South Korea Targets Deepfake Pornography With Strict New Criminal Law

South Korean lawmakers passed a groundbreaking bill on Thursday that criminalizes the possession or viewing of sexually explicit deepfake images and videos, with penalties including prison time and hefty fines. This legislation comes in response to public outrage over Telegram group chats that facilitated the creation and sharing of such illegal content.

Under the new bill, individuals found purchasing, saving, or viewing explicit deepfakes could face up to three years in prison or fines of up to 30 million won ($22,600). Currently, making sexually explicit deepfakes with the intent to distribute is punishable by five years in prison or fines of 50 million won ($37,900) under the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act. Once enacted, the new law will increase the maximum sentence for these offenses to seven years, irrespective of intent.

The bill now awaits approval from President Yoon Suk Yeol to be enacted. South Korean police reported handling over 800 deepfake-related sex crime cases in 2023 alone, a dramatic increase from just 156 cases in 2021. Most victims and perpetrators are teenagers, according to police data.

Earlier this month, authorities initiated an investigation into Telegram to assess its potential complicity in distributing sexually explicit deepfake content. The issue of deepfakes is not unique to South Korea; countries worldwide are working on legislation to combat the spread of such material. In the United States, lawmakers are discussing various bills that would empower victims of non-consensual deepfakes to file lawsuits and criminalize the publication of such content.