Sentence for online sexual harassment in South Korea
The media reports Cho Joo-bin has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for running a network of chat rooms on Telegram where, with his accomplices, they share videos of sexual violence on women and girls under blackmail threats. Thousands of people have paid to watch these videos. This sentence is exemplary as many other prosecutions in South Korea for online gender-based violence (GBV) ended with perpetrators paying only a fine. The latter sentence is a sign that courts will be taking these crimes more seriously. It is also important to improve sexual education for all children in South Korea, including consent, gender equity, healthy relationships, and responsible digital citizenship. Women in South Korea are facing many barriers in accessing leadership roles, such as disctminatory norms, inequitable family leave, harassment, and discrimination in the workplace.