Is there a Nth Room list?

Warning: This article mentions details of sexual abuse.

Rumors have been spreading that a list connecting K-pop idols and South Korean celebrities with the “Nth Room” cybercrime case will be released to the public. 

The rumors first began to circulate among international fans shortly after former NCT member Taeil left the group due to unspecified “sexual crimes.” His sudden departure occurs as South Korea undergoes a surge of deepfake sex crimes affecting women and children of all ages. Due to the widespread nature of these crimes, some fans and news outlets are calling it the new “Nth Room” scandal.

The first “Nth Room” scandal refers to several Telegram chat rooms that shared sexually explicit content involving women and children as young as middle school age. The people behind the chat rooms often coerced the victims into creating explicit content by threatening to share illegally obtained private photos with the victim’s friends and families.

While the main perpetrators of the original “Nth Room” chatrooms — Cho Ju-bin and Moon Hyung-wook — were sentenced for their crimes, similar chatrooms have been uncovered. Perpetrators behind these new chatrooms create and distribute sexually explicit content, both real and artificially manipulated. News that such chatrooms are reported to contain up to 133,000 members is causing panic among women and students in the country.

That panic has spread to the international K-pop fan community as K-pop companies announce plans to pursue legal action in order to protect artists from deepfakes.

Is there a list of K-pop idols involved in “Nth Room” chats? 

Rumors of a list including over 200 K-pop idols and celebrities involved in these chats continue to persist but as of writing, there is no proof such a list exists. It’s possible idols and celebrities participated in these chatrooms but no verified list detailing their involvement has been released at this time. 

Fans have taken to social media to express concern that they’re unknowingly supporting idols who are committing these crimes. Speaking as a K-pop fan myself, I know the idea of a list telling fans which idols are creeps is comforting but spreading unconfirmed rumors hurts innocent people. News of these crimes is upsetting and fans naturally want justice for the victims but it’s easy to get carried away with even the best intentions. When a celebrity you idolized is revealed to have committed heinous crimes, it’s understandable to be upset but previously supporting their public persona is not a moral failing on your part. You can express your disappointment with idols like Taeil while supporting victims of sexual crimes by only sharing verified information.