SEOUL, South Korea — On Wednesday, the South Korean government unveiled a set of measures aimed at addressing the alarming rise in deepfake pornography. This initiative includes stricter penalties for offenders, the deployment of more undercover officers, and enhanced regulations for social media platforms.
The issue of nonconsensual explicit content, particularly those involving digital manipulation, has become increasingly pressing in South Korea, especially following the circulation of unverified lists of schools with victims online back in August. This situation has left many girls and women feeling vulnerable, prompting them to delete pictures and videos from social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. Activists also organized protests to demand stronger protections against deepfake porn.
In response to the growing concern, President Yoon Suk Yeol acknowledged the rapid proliferation of explicit deepfake materials and directed officials to eradicate these digital sexual offenses. To contribute to this objective, law enforcement has initiated a specialized operation that will extend for seven months, concluding in March 2025.
The task force stated that the government is collaborating with lawmakers to amend legal statutes to impose harsher penalties on those involved in deepfake pornography. Notably, a recent law was revised to penalize individuals who possess or view deepfake porn with imprisonment of up to three years for the first time. Furthermore, the penalty for producing or distributing deepfake material has been heightened from five to seven years behind bars.
This year alone, law enforcement has arrested 506 suspects, with a significant portion—411—being teenagers. The task force also announced plans to implement undercover online investigations, even in cases where the victims are adults, as existing laws only permit such measures when the individuals involved are minors. Additionally, revisions are being proposed to allow authorities to seize profits generated from deepfake pornography enterprises.
Moreover, the task force aims to impose fines on social media outlets more rigorously if they fail to control the dissemination of deepfake content and other illegal materials.
Experts attribute the widespread nature of deepfake pornography in South Korea to various factors, including robust smartphone usage, a lack of thorough education on sex and human rights in schools, insufficient regulations regarding social media use among minors, as well as deeply ingrained misogyny and cultural norms that objectify women.