Online hunt for Cornell sexual-assault defendant spreads to South Korean communities
Social media users in the United States are urging Korean internet users to help identify Winston Lee, one of seven defendants in a Cornell University sexual-assault lawsuit. The cross-border search has produced claims about his name, education and military service, but the material circulating online remains largely unverified.
An online effort to gather information about Winston Lee, one of seven defendants in a sexual-assault lawsuit involving Cornell University, has spread from the United States to South Korean and Korean-American internet communities. English-language social media users have asked Korean users to help identify Lee and investigate his background. The requests have focused on his Korean name, education, military service and current whereabouts.
Some users have circulated a purported Korean name for Lee, but it has not been independently verified. Online posts have also linked him to Seoul Foreign School and UWC Atlantic in Wales. A LinkedIn profile attributed to him lists service in the Republic of Korea Army, while Cornell’s directory lists Lee as a student.
Social media users have claimed that Lee has returned to campus and is attending classes, but the supplied material does not independently confirm those claims. The search is part of a broader crowdsourced effort involving all seven defendants. Their names, photographs, workplaces and personal histories have circulated widely online, and a dedicated website has publicised information about the group.
Lee’s reported links to South Korea have given the effort an international dimension. Users are searching across languages and online communities for information that has not been readily available in the United States. The activity has also prompted the circulation of unverified claims about Lee’s identity and family.
The Korea Times first published the account, according to the supplied material.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.