The incident known as 'Red Sister (红姐·홍제)' that occurred in Nanjing, China, is spreading widely on social media platforms such as TikTok and Weibo, drawing social attention. This case, where a 30-year-old man disguised as a woman lured men he approached through online chatting into his home to engage in sexual relations, and then illegally filmed and distributed it, is causing secondary damage due to indiscriminate doxxing of the men appearing in the videos by internet users. Additionally, there are analyses suggesting that one background of this incident is the increasing number of people feeling emotional emptiness due to excessive materialism and harsh social realities, which hinder the formation of genuine human relationships.
According to the Nanjing Public Security Bureau on the 24th, the suspect in the Red Sister incident is a 38-year-old man surnamed Zhao (焦), with a total of 237 men having been victimized by illegal filming due to Zhao's actions. The police are investigating whether there are additional victims. Initially, it was reported online that he was a man in his 60s and that the number of victims reached 1,700, but authorities stated that this was an exaggerated figure.
According to local media, the reason he could deceive others as a woman, despite his large build and masculine face, was due to a 'filter camera' and voice modulation. He wore a long wig, heavy makeup, and a long skirt, applying real-time video effects to enhance his face while modulating his voice to transform into a woman. Branding his bright red makeup as a trademark, he referred to himself as 'Hongjie (붉은 언니)', but after it was revealed that he was a man, internet users began calling him 'Honglaotou (红老头·붉은 아저씨).'
According to the Taiwanese magazine Yuanjian, he approached men through real-time broadcasts or private messages on social media, building relationships. As conversations deepened, he lured men to his home in Nanjing by proposing sexual relations without monetary compensation. During these encounters, he illegally filmed the entire process and uploaded the videos to paid pornography sites, making a profit.
The videos he distributed are spreading rapidly. According to the local media Jimu News in China, the videos are being sold for between 0.5 to 3 yuan each on social media, and websites that distribute the videos for free to generate traffic are also emerging.
As the videos spread, there are cases where the identities of the men affected are being revealed, leading to 'social death.' A 25-year-old man recently acknowledged on social media that he was indeed a victim of illegal filming, stating, 'I decided to confess everything due to numerous messages, and my life has become a mess. I am planning to move to another city away from Nanjing.' He then pleaded for the distribution of photos and videos taken without his consent to stop.
On social media, alongside information about another man appearing in the video, stories have circulated that he had a girlfriend for three years and had even completed formal introductions for marriage, but after the video was released, he faced a broken engagement. As excessive doxxing of the male victims continued, Chinese media reported that the act of distributing such videos is clearly illegal and those caught could be punished.
Among internet users, the act of mocking the men in the videos by giving them disparaging nicknames and consuming scenes where they brought gifts to Hongjie, conversed with her, or had altercations has spread, continuously reproducing secondary creations related to the incident.
Media in Greater China analyze that the Red Sister incident highlights various chronic issues within Chinese society. First and foremost is the critique of distorted sexual desires. One of the men in the video, despite learning that Hongjie was actually a man, still engaged in relations saying, 'Since I'm already here (来都来了),' and this statement has gone viral as an internet meme. This meme has become a phrase expressing the context of continuing an action despite knowing it is wrong because one cannot waste the time or costs already paid.
Analyses suggest that the charming and kind act performed by Hongjie that attracted men stemmed from many men's feelings of emotional emptiness due to the materialistic basis of current gender relationships in China.
Hong Kong media Hong Kong 01 quoted experts saying, 'Mr. Zhao must have made the men feel treated well by actively complimenting them with a gentle and warm demeanor, making them feel happy.' It noted, 'Through interactions, he satiated the psychological and emotional needs of the men, breaking down their barriers.' Lu Zihua (路子豪), a critic from Shenzhen Satellite Broadcasting in China, commented, 'Hongjie diluted the illegality of his actions by adding a motherly warmth and unconditional acceptance, packaged as free, leading the emotionally distorted victims to compromise even after learning he was a man.'
The culture of online invading the private lives of victims has also been pointed out as a significant issue. Jimu News remarked, 'This incident should serve as a starting point for society to reflect deeply. What role did those who created falsehoods, those who spread them, and the platforms play in this bizarre uproar?' It added, 'How can we prevent virtual identities from becoming a breeding ground for malice, and what needs to be done to ensure innocent individuals do not suffer?' These are critical issues that make us reflect on morality in the digital age and social safety.'
Meanwhile, Hongjie has been detained on charges of distributing obscene material and is under investigation since being arrested on the 5th. According to Sina News, if it is recognized that he knowingly engaged in sexual relations while aware of his sexually transmitted infection, and if a victim dies due to the infection, the perpetrator could be prosecuted for threatening public safety and could face the death penalty.