According to a report by South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo on the 27th, President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that recently, deepfake videos targeting unspecified groups have been rapidly spreading via social media, with many victims being minors and most perpetrators being teenagers. He emphasized that malicious use of deepfake technology under the guise of anonymity is a criminal act and urged relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate and eliminate this form of digital crime.
Involvement Could Reach 220,000 People
According to KyungHyang Shinmun, deepfake crimes targeting women are becoming increasingly rampant in South Korea. These cases are not only emerging in university campuses but also in middle and high schools, military facilities, and other locations. Information about victimized schools and individuals is continually being leaked on social media platforms, particularly in Telegram groups.
The Hankyoreh reported that Park Ji-hyun, former co-chair of the emergency response committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, who previously exposed the Nth Room case, estimated that the number of people involved in deepfake crimes nationwide could reach 220,000 (including possible duplications), causing widespread fear and anxiety among women.
Yonhap News Agency reported that Telegram hosts numerous groups suspected of sharing obscene images, many of which are deepfake creations. According to Dong-A Ilbo, some groups even require participants to verify their status as active military personnel and exchange access for victim reactions to forged photos. The size of these groups varies, with some containing hundreds or thousands of members, while others exceed 100,000 participants. Victims include students, teachers, military personnel, and even minors. Over 100 schools have been listed as affected by these crimes, with the list, posted by an anonymous user, including both domestic schools and overseas Korean international schools.
Lack of Legal Awareness Among Students
The NoCut News website reported that from January to July this year, Seoul police opened cases against 10 teenagers over the age of 14 for deepfake-related offenses. They were accused of combining social media photos of female classmates with pornographic content to create and distribute deepfake material. Police in Jeollanam-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, Incheon, and other regions are also investigating suspects.
A Seoul Police Agency official stated that many teenagers, due to their excessive reliance on information technology and lack of legal awareness, participate in the creation and distribution of deepfake content, leading to a surge in such crimes within schools. The police plan to collaborate with educational departments to strengthen digital crime prevention education in schools, including informing students that distributing illegal synthetic materials is a serious crime, to deepen their understanding of digital sexual crimes.
KyungHyang Shinmun reported that although current South Korean law provides clear penalties for deepfake-related sexual crimes, government agencies have yet to implement stringent measures. The police noted that since Telegram servers are located abroad, and offenders can easily delete obscene images and their own posts, investigations are challenging. The South Korean police plan to actively crack down on these crimes, focusing efforts on the cyber sexual violence investigation teams in city and provincial police agencies.
Public Calls for Harsh Punishments
Amid the spread of deepfake-related sexual crimes, various sectors of South Korean society are urging the government to take stronger action. Park Ji-hyun called on the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to declare a state of emergency and mobilize all resources to eradicate deepfake-related sexual crimes. She suggested that temporarily blocking related platforms may be necessary to curb the spread of these crimes.
The Hankyoreh quoted the director of the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, who stated that in everyday settings such as schools and homes, illegal filming, distribution, synthesis, and sexual harassment are frequent occurrences, making it seem as though women are in a survival crisis. “Now is the time for collective action through education and platform regulation to address the issue.”
Teachers’ groups also called on the government to take action, noting that “students, unable to expect offenders to be punished or receive an appropriate response, are forced to take down their photos from social media themselves.” They expressed hope for a national-level reporting system and specialized investigation teams.
According to reports, the Women’s and Family Affairs Committee of the South Korean National Assembly announced on the 27th that it will hold an emergency countermeasure meeting in September to discuss solutions. A petition demanding harsh punishment for those responsible for sexual crimes on the Telegram platform has also appeared on the relevant website of the National Assembly.
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