Deepfake porn: South Korea tackles explicit video content with tougher penalties and regulations

South Korea announced a package of steps to stop the increase in deepfake porn in November, announcing that it would toughen penalties for criminals, expand the use of undercover police and impose greater regulations on social media platforms.

In South Korea, concerns about non-consensual, digitally manipulated sexually explicit video content deepened after unapproved lists of schools where victims were found spread online in August. Horrified, many girls and women removed photos and videos from their Instagram, Facebook and other social media accounts, while others held rallies calling for stronger action against deepfake porn.

Chairman Yoon Suk Yeol immediately confirmed the rapid spread of explicit deepfake content and ordered authorities to “root out these digital sex crimes.” The police are currently under a seven-month special crackdown that will last until March 2025.

The government is reviewing legislation in collaboration with parliament to increase penalties for perpetrators involved in deepfake porn-related crimes, a task force said in a statement.

Reference was made to the recently amended law, which punishes those who possess or watch deepfake porn with up to three years in prison for the first time. The maximum penalty for those who produce or distribute deepfake porn content has been increased from five to seven years.

So far this year, police have detained 506 suspects, 411 of whom are young people.

The task force said it would push for confidential online investigations even in cases where victims are adults. The law currently allows such methods only in cases where the victims are minors. The government is also planning another revision that would allow authorities to seize profits from deepfake porn businesses.

The task force said it would seek to more aggressively fine social media platforms when they fail to prevent the spread of deepfakes and other illegal content.

The prevalence of deepfake porn in South Korea is attributed to a number of factors, including the heavy use of smartphones, the lack of comprehensive sex and human rights education in schools, inadequate social media regulations for minors, as well as social norms that emphasize misogyny and sexuality. Experts say women are objectified.