"'Could It Be My Face Too?' Deepfake Pornography, List of Affected Schools Emerges... Growing Anxiety"

National Police Agencies Nationwide Proceeding with Related Investigations One After Another

Concerns about 'deepfake porn' created by synthesizing photos of acquaintances or social network service (SNS) users have recently spread across the country. The list of victim cases submitted to a reporting room includes the names of over 300 schools nationwide. Police investigations have also begun in some areas. The controversy is expected to continue spreading.

On the 26th, a public account on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which has brought attention to the issue of deepfake porn, posted a list of schools known to have been victims of deepfake porn distributed through a Telegram chat room.

Participants in the problematic Telegram chat room reportedly shared photos not only of friends and teachers within the same group but also of relatives for the purpose of producing pornographic material.

Photos of others, which can be easily obtained through public SNS accounts as well as those of acquaintances, are also being exploited to create deepfake porn.

As deepfake porn crimes are rampant, police agencies nationwide are conducting related investigations one after another.

The police plan to respond strictly with a zero-tolerance policy, as it is difficult to prevent crimes involving the production and distribution of deepfake porn in a culture where sharing daily life through photos and videos on SNS is well established. Preventive education will also be thoroughly continued. On this day, Kim Bong-sik, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said at a regular press briefing, "We plan to educate students in cooperation with the city education office that this is a serious criminal act punishable by law, and that having such a criminal record can be a major obstacle in future social life."

Those caught producing or distributing deepfake porn can be sentenced to up to five years in prison or fined up to 50 million won under the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.

If the victim is a minor, the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse applies, resulting in harsher penalties such as life imprisonment or imprisonment for five years or more.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is promoting victim support measures that delete deepfake porn uploaded to illegal filming tracking systems of investigative agencies.