Prosecutors have summarily indicted a court employee who illegally checked the personal information of perpetrators involved in the Miryang collective sexual assault case.

The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office announced today (September 18) that it summarily indicted former Seoul Western District Court employee A on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Family Relations Registration Act on September 16.

A summary indictment is a procedure where prosecutors ask the court to issue a fine through a written review rather than requesting a formal trial.

Employee A is accused of privately accessing the resident registration numbers of around 10 suspects from the Miryang collective sexual assault case via the court's internal network.

The Seoul Mapo Police Station sent A to prosecutors without detention on June 12 on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act. However, prosecutors requested supplementary investigations on June 16 to also review charges regarding the unauthorized viewing of family relation certificates without the consent of the individuals concerned.

The police subsequently re-referred A to prosecutors on July 22 after adding charges of violating the Family Relations Registration Act.

The Miryang collective sexual assault refers to an incident in December 2004 where 44 high school students from the Miryang area sexually assaulted a female middle school student from Ulsan over a period of one year.

Around 2024, the identities of the perpetrators were disclosed online, drawing renewed attention to the case and sparking controversy surrounding vigilante justice.
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)