As a Korean international student is reportedly among the defendants in a group sexual assault case at Cornell University, some overseas internet users are asking Korean netizens to track down the individual's identity.
According to The Korea Times on September 30, following reports of the incident, personal information such as the names, photos, and workplaces of the seven defendants accused of the assault has been spreading rapidly across U.S. online communities.
In particular, as public information regarding a defendant identified as Korean, surnamed Lee, is relatively scarce compared to the other defendants, some overseas internet users have left posts directly requesting help from Korean netizens.
One user posted a comment to the effect of, "Korean people, I hope you now find one of your own kind," while another wrote, "I leave it to Korean netizens."
Reactions anticipating that Korean netizens, the so-called "netizen investigators," will track down Lee's identity by leveraging their tracking abilities have also reportedly continued.
The incident came to light when a female Cornell student, A, claimed that she was sexually assaulted by seven male students in October 2024 at the building of "Kappa Phi," an on-campus male fraternity.
Student A claimed that she was group sexually assaulted while in a state where she could hardly control her body due to alcohol and drugs handed to her by fraternity members.
She reported the incident to the police about three weeks later, but the local prosecutors at the time did not pursue criminal charges.
Student A dropped out of school following the incident.
The university conducted its own investigation, and among the seven men accused as perpetrators, two were reportedly expelled, while the others received light disciplinary actions such as suspension or writing an essay.
Student A recently filed a civil lawsuit against them, and local prosecutors have also resumed related investigations.
Netizens have been searching for and sharing educational backgrounds, past histories, and even the Korean name of the individual presumed to be Lee, one of the defendants, while claims have also been raised in some quarters that Lee is a family member of a former high-ranking official.
Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Kim Na-on | Design by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
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