S. Korea police charge four middle schoolers with creating and distributing deepfake porn of classmates

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - In South Korea, students are generally around 12 years old when they enter the first year of middle school and turn 15 by the time they graduate. — Yonhap pic via Reuters

By Malay Mail

Sunday, 27 Oct 2024 5:01 PM MYT

SEOUL, Oct 27 — Four middle school students from Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea have been charged by police for creating, possessing, and distributing deepfake pornography.

In South Korea, students are generally around 12 years old when they enter the first year of middle school and turn 15 by the time they graduate.

The Korea Herald reported that the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency announced yesterday the investigation began after victims reported the incident in August 2024.

Two of the students allegedly used images of their female classmates to produce sexually explicit deepfake content since November 2023.

These individuals face additional charges for possessing the deepfake material and sharing it with the other two students, who are charged solely with possession.

All four students are being prosecuted under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, which criminalises the possession of sexually explicit deepfake images of minors in South Korea.

According to the daily, to date, police have identified nine female victims, though the number may rise as the investigation progresses.

Detectives have searched the students’ homes and mobile devices to gather evidence of potential further offences.

The case, initially reported to the Namyangju Bukbu Police Station, is now under the scrutiny of the Cyber Investigation Bureau of the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency, The Korea Herald added.

The situation escalated after the victims informed their school about the creation of explicit deepfake images featuring them and their friends.

In response, the school referred the case to the Guri Namyangju Office of Education, which subsequently established a School Violence Countermeasures Review Committee.

This committee determined that the two students responsible for creating the content should be transferred, while the others would face suspension.

The Korea Herald reported that the parents of the victims have voiced concerns regarding the school’s handling of the case, claiming it caused “secondary victimisation.”

They allege that the school’s delayed response, particularly a two-month wait to separate the victims from the suspects, exacerbated the trauma for the affected students.

Secondary victimisation refers to the further trauma that victims endure due to insensitivity or dismissive attitudes from others.

According to The Korea Herald, statistics from the School Violence Countermeasures Review Committee reveal that from 2021 to August 2024, there were 1,727 reported digital sex offences by students.

Of these, 765 cases (44.3 per cent) resulted in calls for “severe punishment” against the offenders.

Reported offences include the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfake videos, along with the illegal filming and dissemination of such content.

*If you are experiencing sexual violence, the following hotlines offer free and confidential support: Talian Kasih at 15999 or WhatsApp 019-2615999 (24/7); All Women’s Action Society at 016-2374221 / 016-2284221 (9.30am-5.30pm); and Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) at 03-30008858 or SMS/WhatsApp TINA 018-9888058 (24/7).