Police are pursuing arrest warrants for two men, surnamed Kim and Park, for alleged sex crimes against minors.
Both suspects, in their 20s, were active users of the web forum Depression Gallery, an anonymous bulletin board on the online community DCinside that has been linked to multiple sex crimes against minors.
Kim is accused of assault, blackmail and rape that occurred in 2020 and 2021 at a property in Sindaebang-dong, Seoul, which was reportedly used as a meeting place for forum users. Similarly, Park, who met Kim online, faces charges that include sex with a minor.
The allegations surfaced in April after a minor reported solicitation for sex to police. Search warrants executed at the Sindaebang property yielded potential evidence from cellphones. Both suspects reportedly deny any wrongdoing.
The incident is the latest in a series involving Depression Gallery. Originally intended for users dealing with depression, the online bulletin board has been implicated in suicide pacts, livestreamed suicide attempts and sex crimes involving minors.
Last month, police arrested a 27-year-old forum user for sex with a minor. He had previously been accused of aiding and abetting the livestreamed suicide of a 17-year-old girl he befriended on the forum.
DCinside has rejected police requests to shut down the bulletin board, citing freedom of speech. In May, the special advisory committee of the Korea Communications Standards Commission recommended stronger oversight and content moderation rather than blocking access to the website, on similar grounds.
