What is happening?
Amid its striking gender divide, South Korea is now battling a deepfake pornography crisis that indiscriminately targets women. Between January and July, the National Police Agency received 297 reports of deepfake sexual exploitation nationwide. The victims of deepfake creators include university students, teachers, and military personnel, who had their photos taken and, without their consent, altered to create sexually explicit videos and images shared in online group chats, notably on Telegram. President Yoon Suk Yeol called on the authorities to “thoroughly investigate and address these digital sex crimes to eradicate them.”
The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) has responded by establishing a 24-hour victim support hotline and doubling the number of personnel monitoring digital sex crimes. In addition, the Korean National Police Agency has announced a seven-month campaign focused on cracking down on online sex crimes, particularly those that exploit children and teenagers. Telegram, the platform most frequently associated with these crimes, has stated that it moderates harmful content using AI tools and user reports. However, it remains under heavy criticism for its role in facilitating these offenses.
What is the broader picture?
The issue of digital sex crimes in South Korea is part of the nation’s broader struggle with gender-based violence and the misuse of technology for exploitative purposes. Deepfake technology, which allows the creation of realistic but fake images and videos by superimposing someone’s face onto explicit material, has become a significant tool for perpetrators of digital sex crimes.
This problem is not isolated; it follows a series of high-profile cases that have highlighted the systemic issues of sexual exploitation in the country, such as the Burning Sun nightclub scandal and the infamous Nth Room case. Both incidents exposed the dark underbelly of digital spaces where women, including minors, were exploited and victimized. Despite legislative efforts to curb these crimes, the rapid advancement of technology has outpaced the legal and regulatory frameworks designed to protect individuals. The victims of these crimes are often young women, including students and female soldiers, who find themselves powerless in the face of such violations.
The spread of deepfake pornography in South Korea is not just a legal issue but a reflection of more profound societal challenges, including entrenched patriarchal attitudes, inadequate victim support, and a culture that sometimes fails to take the digital abuse of women seriously.
Gender relations in Korea have been exploited in political campaigns, with the 2022 presidential elections as a notable example. The gender divide is particularly conspicuous among the youth – the Korean term “idaenam,” or “angry young men,” captures the demographic of young males whose political values and behavior are fueled by self-identification as victims of general misandry. The belief that women receive preferential treatment in employment opportunities and mandatory military service for men fuels the rising anti-feminist sentiments among young men. Yoon Suk Yeol and his conservative People Power Party tapped into these social dynamics. During the campaign, Yoon pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (which, two years into his presidency, has yet to happen,) having claimed that it is “just an old saying that women are treated unequally and men are treated better.”
Why does it matter?
The growing prevalence of digital sex crimes in South Korea, particularly those involving deepfake technology, underscores the urgent need for stronger legal protections, better technological safeguards, and more robust enforcement mechanisms. These crimes represent a severe violation of personal dignity and privacy, often leaving victims with lasting psychological trauma. The South Korean government’s call for greater cooperation from social media platforms is a critical step toward addressing this issue, as these platforms play a significant role in disseminating harmful content. However, the effectiveness of these measures will largely depend on the willingness of these companies to engage with law enforcement and adhere to stricter content moderation standards.
Given that Telegram has been the platform of choice for many perpetrators of digital sex crimes in South Korea, the ongoing crackdown on deepfake pornography dissemination is also inviting additional scrutiny into the messaging app. French authorities arrested Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov on August 25 over allegations that his platform is being used for illicit activity, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse images.
Consequently, this situation highlights a global challenge: as technology evolves, so must the legal and ethical frameworks governing its use. The fight against digital sex crimes in South Korea could set a precedent for how other countries address similar issues, making it a critical case study in the ongoing battle to protect individuals’ rights in the digital age.
Ultimately, this is not just a fight against specific criminal acts but against a culture of impunity that allows such acts to proliferate online. The success of these efforts could lead to a broader societal shift in how digital crimes, especially those targeting women, are perceived and addressed both in South Korea and around the world.
