South Korea centre removes 318,000 sex-crime files

South Korea's National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response removed 318,000 videos and photos last year as AI-generated deepfake pornography added to the country's problem of digital sex crimes.

The government-founded centre said the material included deepfakes, spycam content and intimate imagery shared without consent. It acted on behalf of 10,600 people, 75 percent of them women and girls.

The Seoul-based centre has 23 women who search the internet and file takedown requests backed by possible legal action. Its headquarters and 17 regional hubs also offer counselling, legal advice and evidence collection for prosecutions.

Kim Mi-soon, the centre's head, said South Korea responded early because digital sex crimes became common there and women quickly demanded action. The centre opened in 2018, the year tens of thousands of women joined anti-spycam protests.

AI deepfakes are a growing part of the problem. Harassers can use a person's face to create invasive pornographic images. Deletion specialist Kim Yun-hee said the centre has seen more deepfakes of ordinary women and girls since last year, with victims getting younger and images becoming more sophisticated.

One 33-year-old military member, identified only by her surname Kim, said deepfakes of her were shared in 2024 on encrypted apps beyond the centre's reach. She said the centre's support, including help securing a trauma diagnosis for court evidence, gave her relief during the legal process.

Deepfake pornography is illegal in South Korea. Possession can be punished by up to three years in prison, while creators can face up to seven years. Penalties were increased in 2024 after Telegram deepfake chatrooms were found sharing AI-generated sexualised footage of female acquaintances, classmates, colleagues and relatives.

Web safety firm Security Hero said global deepfake circulation rose 550 percent between 2019 and 2023, and that nearly 98 percent of the content was AI-generated pornography of women. South Korean police data show digital sex crimes account for 40 percent of all sexual offences.