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The government has announced tougher measures in an attempt to clamp down on digital sex crimes in South Korea.
The measures include strengthening punishments for offenders and doing more to protect the victims.
Kim Mok-yeon reports.
The South Korean government laid down new measures aimed at eradicating digital sex crimes, after shock over a recent sexual exploitation case centered on online group chat rooms.
During a joint briefing at the Prime Minister's office on Thursday, Roh Hyung-wook, chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination said that nine related ministries created a joint task force with industry experts to come up with the measures.
The government will strengthen punishments for people who sell materials related to digital sex crimes, and create punishments for companies that promote those materials online.
Authorities will also punish people of conspiracy if they have been caught planning to rape minors.
The government will also adopt a new system where prosecutors can file for the confiscation of the money earned through such crimes, even before indicting the criminal.
Authorities will actively reveal the personal information of not only criminals who sexually abused children and teens but also those who created and sold related materials.
And as part of efforts to strengthen the protection of minors, the government will raise the threshold for negligent rape crimes to children to those under 16 years old from the current 13.
A platform where citizens can be rewarded for reporting illegal sexual materials will also be created to get better track of the buying and selling of such materials.
Also, people who own illegal digital sexual materials will be punished and those who are caught in possession will be not be able to be employed in schools and kindergartens.
On support measures for the victims, the government vowed to work around-the-clock to help delete sexually exploitative materials and create a support center under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to help in the counseling of the victims.
The government also vowed to make necessary legal amendments in cooperation with the National Assembly to root out digital sex crimes.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.