You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 625

You Have Been Defended – Episode 625

[Kim Mi-ja’s Claims of ‘Sexual Exploitation’ Were True]

[Japanese Police Rescue Total of 56 Children… Many Are Minors]

[Japanese Police Arrest Korean Middle-Aged Man in Charge at the Scene]

[Is the Korean Middle-Aged Man the ‘Han Director’ Kim Mi-ja Mentioned?]

The first article was released as breaking news in Japan.

Shortly after, a lengthy article appeared to have been published.

It seemed that Korean media outlets had transcribed the contents of that lengthy article.

[Cha Ju-han: Jackpot

Pyo Junseo: Wow

Woo Min-jeong: Wowㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Yang SooGeun: Timing ㄷㄷㄷ [Korean slang expressing amazement]

Jeong Min-jun: The world is helping the broadcast

BabySquirrelJonghyun: Wow, that’s a relief

WantToEatDriedSaury: That’s greatㅠㅠ]

As Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon displayed the article on the screen, viewers’ comments flooded in like a tidal wave.

Beeep.

And right on cue, an email arrived for me.

[Dear Attorney, I’m not sure if the article has been published in Korea yet, but all the children from Angel House have been rescued.

The rescued children have been transferred to the hospital first, and once they are somewhat stable, the police will proceed with identifying them and conducting investigations.

You must have been overwhelmed with having to worry about preparing Kim Mi-ja’s exposé and ensuring the rescue of the Angel House children went smoothly. I’m writing to tell you that you can now rest assured.

I also wrote an article, and I’m attaching the link at the bottom of this email in case you’re curious. It’s a Japanese article, but translation tools are pretty good these days, so please check it out.

I was so focused on the rescue of the Angel House children that I couldn’t keep up with the content of Kim Mi-ja’s broadcast, but from the articles, it seems to be progressing smoothly.

You’ve worked so hard.

Both you and I will be even busier in the future, but let’s all 힘내세요 [him-nae-se-yo: a Korean expression of encouragement, meaning ‘Let’s 힘내 (him-nae: cheer up/hang in there)’].]

It was an email from Kirihara.

Clicking the attached link brought up the screen of the Kyokuto Shimbun website, where she was affiliated.

[56 Victims of Sexual Exploitation at “Angel House” Rescued

Wooshin, a major Korean conglomerate, not only engaged in organ trafficking using children from its affiliated orphanage, ‘Angel House,’ but also perpetrated human trafficking, including sexual bribery.

Following Oda Tomiko’s revelations that Wooshin had been providing sexual favors to Japanese and Korean political and business figures such as Oda Satoshi and Onodera Masao, Japanese police raided the residence where the ‘Angel House’ children were being held.

The Japanese police rescued 56 victims and arrested a Korean middle-aged man and three Japanese individuals who were guarding the residence. Of the victims, 48 are female and 8 are male, with 21 believed to be minors.

Currently, the police are…]

The translation tool’s performance is quite decent.

It seemed fine to reveal on the broadcast as is, so I forwarded the link to Kim Jeong-woo.

“I was wondering how the Angel House children, who were mobilized for sexual exploitation, were doing and how their rescue was progressing. It’s such welcome news,” Choi Jong-hyun said, checking the original article Kim Jeong-woo had posted.

“First of all, all the children have been rescued. That’s such a relief.”

[Go Sang-jun: That’s it!!!!!

WooshinElectronics: Oh, that’s such a relief

cownew: Wowㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Jeong Min-wook Man: All you bastards who said Kim Mi-ja was lying, come out and bow your heads

cownew: ㅋㅋㅋㅋKeep running your mouths

EunjooMin: They ran away so fast

Park Jae-hyung: What can they even say? They’re probably trembling in fear of being sued for insultㅋㅋㅋㅋ

WantToEatDriedSaury: Where in the world is there more obvious evidence than this?

BringBackHandsomeAttorney: So glad…]

“Ms. Kim Mi-ja, the article says that all 56 of the rescued children. Do you happen to know the total number of children?”

Jo Bong-joon asked, but Kim Mi-ja was still focused on one side of the screen, her eyes moving busily.

She seemed to be searching for and reading related articles.

She had one hand over her mouth, so her expression wasn’t visible, but her eyes were filled with tears.

Only the sound of her sobbing breaths could be heard intermittently through the microphone.

─Ah, *sob*, *sniff*… I’m sorry. I wanted to know if the children were really okay, so I ended up looking for articles… *sigh*… Am I crying too much……?

“No, not at all. You must have been very worried, so it’s only natural that you’re happy. It’s perfectly understandable. If it were me, I probably wouldn’t have been able to proceed with the broadcast from the start because I’d be crying too much?”

Choi Jong-hyun joked, and Kim Mi-ja burst into a soft laugh.

─I’m okay now. What was the question?

“Are you really okay?”

─Yes, yes. I’m really okay. Please ask your question.

“I asked if the number of Angel House children you knew was 56, as stated in the article.”

─Ah, yes. That’s right. The last number I knew was also 56. It seems like every single one of them was rescued. I hope the children are healthy…….

