SBS Kkokkomu revealed the cruel methods of a voice-phishing organization that isolated a young man for 11 hours and ultimately drove him to an extreme choice.
Tails of Tales, which aired on the 19th (directed by Ahn Yoon-tae, Lee Keun-byul, Kim Byung-gil, hereafter Kkokkomu), was the "faceless killer" episode, and AtHeart Arin, actress Shin So-yul, and Han Ji-hye appeared as listeners to follow the reality of "fake that feels real" voice phishing.
In 2020, the case came to light when 28-year-old Kim Hu-bin was found dead after falling from the roof of an apartment in Sunchang, North Jeolla. His phone contained nearly 11 hours of call records with a number not saved in his contacts, and recordings of the actual calls remained intact. They were traces of control that continued until just before his death.
The program released the 11 hours of conversation Hu-bin had before his death. The person on the call identified himself as investigator Lee Dohyun of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. He said two bank accounts in Hu-bin's name were found during an investigation into a financial scam, and another person who identified himself as prosecutor Kim Min-soo pressured him by saying Hu-bin could be a suspect. They cut off contact with third parties, turned off the phone's mobile data, Wi-Fi and location information. They also threatened that if calls were disconnected or not answered on time, the case would convert to a forced investigation, an arrest warrant would be issued and he could face imprisonment.
Watching how invisible control and psychological pressure constricted a person, Han Ji-hye shuddered, saying, "It feels like being caught in a trap you can't get out of," and Shin So-yul expressed outrage, saying, "Gaslighting and manipulating someone makes me so furious I'm trembling."
They even brazenly made Hu-bin check a fake Supreme Prosecutors' Office website. The official documents, seals and case classification were all fake, but the sense of crisis was maximized. Moreover, as Hu-bin was preparing for the public service exam, the fear that ignoring their story could become a disqualifying reason and prevent him from becoming a civil servant became a huge pressure. In the end, Hu-bin had no choice but to think he had to actively cooperate with the investigation to clear his name.
The fake prosecutor Kim Min-soo told Hu-bin he had to prove his accounts were unrelated to the financial scam and moved him to a bank, ordering him to cancel a time deposit, which led him to withdraw 4.2 million won from an ATM. Then he told Hu-bin to move to the Financial Supervisory Service in Seoul, tightening the trap. Faced with relentless gaslighting, Shin So-yul said in shock, "I can't breathe."
Hu-bin put 4.2 million won in cash and his belongings in a parcel locker at a community service center under the fake Kim Min-soo's instructions. After being told to wait at a coffee shop, contact with the fake Kim Min-soo was cut off. Waiting at a coffee shop in Seoul, he eventually returned home and took his own life. His note contained fear of being implicated in crime and a sense of injustice. He did not even know he was a victim of voice phishing. AtHeart's Arin said she understood the phrase "not suicide but murder," expressing regret that he likely felt silent pressure without realizing he was being scammed.
Hu-bin's suicide and his mother's anguished cry moved the investigative team. A tracking effort began from a single gathering photo, and the fake Kim Min-soo and the fake investigator Lee Dohyun were arrested at a hideout. Seeing their brazen demeanor even at the time of arrest, Han Ji-hye, who is also the wife of a real prosecutor, said in anger, "Have they given up being human?" In the appeal trial that followed, the fake Kim Min-soo and the fake investigator Lee Dohyun received final sentences of five years six months and six years, respectively, leaving a sense of disappointment. The reason for the reduced sentences was said to be that they reached settlements with other victims.
Meanwhile, Kkokkomu introduced the rapidly advancing AI voice cloning technology and warned of the potential evolution of voice-phishing crimes. The three MCs Jang Hyun-sung, Jang Seongkyu and Jang Do-youn said, "We hope this broadcast helps even a little in making voice-phishing crimes disappear," conveying the Kkokkomu production team's intent and raising the program's significance.
After the broadcast, various social media and online communities reacted strongly with comments such as, "Punishment for voice phishing is really too weak. The law needs to change," "This is really murder. A five-year sentence is unacceptable," "Playing with people's lives is truly demonic," "If he was preparing for public service it must have been scarier. Eleven hours on the phone is unbelievable," "AI voice is really creepy. I would definitely be fooled," "The person who deceives is at fault; the victim is not guilty," and "Kkokkomu handles these things really well. This should be shown in schools."
Meanwhile, Kkokkomu is a program in which three storytellers study on their own and convey what they felt to their respective "story friends" one-on-one in the most everyday spaces, and it airs every Thursday at 10:20 p.m. on SBS.
[Photo] SBS
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