Ministry of Justice Increases Budget for Deepfake Response by 1.2 Billion Won Next Year

Next Year's Budget 4.4774 Trillion Won... Increased Budget for Acquiring Deepfake and Drug Eradication Equipment

The Ministry of Justice has planned to increase next year's budget by 1.2 billion KRW compared to this year to respond to deepfake sex crimes. The budget for supporting crime victims will also be expanded by 6.5 billion KRW.

On the 4th, the Ministry of Justice announced that at the Cabinet meeting on the 27th of last month, the total expenditure for next year's budget was finalized at 4.4774 trillion KRW, an increase of 113.4 billion KRW (2.6%) from this year's 4.364 trillion KRW.

One of the key focus areas is the eradication of drug-related and advanced/intelligent crimes. The budget for introducing AI-based deepfake voice and video forgery analysis equipment was increased by 1.229 billion KRW from 11.021 billion KRW this year to 12.25 billion KRW next year. The budget for next-generation prosecution forensic research and research to strengthen early detection and response capabilities for signs of recidivism crimes was also expanded by 600 million KRW and 1.123 billion KRW, respectively. The budget for equipment introduction to block drug inflow and to strengthen international cooperation increased from 8.2 billion KRW to 9.6 billion KRW. Additionally, a new budget of 2.875 billion KRW was established for the advancement of the electronic monitoring location tracking system, and the budget for strengthening treatment for mental illness increased by about 1.1 billion KRW from 580 million KRW to 1.68 billion KRW.

The Ministry of Justice also increased the budget for rights protection of crime victims and vulnerable groups. Economic and legal support budgets were expanded by 2.048 billion KRW compared to this year by raising living and funeral expenses and doubling the support period from 6 months to 12 months. For the legal aid service platform, now in its third year, about twice the amount of this year's 4.239 billion KRW will be spent, totaling 8.834 billion KRW.

In addition, the budget for attracting and supporting foreign workers, early adaptation programs for immigrants, and completion of social integration programs will be increased by nearly 17.5 billion KRW compared to this year.