2019; blackmail and torture of victims

Team Flame to "pull out the roots of evil"

Why digital sex crimes are trending upwards

Lewd reactions towards victims of crowd crush

Big cities set up digital sex crimes centres

New ‘anti-Nth Room Bill’ was passed

More Nth room copycats still emerging

Thoughts on living/working in South Korea

Find out about the insidious 'Nth room' crimes in one of Asia's most highly-wired countries.

Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.

Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

Digital sex crimes have become so common in highly-wired South Korea, leading to several copycat versions of what have become known as the 'Nth room' crimes.

Why does this keep happening, and what are the underlying causes of these cases? Despite government efforts to crack down on these cases, they return again and again.

This is the side of South Korean society that the world may not know as well, away from the global appeal of its K-drama series and glamour of its K-pop music.

ST's South Korea correspondent Chang May Choon interviews and narrates this podcast.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:00 The year was 2019; blackmail and even making victims engrave their names or IDs on their bodies, using knives

5:15 Student journalist Park Ji-hyun and college friend aiming to "pull out the roots of evil", expose published in September 2019; hear the actual voice of the ringleader Cho Ju-bin

10:00 Activist Summer Cha (her voice in Korean is digitally altered to protect her identity) on why digital sex crimes are trending upwards

13:38 Lewd and disgusting reactions in male-only sites towards victims in the recent Itaewon crush incident

14:38 Big cities such as Seoul, Busan and Incheon have now set up their own digital sex crime centres to provide support for victims; Seoul centre director Lee Eun-jeong explains SOPs

17:22 New 'anti-Nth Room Bill' was passed in Korean parliament and went into effect in December 2021; why encrypted messaging app Telegram has slipped through the net

22:17 Park Ji-hyun now a young politician; more Nth room copycats still emerging

25:18 ST correspondent Chang May Choon wraps up, having lived and worked as a Singaporean woman in South Korea for the past eight years

Interviews & narration by: Chang May Choon (changmc@sph.com.sg)

Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg) 

Podcast Producers: Teo Tong Kai and Fa’izah Sani

Voiceovers: Fa’izah Sani, Friday Farzanah, Joyce Teo, Jean Iau, Kim Jin-ha, Samuel Devaraj and Paxton Pang

Copy editor: Choo Li Meng

Follow ST's True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:

Channel: https://str.sg/i44T

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q

Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read Chang May Choon's articles: https://str.sg/ioon

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#truecrimes

Find out about the insidious 'Nth room' crimes in one of Asia's most highly-wired countries.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.
Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
Digital sex crimes have become so common in highly-wired South Korea, leading to several copycat versions of what have become known as the 'Nth room' crimes.
Why does this keep happening, and what are the underlying causes of these cases? Despite government efforts to crack down on these cases, they return again and again.
This is the side of South Korean society that the world may not know as well, away from the global appeal of its K-drama series and glamour of its K-pop music.
ST's South Korea correspondent Chang May Choon interviews and narrates this podcast.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:00 The year was 2019; blackmail and even making victims engrave their names or IDs on their bodies, using knives
5:15 Student journalist Park Ji-hyun and college friend aiming to "pull out the roots of evil", expose published in September 2019; hear the actual voice of the ringleader Cho Ju-bin
10:00 Activist Summer Cha (her voice in Korean is digitally altered to protect her identity) on why digital sex crimes are trending upwards
13:38 Lewd and disgusting reactions in male-only sites towards victims in the recent Itaewon crush incident
14:38 Big cities such as Seoul, Busan and Incheon have now set up their own digital sex crime centres to provide support for victims; Seoul centre director Lee Eun-jeong explains SOPs
17:22 New 'anti-Nth Room Bill' was passed in Korean parliament and went into effect in December 2021; why encrypted messaging app Telegram has slipped through the net
22:17 Park Ji-hyun now a young politician; more Nth room copycats still emerging
25:18 ST correspondent Chang May Choon wraps up, having lived and worked as a Singaporean woman in South Korea for the past eight years
Interviews &amp; narration by: Chang May Choon <a href="mailto:changmc@sph.com.sg">(changmc@sph.com.sg</a>)
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (<a href="mailto:ernest@sph.com.sg">ernest@sph.com.sg</a>) and Tan Tam Mei (<a href="mailto:tammei@sph.com.sg">tammei@sph.com.sg</a>) 
Podcast Producers: Teo Tong Kai and Fa’izah Sani
Voiceovers: Fa’izah Sani, Friday Farzanah, Joyce Teo, Jean Iau, Kim Jin-ha, Samuel Devaraj and Paxton Pang
Copy editor: Choo Li Meng
Follow ST's True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/i44q">https://str.sg/i44q</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/i44c">https://str.sg/i44c</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/">https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Read Chang May Choon's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/ioon">https://str.sg/ioon</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
The Usual Place: <a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a>
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a>
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Health Check: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
Hard Tackle: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Music Lab: <a href="https://str.sg/w9TX">https://str.sg/w9TX</a>
---
ST Podcast website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a>
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Invisible Asia (9 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn">https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Stop Scams (10 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
#truecrimes

Synopsis: A 6-part series from April till September 2023, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. 

Executive Producers: Ernest Luis, Tan Tam Mei & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: A 6-part series from April till September 2023, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. 
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis, Tan Tam Mei &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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