The main perpetrators of the so-called ‘Seoul National University Deepfake’ (Seoul National University Nth Room) case, who created and distributed fake videos using photos of female alumni from Seoul National University, were sentenced to heavy prison terms in the first trial.
On the afternoon of the 30th, the Criminal Division 31 of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Park Jun-seok) sentenced the main defendant Park (40) to 10 years in prison on charges including violation of the Youth Protection Act (production and distribution of sexual exploitation materials). Co-defendant Kang (31), charged with violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (editing and distributing fake videos), was sentenced to 4 years in prison. They were also ordered to complete 80 hours of sexual violence treatment programs, disclose personal information for 5 years, and face employment restrictions in child and disability-related facilities for 5 years.
The court found all their actions guilty. The court stated, “The defendants committed a digital sex crime known as ‘acquaintance humiliation’ by creating fake obscene materials using photos of victims who were fellow students at the country’s top intellectual university and distributing them online,” adding, “Despite being treated with goodwill and kindness as schoolmates, they sexually humiliated and mocked the victims over a long period, destroying their dignity.”
Furthermore, the court ruled, “The fake obscene materials synthesized and distributed by the defendants are difficult for even third parties to determine as fake,” and “In assessing the extent of the victims’ harm, it is reasonable to consider it equivalent to the leakage of intimate photos of the actual victims.”
The court also rejected the defendants’ claims to consider mental factors such as exam stress, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and ADHD in sentencing. The court noted, “The defendants’ Telegram chat logs show they took various measures in preparation for investigation, and considering the completeness and content of their conversations, no special mental issues are evident.”
It emphasized, “Ordinary members of society are defenseless against such crimes except for refraining from posting photos on their SNS to avoid victimization,” and “Therefore, it is the judiciary’s duty to strictly punish the defendants to make society aware of the serious consequences of hiding behind anonymity and flagrantly disregarding law and morality, and to sound a warning to society.”
The Seoul National University Deepfake case involves Park and Kang, both Seoul National University alumni, who from July 2021 to April this year produced and distributed obscene materials by synthesizing photos of female alumni and others. Investigations revealed that the number of confirmed victims reached 61, including 12 Seoul National University alumni.
At the sentencing hearing held on the 26th of last month, the prosecution requested 10 years imprisonment for Park and 6 years for Kang. The prosecution stated, “The crime period was very long, the number of distributed videos was large, and the crimes were committed against acquaintances, causing great suffering to the victims,” and “Please consider the victims’ distress over the long period during which the videos circulated and the uncertainty about who might have seen them.”
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