"Claims of Same University and Mostly Joseonjok Not True"
AI-Generated Videos Also Spread as If They Are Real Footage
Rumors have been spreading online regarding the educational background of 64 suspects repatriated from Cambodia to South Korea for their involvement in online scams. Some have claimed that, because 45 of them were transferred to the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, they are all alumni of a certain university in the Chungnam region. However, police have dismissed these allegations as false.
Koreans detained for involvement in online scams in Cambodia are being repatriated. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
An official from the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency stated, "The repatriated individuals became involved in the crimes through various channels, such as introductions from acquaintances and advertisements for high-paying part-time jobs, but there is no commonality in their alma maters."
It is believed that these rumors were influenced by the earlier case of Park, a South Korean university student who died after being lured to Cambodia by a criminal organization. Park, a student at University A, traveled to Cambodia through the introduction of a senior from the same university and became entangled with a criminal group, ultimately resulting in his death. As a large number of suspects were subsequently transferred to the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, which is investigating Park's case, misunderstandings about a connection between the incidents began to spread.
A representative from University A also emphasized, "Except for Park and his senior, no other students from our university are involved in the case," adding, "The claim that all 45 repatriated individuals are alumni of University A is also false."
There have also been claims online that most of those repatriated are ethnic Koreans of Chinese nationality (Joseonjok), but police have stated, "The assertion that most are Joseonjok is not true." However, they declined to confirm whether any Joseonjok are included or the number involved.
Spread of Repatriate Photos and Passport Images... "Difficult to Confirm Identity"
Suspects being extradited from Cambodia attending the detention hearing. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Meanwhile, photos circulating in online communities, purportedly showing the faces of the repatriated suspects, are also difficult to verify. The images in question were released by local police in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in September, when 48 members of an online scam ring were arrested. Local media outlet Khmer Times reported that these included 33 South Koreans.
As photos released by Cambodian authorities and images of confiscated passports spread on social media, they became associated with the recent repatriation. However, it has not been confirmed whether the individuals in the photos are the same as those repatriated.
AI-Generated Videos Spreading as If They Are Real Footage
Recently, videos created using artificial intelligence (AI) and related to Chen Zhi, chairman of Prince Group, who has been identified as being behind the Cambodian crime syndicate, have been circulating as if they are real footage. Unlike the original videos, which were clearly labeled as "AI-generated," these explanations have disappeared during sharing, leading to claims that "Chairman Chen Zhi is confidently walking around in public."
AI-generated videos exposing the grim reality of Cambodian crime compounds were also originally accompanied by explanations that they were "adapted based on actual public materials." However, as these videos have been shared across different platforms, such explanations have been omitted, causing them to spread as if they were real footage.
Lee Seungseon, professor of Media and Communication at Chungnam National University, stated, "Sensational information, including hate against specific groups, is attracting the attention of content consumers," adding, "Even if it takes time, consumers need to make an effort to verify the original sources of content."
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