Spread of "Damaged Tombstone" Photos at Sejong Eunhasu Park
Facilities Management Corporation: "Manipulated Image Before Marker Installation"
Tombstone Marker Still in Production...Only Chrysanthemums at the Site
A photo claiming that the tombstone marker of former Prime Minister Lee Haechan, who is buried at Eunhasu Park in Sejong City, had been damaged was shared online, but it has been confirmed that the image is a fake created and manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI). On the 3rd, several online communities and some social networking services (SNS) carried a photo showing a tombstone marker engraved with the phrase "Gravestone of the late 36th Prime Minister Lee Haechan" in a severely damaged state. In the photo, the tombstone appears broken with visible scratch marks on the surface, which quickly fueled suspicions that the deceased's grave had actually been vandalized.
Composite image (left) of the defaced grave marker of former Prime Minister Lee Haechan and the actual grave marker. Sejong City Facilities Management Corporation
However, verification revealed that the photo was not taken at the actual site, but is an image that was composited and manipulated using AI technology. According to the Sejong City Facilities Management Corporation, which manages Eunhasu Park, there is currently no tombstone marker installed at the former prime minister's gravesite. The Facilities Management Corporation stated, "The tombstone marker for former Prime Minister Lee Haechan is still being produced and is usually installed about a week after it is ordered," adding, "Officials have checked the site in person, and there is no damaged marker like the one shown in the photos circulating on the internet." It is reported that only chrysanthemums and a simple information sign are currently placed at the gravesite.
The corporation believes that the photo circulating online was likely composited based on an image of a temporary marker that the bereaved family had made for the burial ceremony on the 31st of last month and later removed. In fact, some photos taken immediately after the burial remain online, and based on these, it is highly likely that an AI image-generation tool was used to manipulate the scene into a "damaged tombstone." A representative of the Facilities Management Corporation said, "It appears to be a deliberately manipulated image intended to provoke political controversy or emotional reactions," and expressed concern that "if it spreads without fact-checking, it can cause great pain to both the bereaved family and the public."
AI Fake Images Penetrate Even Political and Memorial Spaces
Observers point out that this case is an extension of the recent surge in controversies over AI-generated composite images. Until now, AI-manipulated photos have mainly spread around the private lives of celebrities and public figures, or around crime and accident scenes, but recently the targets have expanded to political figures and memorial spaces. Previously overseas, there was a case where AI was used to fabricate massacre scenes that did not occur in a war zone and spread them on SNS, and in Korea as well, AI composite images that exaggerated or distorted scenes from a particular politician's rally were circulated, causing controversy.
On the 31st, at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, President Lee Jaemyung is wiping away tears as he follows the portrait procession with bereaved family members after the memorial service for former Prime Minister Lee Haechan. Yonhap News
This method fabricates protests that never took place, damaged facilities, and scenes of violence as if they were real, in order to inflame public opinion. In particular, spaces such as gravesites and memorial facilities are places where respect for the deceased and the bereaved should be a given, but AI composite images are undermining this kind of social consensus. Because of this uproar, not only the bereaved family but also citizens who had been mourning the deceased experienced considerable confusion and discomfort. Even though it has been revealed that no actual vandalism occurred, the images already posted and the sensational captions are not easily erased.
Urgent Need to Establish Social Standards for the Risks of AI Technology
In the end, the uproar over the alleged "vandalism of former Prime Minister Lee Haechan's grave" has become a case that simultaneously highlights the risks of AI technology and the responsibility of information consumers. In an environment where emotional reactions come before fact-checking, there is a growing chorus that it is urgent to establish social standards on "what to trust." Some also argue that this incident should be an opportunity to break away from the practice of "believing something is true just because you see an image."
As AI technology becomes more advanced, it has become virtually impossible for ordinary users to distinguish composites with the naked eye. The Facilities Management Corporation is also not ruling out the possibility of taking legal action against the spread of false information. A representative of the corporation said, "If clearly false information is repeatedly disseminated, it can be regarded as an act that damages the reputation of public facilities and the deceased," and added, "If necessary, we will cooperate with investigative authorities."
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