{"id":2205471,"date":"2024-06-14T17:01:36","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T08:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2205471"},"modified":"2024-06-17T18:49:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T09:49:22","slug":"south-koreas-deepfake-sex-crime-epidemic-exposes-lack-of-legal-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/06\/south-koreas-deepfake-sex-crime-epidemic-exposes-lack-of-legal-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s deepfake sex crime epidemic exposes lack of legal protections"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ruma\u2019s nightmare began in 2021 when she joined Telegram, a cloud-based encrypted instant messaging service, to receive movie ticket alerts. The very next day, she received explicit images of her face superimposed onto pornographic material, accompanied by humiliating and degrading captions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI felt my hands and entire body start to shake,\u201d she said. \u201cI can\u2019t forget the images, no matter how hard I try.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMisogynistic phrases such as \u2018slut,\u2019 \u2018cock holder,\u2019 \u2018toilet,\u2019 synthesized onto my photos along with more photos of men\u2019s genitals overlaid on my face were indescribably disgusting,\u201d Ruma (a pseudonym) told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n She discovered that a separate room of 40 people on Telegram shared degrading images and messages of her, underscoring growing concerns about a new type of digital sexual crime using <\/span>deepfakes<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has fueled the spread of deepfake technology, which allows the digital manipulation of videos and images to represent individuals in ways they would not otherwise appear or act.<\/span><\/p>\n Perpetrators misuse this technology to synthesize images of acquaintances or others, particularly women, into pornographic materials and distribute them without the victims\u2019 consent.<\/span><\/p>\n Ruma\u2019s case is part of a nationwide story known as the \u201cSeoul National University (SNU) Deepfake Case\u201d or \u201c<\/span>SNU Nth Room<\/span><\/a>,\u201d referencing a <\/span>previous case<\/span><\/a> involving the spread of sexual exploitation videos on Telegram.<\/span><\/p>\n The case, only made public this year, involves Seoul National University graduates who created and distributed illegal synthetic materials using photos of at least 61 confirmed female victims on Telegram since 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n So far, only two SNU alums have been arrested.<\/span><\/p>\n