination from an automotive company. However, it was later revealed that the YouTuber did not have consent from the victim’s family to share this information. This misinformation caused harm not only to individuals unrelated to the incident, but also to the victim. Additionally, “cyber wreckers”spread the perpetrator’s personal information, such as his name, photos, and workplace details, without discrimination.

The YouTuber utilized Chun Woo-hee’s image as the thumbnail for their video, which happened to coincide with her appearance on “You Quiz on the Block”that gained attention online around the same time. This unintentionally promoted the YouTuber’s unlawful behavior under the guise of “personal retribution”.

Since the beginning of June, the YouTuber has continuously uploaded numerous videos showcasing both old and recent images and identities of the individuals involved in the Miryang case. They assert to have been in contact with the families of the victims and are determined to reveal the identities of all 44 perpetrators.

The Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center released a statement at approximately 9 PM on June 5th, informing that the victim’s family was not made aware of the initial video regarding the Miryang gang rape case until it was uploaded and were not given consent beforehand.

The center clarified, “The allegation that the families had consented to revealing all 44 culprits is untrue. We made multiple requests for the removal and amendment of the notice. We urge for the prompt rectification of this misinterpretation.”

Additionally, the center conveyed its dismay and apprehension regarding the uploading of videos without mutual consent and the prioritization of gaining views, actions that deviate greatly from the victims’ ongoing recovery and disregard their desires.