South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday called for a thorough investigation into digital sex crimes following reports that sexually explicit deepfake images and videos of South Korean women have been circulating in Telegram chatrooms.
The heightened scrutiny comes on the heels of Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram, being arrested over the weekend in France. Durov’s arrest is part of a broader investigation into child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud on the encrypted messaging platform.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission, the national media regulator, is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss strategies for combating the proliferation of sexually explicit deepfakes. President Yoon condemned the misuse of technology for criminal activities, stating during a televised cabinet meeting, “It’s an exploitation of technology while relying on the protection of anonymity. It’s a clear criminal act.” While Yoon addressed the issue broadly, he did not mention Telegram specifically.
Telegram has yet to respond to a request for comment from Reuters. South Korean police have reported a surge in online deepfake sex crimes, with 297 cases recorded in the first seven months of this year. This marks a significant increase from 180 cases last year and nearly doubles the number from 2021, when the data first began being collected. Most of the suspects are teenagers and young adults, according to police.
Recent media analyses, including a viral report by the Hankyoreh newspaper, revealed that deepfakes of female university students and secondary school girls are being shared in Telegram channels. The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union has reported instances where school students have been victims of such deepfakes and is urging the education ministry to investigate the issue.
Additionally, sexually explicit deepfakes targeting female military personnel have been found on Telegram, according to the Military Sexual Abuse Victim Support Center, which assists victims of sexual abuse in the armed forces.
Telegram’s reputation in South Korea has been marred by previous scandals, including a 2020 case in which the leader of an online sexual blackmail ring, Cho Ju-bin, was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Cho was convicted of blackmailing at least 74 women, including 16 teenagers, into sending degrading and sometimes violent sexual imagery.
Under South Korea’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act, creating and distributing sexually explicit deepfakes is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of 50 million won (approximately $37,500).
