Lim Tae-hee, Gyeonggi's superintendent of education, said he felt deep anger and dismay after Jo Joo-bin (30) — the ringleader of the Telegram "Doctor's Room" case, who produced and circulated sexually exploitative videos of minors — boasted on his social media about receiving an "Intensive Character Education: Basic Training" excellence award while in prison.
On March 9, Lim wrote on his social media, "As the official responsible for education in Gyeonggi Province, I feel deep anger and dismay upon learning of Jo Joo-bin's recent disgraceful conduct. A criminal who violated the dignity of our students and destroyed their daily lives is now treating a certificate obtained in prison as a 'treasure' and openly boasting about it."
Earlier, in February, Jo posted on his blog that he had received the excellence award in the prison's "Intensive Character Education: Basic Training" course, sharing a photo of the certificate and writing, "Winning an award feels truly good."
Lim described the post as a cruel, secondary harm to victims and their families who continue to suffer, and said it is a direct affront to common sense and the value of education. "Education should serve as a sobering instrument for reflection that guides people toward a humane life. Treating a character-education excellence award like a medal is an act of arrogance that mocks the justice our society must uphold," he said.
He added, "What this criminal must do is offer sincere remorse and accept responsibility. As superintendent, I will take every possible measure to ensure our students' dignity is not violated again in digital spaces and to support the recovery of harmed children."
/By Go Ryun-hyung, reporter krh0830@incheonilbo.com
