"You can reference the person who forwarded it to you, but there is no penalty," said Kim Jeon-soo, a lawyer at Hanbyol Law LLC, emphasizing that there is not much legal risk for the informant. Kim believes that the captures themselves can be valid evidence in a defamation case, and that the performative nature of chat rooms makes them a good case.

However, he also pointed out that there is a possibility that the identity of the informant may be revealed through the examination of evidence during the investigation and trial process, and that the act of forwarding the capture may fall under the crime of breach of secrecy under the Information and Communications Network Act. Kim explained that in such cases, if the public interest purpose of reporting a crime is recognized, the illegality can be carved out, and in practice, the informant is rarely penalized.

He also recommended that victims of defamation should file a complaint within six months of knowing the perpetrator due to the nature of the crime of confidentiality, and that it is important to seek to recover actual damages through settlements in addition to criminal penalties. Kim recommended early legal consultation to preserve evidence and take measures to prevent identity exposure.