"Free Netflix"... Gang Operating Illegal Content Sites That Earned 5.3 Billion Won Arrested

[Financial News] A group that operated an 'illegal content hub site' aggregating copyright-infringing sites for movies, dramas, and webtoons, thereby undermining the creative ecosystem, has been apprehended by the police. They earned more than 5 billion won by posting banner ads for online gambling sites on their hub.
The Criminal Investigation Mobile Unit of the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency announced on the 8th that it had arrested eight people, including the ringleader Mr. A (48), on charges of violating copyright law, and detained four of them.
According to the police, Mr. A and his associates operated illegal content hub sites that provided unauthorized access to domestic movies, dramas, and webtoons from terrestrial broadcasting and Over-the-top media service (OTT) platforms. These hubs also allowed users to access sites offering sexual exploitation material, pornography, and various other illegal services, including online gambling sites.
They ranked illegal sites similar to Noonoo TV and, in return for placing banner ads for online gambling sites at the top, received an average monthly advertising fee of 3 million won from the operators of 32 online gambling sites.
From October last year to July this year, they amassed a total of 5.29 billion won using these methods.
To evade investigation, they moved their operation offices between apartments and villas every six months.
In addition to profiting from online gambling site advertisements, they were also charged with directly operating an online gambling site.
Based on intelligence regarding illegal content sites, the police launched an investigation and sequentially apprehended the members by analyzing records from borrowed bank accounts and burner phones used in the crimes.
Two members, including Mr. A, who fled overseas, were arrested at Incheon International Airport through a red notice issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and passport invalidation measures.
Choi Hyun-seok, head of the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency, emphasized, "The illegal distribution of content poses a serious threat to creators' intellectual property rights and can inflict significant damage on the entire cultural industry."
gaa1003@fnnews.com Ahn Ga-eul Reporter