“We received some sudden news during the broadcast, and it’s truly a relief. I hope all the victims can receive a healthy and safe investigation.”

Choi Jong-hyun, who was organizing the cue sheets, checked that it was the last page and glanced at his watch.

“That’s the end of what we’ve prepared for today. What did everyone think?”

[Guyeonsan: I just think Go Sang-jun and his cronies are fucking bastardsㅋㅋ

Chris Park: Watching the level of some viewers made me lose my faith in humanity

cownew: The conclusion is that we just need to kill Wooshin and all the bastards who took things from Wooshin

Myeongseok Shin: The world is going crazy]

Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon displayed the prepared materials and took time to summarize her statements.

“We’ve shared some very shocking stories today. I can only imagine how fearful and anxious Kim Mi-ja must have been while preparing to blow the whistle. I want to applaud Kim Mi-ja’s courage for taking all of this and choosing to come out into the world.”

[BringBackHandsomeAttorney: ㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉ [Tsk tsk tsk – Korean expression of disapproval]

WantToEatDriedSaury: You’re really amazingㅉㅉㅉ [Tsk tsk tsk]

ParsongsongGyerantak: ㅉㅉㅉ [Tsk tsk tsk]

Chris Park: It’s just my personal wish, but… I hope she doesn’t get punished since she said she was an accomplice]

“That’s all we have prepared for today. Ms. Kim Mi-ja, is there anything you would like to say?”

[WhatAreYouDoing: Why do you keep giving speaking rights to a criminal?ㅋㅋ

Sighㅋㅋ: If the evidence is so irrefutable, why report it to this small, insignificant internet broadcast instead of the police?

GarbageReporterOut: They’re trying to bury their academic forgery by spreading sensational content, pretending to be for justice ㄴㄴ [No no]

TrashBroadcast: If you really wanted to let the world know, you should have held a press conference, what are you doing on this third-rate internet broadcast?ㅋㅋㅋ

WantToEatDriedSaury: Ugh, insults are too good for them

ChiefDetective: Does your ruined life get any better by doing that?ㅋㅋㅋ

Lee Young-min: They’re just stubbornly standing their ground because they’re embarrassed about all the fuss they’ve made until nowㅋㅋㅋㅋ

YuYuYu: ㅉㅉㅉ [Tsk tsk tsk] A pathetic life, relieving the sorrow of being rejected by society by tapping away at a keyboard on the internet]

It was quiet for a while, but as the broadcast showed signs of wrapping up, they reappeared.

Now that they can’t dismiss it as a delusion or demand evidence, they seem to be questioning Kim Mi-ja’s sincerity this time.

I’ve already confirmed several times that there are quite a few people who blindly support Wooshin as a national hero without receiving a single penny.

So it’s not surprising, but it’s quite astonishing that they don’t realize their logic is becoming increasingly weak and crude.

Kim Mi-ja’s eyes turned to the corner again.

She seemed to be reading the chat.

─There are people who are wondering why I came on this broadcast instead of holding a press conference or reporting to a more influential media outlet. Can I answer that question instead of making a closing statement?

[Chris Park: You don’t have to explain to those morons one by one, just say what you want to say

WantToEatDriedSaury: That’s right

BongjoonAhLetsGoToSchool: Moron is too good for them, they’re almost at the amoeba levelㅋㅋ

Lee Dong-hwan: Stupidity + ruined life + garbage personality = that’s how pathetic you becomeㄷㄷㄷ [Korean slang expressing amazement]]

─I explained on the last broadcast why I decided to report to the two of you. I said that I wanted the conversation to be spread as widely as possible.

“Yes, you did.”

─I couldn’t say it explicitly then, but now that it’s possible, I’ll tell you as it is.

Kim Mi-ja picked up the water bottle next to her and moistened her throat.

─I don’t have the ability to see through the world, and I lack knowledge. But I heard many stories both when I was being sexually exploited at the lounge and when I was a manager. And I realized one thing. These people think they can manipulate this world as they please.

“That’s right. They’ve always done it, so they have accumulated data and have confidence.”

─Yes. They can prevent the hammer of the law by spreading money to the political and business circles. They can prevent the world’s criticism by spreading money to the media. Since the political, business, and media circles are all on their side, their belief that they can manipulate the world may not be arrogance. In fact, people who once had to impose heavy sentences on them or reveal their charges were shoulder to shoulder with them at that lounge, drinking and discussing their future together.

Kim Mi-ja continued in a calm voice.

─Someone once said that the public, who are not journalists, do not have time to investigate and explore every incident in every field, so they delegate that role to the media.

As Kim Mi-ja finished speaking, Kang Min-jae, Manager Oh, and Kim Jeong-woo all turned their gaze to me.

It was what I had said on this broadcast when I was falsely accused of murdering Lee Jeong-chan.

I didn’t know Kim Mi-ja had seen that video.

─That’s why media companies get their hands on a lot of information before the world knows it. Whether they release that information, when they release it, or whether they just don’t release it at all is up to the media company. And chaebols [large South Korean conglomerates] can move those media companies as they please with simple actions like placing or withdrawing advertisements. I have watched countless times as they plotted and chuckled.

