According to South Korean media reports, the South Korean Police Department stated on the 16th that from January 1 to October 14, 2024, a total of 921 cases of sexual crimes committed using deepfake technology were accepted and investigated, and 474 suspects were arrested.
According to reports, out of 474 suspects, 381 are in their teens, accounting for 80.4%. There are 71 people aged 10 and above but under 14 years old, accounting for 15% of all suspects. In addition, there are 75 people in their 20s, 13 people in their 30s, 2 people in their 40s, and 3 people over 50 years old.
Most cases of deepfake sexual crimes target ordinary women and minors, causing public outrage. The South Korean police have been implementing a “special centralized control of deepfake technology” operation since August 28th.
On September 3rd, the ruling party of South Korea, the National Power Party, announced that it will establish a working group to focus on cracking down on crimes involving deepfakes, and plans to increase the punishment for related crimes.
According to the report, as of March 31, 2025, the South Korean police will focus on controlling deepfake sexual crimes through the network sexual violence investigation teams of city and provincial police departments.
According to previous reports, on October 10, 2024 local time, the South Korean government voted to pass the amendment to the “Special Act on Punishing Sexual Violence Crimes” (referred to as the “Sexual Violence Punishment Act”). According to the amendment, individuals who possess, purchase, store, or watch deepfake pornographic images can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or fined 30 million Korean won (approximately 157500 yuan).