South Korea investigates digital sex crimes on Telegram and other social media

The Korea Communications Standards Commission plans to meet to discuss countermeasures, including a 24-hour hotline for victims and doubling regulatory personnel.
Criminal networks in Southeast Asia are increasingly using Telegram to trade hacked data and malware on a large scale, a UN report reveals.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has called for a thorough investigation into digital sex crimes after reports surfaced of sexually explicit deepfake images and videos of South Korean women being shared in Telegram chatrooms. The reports have coincided with the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who is under investigation in France for child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud on the platform.

In a televised cabinet meeting, President Yoon condemned technology exploitation for such criminal acts, emphasising the dangers posed by anonymity in these cases. Although he did not specifically mention Telegram, the platform has been under scrutiny in South Korea for years due to its association with previous online sexual blackmail rings.

The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), South Korea’s media regulator, plans to meet to discuss measures to combat the growing issue of sexually explicit deepfakes. The commission has announced plans to increase efforts to block and delete such content and to double the number of personnel monitoring digital sex crimes. Additionally, a 24-hour hotline will be established for victims seeking assistance.

South Korean police have reported a sharp increase in deepfake sex crimes, with 297 cases recorded in the first seven months of this year, compared to 156 cases in 2021 when data collection began. The victims often include school students and female military personnel, highlighting the widespread impact of these crimes.

The KCSC is also seeking more cooperation from social media platforms like Telegram, X, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, and Google’s YouTube to tackle the issue. The commission’s chairman, Ryu Hee-lim, stressed the severity of these crimes, which undermine individual dignity and personal rights.