She spoke calmly and fluently.

─What if I had gone to a large media company? If I sent them an email, that email would have gone straight to Wooshin. My IP information would have gone with it. Then Wooshin would have quickly figured out where I was. Would I have been able to say everything so freely as I am now?

Wooshin would have tried to carefully observe Kim Mi-ja’s appearance the moment she revealed herself in the video call.

More precisely, the background behind her.

To figure out where she was based on that.

Pinpointing a location with trivial information isn’t that difficult in this day and age, is it?

That’s why we put up a large panel behind her so that nothing but Kim Mi-ja would be visible.

Even if we control the routes to approach her and hide her in a foreign country thousands of miles away, we have to be careful like this, one by one.

But a major media company?

That’s absurd.

─A press conference? Would I even have been able to show up at the conference? I know all of Wooshin’s ugly secrets. Wooshin would rather be suspected of killing me than have this revealed. Wooshin always has people lined up to take their place, right? In the end, even if I die, Wooshin won’t have to take any responsibility.

“That’s right. Even though they raided the organ trafficking site and arrested everyone, and there was a lot of evidence, it took a tremendous amount of time for Go Sang-jun and Go Yoon-soo to become suspects.”

Choi Jong-hyun chimed in.

─Yes. Above all, if I had handed over the evidence and testified to a large media company, the truth would have been edited and distorted. So I wanted my testimony to be broadcast without being cut off. To do that, I couldn’t be restricted by broadcast time.

While preparing the sexual exploitation exposé, we had many concerns about broadcasting Kim Mi-ja’s direct appearance and testimony.

There was no disagreement that it would be a shocking image, but Choi Jong-hyun said that he couldn’t do it, thinking of her and her family.

However, Kim Mi-ja strongly appealed that she wanted to appear in person, saying that if she went straight to the police, the detailed contents would not be disclosed.

─Besides here, there must be other media outlets that are not swayed by Wooshin’s money. But could it have become such a big issue like this?

Kim Mi-ja closed her eyes and shook her head firmly.

─In this situation, how fortunate is it that there is such a broadcast that is not swayed by Wooshin’s money and has a large impact? Rather, I’m curious as to why I wouldn’t choose this broadcast.

Even those who persistently tried to find fault with Kim Mi-ja and attack her will now have nothing to say.

Even if they do, it will only be crude criticism that lacks even the minimum of logic.

─Even at the moment Wooshin’s misdeeds were revealed, many people dismissed everything as a conspiracy theory. I fully understand the desire to turn a blind eye to the terrible truth. But if you keep turning a blind eye, nothing will change. People like me, young children who had to lie on the operating table, will be born again. We have to stop it now. And that opportunity…… doesn’t come often.

She took a long, trembling breath and continued.

─It was so hard for me to admit that I was also an accomplice. I wanted to be a victim forever. But I appeared on the broadcast with the thought that I had to stop it before it was too late. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this… But the two of you here once said something like this… It was about what to do in case of death…….

Kim Mi-ja hesitated for a moment.

She seemed to want to say what Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon had said.

“Ah, that. It’s okay. Please feel free to speak.”

─You said that if you were to die suddenly, you had filmed a video containing all the facts you had investigated about Wooshin so far, hoping that the contents would be revealed to the world.

[BongjoonAhLetsGoToSchool: ㅅㅂ [Korean swear word] Why are you dying, hyung [older brother/male friend]!!!

ChoiJonghyun’sWig: You have to live until all your hair falls out, what are you talking aboutㅡㅡ

ApolloFollower: What do you mean die ㅅㅂ [Korean swear word] Live until you’re smearing shit on the walls]

“No, I just made it in case. There were so many ominous things happening.”

Jo Bong-joon glanced at me slyly.

I had made a will a long time ago saying, ‘If I die, it was murdered by Wooshin.’

Then, when the danger started to spread to those around me, I thought other people might need such a device and suggested it.

But how fortunate is it that I’m alive and doing a live broadcast like this without having to use it?

─I’d like to say something since I have the opportunity. I’m not going to commit suicide. I’m not going to suddenly deny the manipulation, and I’m not going to reverse my testimony. I have not been threatened by forces trying to harm Wooshin, and I have decided to expose everything of my own free will. I 꼭 [kkok: definitely/certainly]… I 꼭 [kkok: definitely/certainly] hope you remember that.

When I first met Kim Mi-ja, she hated herself.

Trapped in the shadows of the past, she thought she was worthless unless she was the wife of a powerful man.

She was afraid of acknowledging the past and facing it objectively, so she tried to choose death instead.

That’s why I felt, even if only slightly, how painful a time she had spent to become who she is now.

She was stronger than anyone else.

─……And now I would like to express my gratitude to those who helped me admit my mistakes and told me what I had to do. It’s okay if you doubt my sincerity. But I 꼭 [kkok: definitely/certainly] hope you know that there are people who are risking their lives in places where light does not shine, working to make this world a little better.