In South Korea, a group of female digital detectives is actively involved in searching for and removing illegal pornographic content created using artificial intelligence (AI).
These perpetrators use generative technologies and victims' photos to fabricate invasive pornographic images targeting their victims. Under the slogans 'Solidarity' and 'We are with the victims,' these female detectives sift through the internet in search of this AI-based phenomenon.
South Korea, known as a global leader in smartphone and memory chip production, faces the dark side of its technological success: human rights groups note the widespread prevalence of 'digital sexual crimes' against women. Victims are filmed by hidden cameras, blackmailed in chats for explicit content, and so-called 'revenge porn' is distributed without consent.
The newest threat is deepfakes, which allow offenders to create invasive pornographic images using generative technology and the victim's photograph.
Twenty-three women work at the National Center for Response to Digital Sexual Crimes, located in an office in Seoul, whose task is to stop this trend by monitoring websites and submitting takedown requests under threat of legal prosecution.
Last year, this group managed to have 318,000 videos and photos—including deepfakes, hidden camera footage, and intimate images shared without consent—removed on behalf of 10,600 people, 75 percent of whom were women and girls.
Kim Mi-soon, the head of the government-founded center, told AFP that South Korea acted faster than others because digital sexual crimes became common earlier than elsewhere, and women quickly and energetically stood up against them.
The Deepfake Flood
The center was established in 2018, the year when tens of thousands of women demanded action through protests against hidden cameras. The organization's headquarters and 17 regional centers also provide legal counseling, psychological support, and collect evidence for court cases.
One 33-year-old woman, who asked only to be identified by her surname Kim, recounted that in 2024, she had deepfakes distributed to encrypted applications inaccessible to the center's specialists. She noted that while the center is not perfect, it can provide immense help to victims suffering this nightmare alone.
Kim, who is a member of the armed forces, shared that she felt 'healed' thanks to the center's support, including financial assistance to obtain trauma diagnosis as evidence for court. She emphasized that going through the entire legal procedure alone while in a state of trauma would have been impossible, and the support brought her great relief and comfort.
Digital sexual crimes are an ever-changing threat. The 'Nth Room' scandal in 2020 revealed that men exploited dozens of women and girls, whom they called 'slaves' in chats for paid viewing related to sexual blackmail. Since the establishment of the national response center, sexual deepfakes have become a new trend.
According to cybersecurity firm Security Hero, the global spread of deepfakes increased by 550 percent between 2019 and 2023. According to the company's research, almost 98 percent of the content was AI-generated female pornography, with more than half of the victims being from South Korea.
Although K-pop stars are the main targets, ordinary women are increasingly falling into trouble in the country, where police data shows that digital sexual crimes account for 40 percent of all sexual offenses. One removal specialist, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, noted that there has been an increase in deepfakes of ordinary women and girls since last year, and the images are becoming significantly more sophisticated, while the victims are getting younger.
The center uses its own AI tools, including a monitoring system capable of detecting exploitative material and messages targeting children. A 31-year-old removal specialist told AFP that this work is not easy but brings great satisfaction when clients say their service saved their lives.
Leadership in the Fight
Pornography created with deepfakes is illegal in South Korea; possessing such material is punishable by up to three years in prison, and creators can receive up to seven years. In 2024, penalties were tightened after the discovery of a series of Telegram chats distributing AI-generated sexualized videos featuring acquaintances, classmates, colleagues, and relatives of women, sometimes made from photos taken from the victims' social media.
Claire Macglin, a law professor from Durham University in Britain and an expert on image-based sexual violence, stated that Seoul is 'leading the way in providing comprehensive support services and investing in cutting-edge technology for harm reduction.' She considers South Korea's approach a model for the entire world.
Nevertheless, activists warn that the root cause of the problem lies in patriarchal culture, which views women as sexual objects devoid of dignity. Kim Yo-jin, head of a non-profit center for responding to cybersexual violence in Korea, told AFP that the online problem requires an offline solution. She stressed: 'If we do not eliminate this fundamental cause by promoting greater gender equality in broader society and strengthening gender equality education in schools, no removal efforts will be sufficient.'
