Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated images exaggerating North Korean military activity near the inter-Korean border have exposed a potential weakness in South Korea’s ability to manage public information during a military crisis, when fabricated accounts could spread before authorities establish what happened.

The concern emerged in late October, when manipulated photographs made North Korean artillery appear much closer to a Starbucks at Gimpo’s Aegibong Peace Ecological Park than it actually was. Other fabricated footage exaggerated the movement of North Korean soldiers, prompting speculation online about a possible military confrontation.

The misinformation also reached international audiences. An SBS investigationfound that Russian