Webtoon artist Joo Ho-min calls on Supreme Court to allow covert recordings to protect abuse victims who cannot speak for themselves

Webtoon artist Joo Ho-min urged the Supreme Court on Tuesday to recognize exceptions to the law allowing third parties to make covert recordings in cases where children with developmental disabilities or other abuse victims are suspected of being harmed.

Speaking at a press conference held in front of the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu by 10 disability rights organizations, including the Korea Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, Joo called on the court to "establish a standard that allows the law to reach people who have difficulty speaking for themselves or leaving evidence."

"My son has autism," Joo said. "He was 9 years old at the time of the incident and could not explain what had happened to him."

He said a recording made by his son's mother had served as evidence of abuse in the first trial, but was rejected on appeal because it had been made by a parent. "The same words were recorded, yet that voice was erased from the trial depending on who pressed the button," he said.

Joo said he was not calling for recording devices to be placed in every classroom. "If recording is also denied to someone who cannot describe what happened to them or leave evidence in a place with no closed-circuit television and no witnesses, what can they use to protect themselves?" he said.

Joo held a picket sign reading "Recognize exceptions to the recording ban, guarantee the right to self-defense against abuse" and joined other participants in chanting slogans.

After the press conference, he personally submitted a petition bearing more than 24,000 signatures to the Supreme Court.

"People who don't even know our family signed it," he said. "It's because they understood that this is not the problem of one child or one family, but of the many people who have difficulty speaking for themselves."

He added that his son was now a teenager and gradually learning to speak. "I hope he will one day tell his own story in his own voice," Joo said. "Until that day comes, I will speak for him."

In 2022, Joo used a recorder placed in his son's school bag to capture a special education teacher making remarks including, "Your habits are very nasty. Ugh, I hate you. I hate you so much. I hate you, I said. I hate you too. I really hate you." He then filed a complaint against the teacher on charges of child abuse.

The first-instance court admitted the recording as evidence and suspended a sentence of a 2 million won ($1,470) fine against the teacher, identified only as A.

The appeals court overturned the ruling and acquitted A, finding that the covert recording constituted a conversation between third parties that had not been made public under the Protection of Communications Secrets Act and therefore lacked evidentiary value.

The case is now before the Supreme Court following an appeal by prosecutors.

Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education's teachers' rights protection unit moved to provide close support to teacher A, including assigning a dedicated teachers' rights protection officer.

According to the provincial education office, the teachers' rights protection unit — which reports directly to the superintendent — classified A's case under the category of "reported child abuse" and decided to provide support to the teacher, Yonhap reported Sept. 15.

When a report of a teachers' rights violation is filed, the unit categorizes it under one of three areas — reported child abuse, violations of educational activities (including injury, assault and intimidation), or malicious complaints — before reviewing the case to determine whether the unit should provide direct support.

Following that process, the unit first assigned one education supervisor to serve as A's dedicated teachers' rights protection officer.

The decision reflected the seriousness of the case, including the fact that A's situation has continued for years.

The unit plans to additionally assign legal and counseling professionals — including lawyers — selected through an open recruitment process from among 300 designated teachers' rights protection officers, to provide one-on-one tailored support to the teacher.

Joo is a cartoonist and webtoon artist known for works including "Zzam," "Muhanjongnyeok (Infinite Power)" and "Singwa Hamkke (Along with the Gods)."