Over 200,000 sign petition calling for heavier punishment of ‘revenge porn’

The presidential office is expected to announce its stance on revenge porn as more than 200,000 people have signed an online petition calling for heavier penalties for the crime.

More than 214,000 Koreans have signed a petition titled “Please put revenge porn offenders in jail,” posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website last Thursday.

The presidential office is required to issue a formal response if an online petition on its website garners more than 200,000 signatures in 30 days.

“Over the several decades since revenge porn crimes first became known, none of the offenders have gone to jail, and victims have killed themselves due to sickening secondary damage and attacks such as ‘you should have been careful,’” the petitioner wrote.

A debate over revenge porn swept the internet with recent reports that singer-turned-actor Goo Ha-ra and her ex-boyfriend had assaulted each other, and that the young man had later threatened to release videos of the two having sexual intercourse.

“Jail terms for distribution (of revenge porn) are not enough to prevent the crime. … Please investigate all those who film or possess revenge porn and threaten to release it, and send them to jail, with Goo’s ex-boyfriend as the first example,” the petitioner wrote.

“I refuse all light jail terms or fines. They must be put behind bars even if they filmed revenge porn and deleted it.”

Goo pressed additional charges against the ex-boyfriend, surnamed Choi, alleging that he had violated a special law dealing with coercion, blackmail and sexual violence.

Goo said Choi had threatened to release private videos after a fight they had Sept. 13.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)