The victim of the 2004 "Miryang gang rape case" has been booked by police on charges of leaking the personal information of the perpetrators to YouTubers, it was belatedly revealed.
The Incheon Samsan Police Station said Wednesday that it had booked a woman identified as A and her younger sibling without detention on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act.
According to police, A and others are suspected of providing the personal information of those involved in the Miryang gang rape case to several YouTubers between 2023 and 2024.
They are alleged to have passed on the perpetrators' real names, addresses, and resident registration numbers, drawing on court rulings and other documents obtained as a victim. Police reportedly also confirmed circumstances suggesting that the personal information of third parties unrelated to the case was leaked in the process.
After receiving the complaint and conducting an investigation, police concluded that the personal information leak charges were established and plan to forward the case to the prosecution soon.
The Miryang gang rape case refers to an incident in 2004 in which 44 high school students in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, sexually assaulted a middle school girl from the Ulsan area over a period of about one year. The case sparked widespread public outrage at the time, compounded by controversy over the inadequate response of police and judicial authorities.
The case drew renewed attention last year as the identities of the perpetrators were exposed online and on YouTube, fueling debate over the appropriateness of private retribution and personal information disclosure.
