The 'deepfake' problem continues in South Korea: 434 new cases since the beginning of the year

The South Korean Ministry of Defense reported that 24 military personnel were victims in the incidents in question.

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In South Korea, following public outrage over AI-generated 'fake sexually explicit images,' it has been announced that 434 new cases involving underage students and teachers in schools have occurred this year.

According to a report by Yonhap, the South Korean Ministry of Education shared data regarding cases reported by schools nationwide concerning 'fake sexually explicit images.'

According to the data, of the 434 cases reported since the beginning of the year, 243 were from high schools, 179 from middle schools, and 12 from elementary schools.

It was stated that investigations have been launched into 350 of these cases, which affected a total of 617 people.

MILITARY PERSONNEL BECAME VICTIMS

Furthermore, the Ministry of Defense stated that 24 military personnel were victims due to the incidents in question.

The ministry also reported that educational programs aimed at raising awareness to prevent similar crimes have been launched.

The ministry noted yesterday that, due to the risk of photos of soldiers as well as army and ministry officials being used to produce "fake sexually explicit images," these photos have been removed from the internal communication network and can now only be accessed by authorized personnel.

SOUTH KOREA'S 'DEEPFAKE' PROBLEM

It had been determined that 'sexually explicit images' containing audio and visuals of many victims, the majority of whom were women and girls, manipulated via a method called 'deepfake,' were being circulated in certain chat groups linked to schools and universities.

National Office of Investigation Chief Woo Jong-soo had announced that a preliminary investigation had been opened into Telegram, where these images were circulated, on the grounds of 'aiding and abetting crime.'