In the midst of the news that ‘deepfake’ composite photos targeting female students from Seoul National University, Inha University, and others were shared in a Telegram group chat, shocking reports about similar group chatrooms continue to emerge. Recently, on social networking services (SNS) and online platforms, lists of ‘deepfake victims’ by school and region are being shared. In addition, controversy surrounds a deepfake group chatroom targeting female soldiers.
The number of participants in the problematic chatroom exceeded 900, referring to the composite female soldiers as ‘military goods.’ According to the shared capture images labeled as announcements for the chatroom, to join this chatroom, individuals must submit the military uniform photos of female soldiers they want to composite as ‘military goods,’ along with personal information such as phone numbers, affiliations, ranks, and ages to the operator for verification of active-duty military status. Alternatively, they had to send ‘derogatory messages’ to the designated female soldiers chosen by the composite artist or administrator and share proof of their reactions with photos for membership approval.
As the controversy surrounding the Inha University incident escalated, they announced, “We will not accept anyone other than those who have completed the mission of sending ‘derogatory messages’ designated by the composite artist or administrator for the time being.” The shared images also include derogatory remarks about female soldiers in addition to the deepfake composites, intensifying the shock. The posts state, “We cannot forgive female soldiers” and include additional comments like “They will be stripped and destroyed.”
With the advancement of deepfake technology, crimes utilizing it are rapidly spreading. According to the ‘Status of Deepfake Crimes’ data submitted by Rep. Cho Eun-hee of the People Power Party to the National Police Agency on the 21st, crimes related to false video content increased from 156 cases in 2021 to 160 cases in 2022 and 180 cases in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCC) has taken action against the spread of deepfake sexual false video content centered around Telegram group chatrooms. The KCC has begun intensive monitoring and decided to request investigations as soon as malicious disseminators’ information is confirmed. They also stated that through daily electronic reviews, they will demand correction of sexual false video content within 24 hours.