Reform New Party's Lee Jun-seok, Sole Dissenting Vote
Deepfake Video Distribution Prevention Law Also Passed
Undercover investigations, previously permitted only for digital sex crimes against children or adolescents, will now be extended to include adults. A bill to prevent the distribution of deepfake sex crime videos also passed the National Assembly plenary session.
On the 14th, the partial amendment bill to the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes was passed in the plenary session of the National Assembly. Photo by Yonhap News
On the afternoon of the 14th, the National Assembly held a plenary session and passed the Partial Amendment to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (Special Act on Sexual Violence) with 272 votes in favor and 1 against out of 273 members present. Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party, cast the opposing vote.
The amendment to the Special Act on Sexual Violence expands the exceptions for undercover investigations with concealed identity and disguised identity, which were previously recognized only for digital sex crimes against children and adolescents, to include digital sex crimes against adults. The bill was prepared in response to concerns that digital sex crimes have recently occurred indiscriminately against both adults and adolescents, and that it is difficult to secure evidence through conventional investigation methods. However, the undercover investigation period is limited to a maximum of one year. After the initial three months of investigation, the police must apply for an extension of the investigation period through the prosecution, and the prosecution must request approval from the court.
The amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., aimed at preventing the distribution of deepfake videos, was also passed unanimously with 281 votes in favor out of 281 members present. This bill expands the scope of the Korea Communications Commission’s (KCC) authority to order communication service providers to suspend posting of videos to include edited works, composites, processed materials, and child and adolescent sexual exploitation materials.
Additionally, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the KCC are mandated to assess the actual damage caused by synthetic videos, such as sexual crimes, defamation, and fraud, and to promote technology development, education, and publicity to prevent the distribution of synthetic videos. The government may also recommend improvements and supplements to the self-regulation guidelines for information and communication service providers.
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