Concerns Over Teen Sexual Exploitation Crime Hotspots
Calls Grow for Legal and Institutional Reforms
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Amid ongoing concerns about sexual violence in virtual metaverse (extended virtual world) spaces, a bill has been introduced to explicitly include punishment regulations for sexual crimes committed against avatars and similar entities in the law.
On the 12th, independent lawmaker Min Hyung-bae proposed the "Partial Amendment to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes" to strengthen victim protection. The main point of the bill is that anyone who engages in sexual acts in spaces created for virtual characters to operate will face imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million won.
Current law stipulates punishment for those who use communication media to cause sexual shame or disgust through words, sounds, or images with the intent to satisfy sexual desire. However, regulations regarding sexual crimes against avatars within the metaverse are not clearly defined.
According to market research firm Nielsen, among users of Zepeto, the most popular metaverse service in Korea last year, 70% are aged 7 to 18. By gender, 77% are female. On Roblox, 63% are aged 7 to 18, and 55% are female. This highlights the urgent need for legal measures to protect these users.
The Police University’s Institute of Security Policy Research has already noted that sexual crimes targeting teenagers, the main user group of the metaverse, are occurring within the metaverse. They expressed concern that with technological advancements, metaverse platforms could become hotbeds for various sexual exploitation crimes. Actual cases reported include male avatars removing female avatars' clothes down to their underwear and simulating groping, or male avatars coercing minors to send body photos under the pretext of providing game items to produce sexual exploitation materials.
According to overseas legislative and judicial case materials on digital sexual crimes received by lawmaker Min from the National Assembly Legislative Research Office, no legislative cases addressing punishment for sexual crimes occurring within the metaverse have yet been confirmed abroad. Experts believe that considering the anonymity and rapid growth of the metaverse, sexual crimes against children and adolescents are likely to worsen. A representative from the Institute of Security Policy Research stated, "Current ethical and legal responses to acts occurring in the metaverse have limitations," adding, "There needs to be a government-wide discussion on establishing ethical conduct standards and legal systems for the metaverse." The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to conduct a survey this year on the actual damage caused by child and adolescent sexual exploitation materials in the metaverse and strengthen the response system to eradicate sexual crimes against children and adolescents based on the findings.
Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT also said, "Along with preparing for the impact of the metaverse industry, sufficient measures are needed for the hidden dark side," and added, "We will discuss user protection policy measures through the metaverse inter-ministerial consultative body and promote the improvement of legal systems."
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