Deepfake porn is destroying real lives in South Korea
South Korea is grappling with a surge in deepfake crimes, particularly targeting women and minors. In 2024, over 800 cases of deepfake sex crimes were reported, a significant increase from 156 in 2021. These crimes often involve AI-generated explicit images of individuals without their consent, shared widely on platforms like Telegram. One such group reportedly had around 220,000 members. Victims include students, teachers, and even family members, with perpetrators using social media photos to create these deepfakes. In response, South Korea passed a law in September 2024 criminalizing the possession or viewing of sexually explicit deepfake content, imposing penalties of up to three years in prison or fines up to 30 million won ($22,600). Creating such content now carries a maximum penalty of seven years, regardless of intent. Despite these measures, the prevalence of deepfake technology continues to pose challenges, with calls for more robust detection tools and legal frameworks to protect potential victims.
