Online crime sleuths push boundaries in name of justice

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Online crime sleuths push boundaries in name of justice

Published: 28 Aug. 2023, 19:07 Updated: 29 Aug. 2023, 09:51

Shin Woo-jun, a 29-year-old assailant in the ″Apgujeong Rolls-Royce driver″ case, exits Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 11. [YONHAP]

Online sleuthing is becoming increasingly popular as YouTubers take a bold, uncensored approach to satisfy the public's desire to uncover the identities of assailants in criminal cases.

Especially with the rising number of heinous crimes being committed, including random knife attacks, rapes and murders, the public's demand to expose yet-to-be-convicted criminals has grown.

However, while these so-called "detective" YouTubers are amassing a large number of views and subscribers, concerns are also growing about these YouTubers pushing the boundaries of laws, with some blatantly breaking them in the name of justice.

One of the most popular "detective" YouTubers today is 35-year-old Lee Se-wook, who runs the YouTube channel "Caracula's Detective Office."

His prominence came to light when he disclosed the identities of several suspects accused in high-profile cases, including the Busan roundhouse kick assailant in June and more recently, the Royce Rolls driver.

The Busan roundhouse kick case involves a 31-year-old Lee Hyun-woo, who, after being released from prison three months earlier, knocked a stranger unconscious and assaulted her in front of a building's elevator in Busan at 5 a.m. in May 2022.

The Busan high court sentenced Lee to 20 years in prison for attempted rape and murder.

While Lee's identity was made public through YouTube, the police have never revealed the convicted felon's identity.

Caracula's Detective Office made headlines again when the suspect in the "Apgujeong Rolls-Royce driver" case, 29-year-old Shin Woo-jun, was revealed earlier this month.

The YouTube channel also revealed that Shin, accused of being a member of an organized crime group, had appeared on an SBS pilot program in 2013.

Lee Se-wook, 35, is the main host of his ″detective″ YouTube channel "Caracula's Detective Office." Lee calls on investigators to delve into the ″Apgujeong Rolls-Royce driver″ case in a video uploaded on Aug. 4. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

In the Rolls-Royce case, Shin drove over a woman in her 20s near Apgujeong subway station with the luxury vehicle on Aug. 2. The driver reportedly accelerated to drive her into a wall while she was still under the vehicle.

Despite testing positive for drugs, Shin was soon released from police custody.

The victim remains in critical condition.

Shin's identity was only disclosed through YouTube, while the authorities have yet to identify the assailant.

Under the law, the identity of a crime suspect is protected from the public. This regulation has been in place for the past 20 years to reinforce human rights.

Even when serious crimes are committed, the suspect's identity remains concealed unless a committee, composed of seven members including police officers, lawyers, doctors, and professors, decides that revealing the identity serves the public interest.

Even if such a decision is made, suspects can hide their identities with hats or facial masks when appearing in front of reporters. They can even prevent the police from showing their most recent pictures.

Unlike other countries that disclose mug shots taken upon arrest, such images can only be shared with the public if the person agrees.

As Caracula's Detective Office has taken on the role of the police, the YouTube channel, which started in 2019, now boasts over 1 million subscribers, and that number continues to grow.

It now even competes with major media outlets to provide exclusive news on socially controversial issues.

The channel's host, Lee, has no experience in law enforcement or journalism. He began his career in high-end imported vehicles.

Today, he has a crew that includes a cameraman and a writer.

"People feel better seeing YouTubers get to the point because the police and media often hesitate to reveal details due to concerns about the assailant's human rights," said Yoo Min-kyung, a 27-year-old subscriber of Caracula’s Detective Office.

These sleuthing videos relieve some of the pent-up frustrations about governmental power, Yoo added.

"People are energized by these YouTubers because they respond to the public's desire to eliminate and punish the evil in society that slipped through investigators' grasp," said Lee Woong-hyuk, a professor of policing at Konkuk University.

The professor noted that this trend is connected to people losing trust in investigative authorities.

According to a January survey by the Korea Institute of Public Administration, trust in prosecutors dropped 5 percentage points from the previous year to 45.1 percent in 2022.

Trust in the police and the court was 49.6 percent and 47.7 percent, respectively, in 2022. These figures were down from 55.3 percent and 51.3 percent in 2021.

"Authorities allow criminals to cover their faces while the victims have to suffer for the rest of their lives," said Kim Young-il, a 34-year-old who believes that the court gives lenient sentences to criminals and overly protects their human rights.

"The fact that criminals leave prison after a couple of years frustrates me," he added.

Kim is not alone in this thought.

According to a 2020 survey by Hankook Research, 68 percent of 1,000 people believed that criminals' rights are prioritized over victims' rights.

In the same survey, 87 percent said the court gives overly lenient sentences to criminals.

However, some are raising concerns about the lengths to which these YouTubers are going, including engaging in acts that could be considered illegal themselves.

"Some of these so-called 'detective' YouTubers are criminals themselves," said Lee Yeon-woo, a 35-year-old parent of an elementary schoolchild. "I can't trust the videos that such people upload [for views] and am afraid of the negative influence these clips may have on young children."

In fact, a 29-year-old sleuth YouTuber who exposed the Busan roundhouse kicker's behavior in prison, Eom Tae-woong, was convicted in a 2018 fraud case and served a prison sentence.

Eom confessed to receiving 300 million won ($223,000) from the Rolls-Royce case driver Shin for not discussing him on his YouTube channel.

"I received 300 million won for not mentioning the Apgujeong Rolls-Royce case assailant," Eom confessed on Aug. 11. "I will give it all to the victim."

Experts also warn that online sleuthing may lead to witch hunts or vigilante justice.

"Their methods push the boundaries between legality and illegality," said Konkuk University's Lee. "Illegal acts should never be tolerated, even if they fulfill the public's needs."

Some experts advise that the government should integrate these so-called YouTube detectives into the legitimate system, which would allow for more control and could reduce the negative effects caused by individuals.

This could include government certification and systematized actions.

"Some display expertise by delving into cases that the police failed to address initially," said Lee Soo-jung, a criminal psychology professor at Kyonggi University.

BY LEE HO-JEONG,WON DONG-WOOK AND SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]