Webtoon artist Joo Ho-min has called for an exception to Korea's ban on secret recordings when abuse is suspected against people who cannot speak for themselves, such as children with developmental disabilities.
Joo made the demand at a press conference held on the afternoon of the 6th outside the Supreme Court building in Seoul's Seocho district, joined by 10 disability rights organizations including the Korea Disability Discrimination Act Solidarity in Action. "Set a standard so that the law can reach people who cannot speak for themselves or leave behind evidence," Joo said. "I am not saying we should bring recording devices into every classroom. But if someone cannot explain what happened to them and cannot leave evidence in a place where there is no CCTV and no witness, and recording is not allowed either, what can they use to protect themselves?"
Referring to what his son, who has autism, went through in 2022, Joo said: "My son was 9 at the time of the incident and cannot explain what he experienced. The recording his mother made on his behalf became evidence that established the abuse in the first trial, but it was not accepted in the second trial because a parent had made it."
In 2022, Joo used a recording device placed in his son's bag to capture remarks by a special education teacher, identified only as A, who said: "Your habits are very nasty. Ugh, I hate it. I hate it so much. I'm saying I don't like you. I don't like you either. I really don't." He then filed a criminal complaint against the teacher on charges of child abuse. The first-trial court accepted the recording as evidence and suspended the imposition of a 2 million won ($1,400) fine on the teacher. The appeals court, however, ruled that the recording constituted an "undisclosed conversation between others" under the Protection of Communications Secrets Act and therefore had no evidentiary value, overturning the lower court ruling and issuing an acquittal. The case is now awaiting a Supreme Court decision.
After the press conference, Joo personally submitted a petition carrying about 24,000 signatures to the Supreme Court.
