Deepfake sex crimes are outpacing South Korea’s enforcement system, according to a Thursday forum hosted by Amnesty International Korea. Police, legislative and regulatory officials said overseas platforms and easy-to-use AI tools are making removal and punishment harder. Speakers also warned that many offenders are teenagers and urged stronger education and cross-border cooperation.
Panelists take part in a discussion at a forum on digital sex crimes in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Amnesty International Korea
Korea has strengthened criminal penalties and takedown systems for digital sex crimes, but experts warn that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is creating widening gaps between the speed of online abuse and the ability of institutions to stop it.
At a forum on the issue, hosted Thursday by Amnesty International Korea, a police officer, a legislative researcher and a media regulator said deepfake technology has made it possible to create and distribute sexualized images of real people with little technical knowledge, often through overseas platforms beyond the reach of Korean authorities.
“Crimes exploiting new technologies erupt across society, but the law is always running behind them. While the justice system is still trying to identify and punish offenders, victims’ lives are already being devastated online,” said Heo Min-sook, a researcher at the National Assembly Research Service.
