'Elementary Teacher Requested Deepfake' Controversy Spreads
School Officials Claim, "No Evidence of Teacher" and Express Injustice
A photo suspected to have been requested for deepfake synthesis using the faces of elementary school students. [Photo source=Captured from online community]
An elementary school teacher is under controversy after allegations surfaced that they requested deepfake photo synthesis using their own students.
Recently, a post titled "Teacher involved in making deepfake of elementary students" has been spreading across online communities.
According to the post, a person claiming to be an elementary school teacher named A recently uploaded a group photo of their class along with the students' real names on a certain website and requested deepfake photo synthesis. A publicly revealed the real names of the female students, excluding the male students, and left sexually harassing comments such as "one of the top X-mangju (promising entertainers in nightlife establishments)."
The photos requested by A were immediately turned into deepfakes and recorded over 9,500 views. The post attracted unabashed sexually harassing comments mentioning specific female body parts, as well as responses evaluating appearances like "OOO is the best."
The comments were captured and spread across various online communities, prompting calls for immediate investigation. One netizen expressed anger, saying, "A teacher who should protect children requested deepfakes. Whoever it is must be caught and their identity revealed." Another netizen wrote, "Leaving aside the teacher role, this person has lost their human qualifications. I will watch how the investigative agencies handle this."
Photo Background Analysis... Identified the School
Netizens traced the background in the photo and estimated the school. [Photo source=Online community capture]
Netizens analyzed the background in the photo uploaded by A and identified the school as B Elementary School located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. During this process, they discovered that the chairs in the photo closely resembled those at the actual school, confirming it as B Elementary School. Netizens are sharing the school's phone number, urging others to spread the information widely to help catch the culprit.
Upon learning of this news, parents were gripped by fear. A netizen who said their child attends a nearby elementary school commented, "I can't even trust the teachers. I'm scared to send my child to school." Another netizen wrote, "I'm so afraid that my child might also be a victim."
School Announces Strong Response
As the controversy spread, the school announced a strong response. A representative from B Elementary School told Asia Economy on the 4th via phone, "We became aware of the incident on the 2nd and reported it to the police, the education office, and other agencies on the 3rd. We will take necessary measures after investigating the facts." They also explained, "We have received calls from concerned parents, but no damage reports have been filed."
The school also expressed frustration. A school official said, "There is no evidence that the person who wrote the post is a teacher. Anyone can upload photos, not just teachers. It is completely unconfirmed when, who, or what was photographed." They added, "It is insulting to be labeled as a 'deepfake school' when nothing has been proven." In fact, whether the author of the post is a teacher has not been confirmed.
Meanwhile, most deepfake victims are known to be teenagers. According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Yang Bu-nam, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 30th of last month, there were a total of 527 deepfake crime victims over three years from 2021 to last year. Among them, 315 victims (59.8%) were teenagers, far exceeding half. This is significantly higher compared to 90 victims in their 20s, 28 in their 30s, and 6 in their 40s. The number of teenage victims has been rapidly increasing: 53 in 2021, 81 in 2022, and 181 last year.
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