On Saturday, 21 September, thousands of women gathered in Seoul to protest against the production and consumption of deepfakes in South Korea. The demonstration was organised by Joint Action to Denounce Misogynistic Violence, a coalition of students from six women's universities in the city.

Under the slogan, "Demanding severe penalties for sexual abuse through deepfakes: Punish the creator, the seller, the viewer! Punish them all!" the protest called for more decisive legal action against all involved in the production and circulation of these harmful videos.

Journalist Hawon Jung shared photos on X from a demonstration where women dressed in black demanded stronger prosecution of digital offenders. Jung wrote: "Thousands of South Korean women gathered in Seoul last weekend to protest against deepfake porn targeting a growing number of women and girls - the first mass protest since 2018 over the widespread 'digital sex crimes' in the tech-advanced but deeply male-dominated country."

Contrary to the international image shaped by K-pop and K-dramas, South Korea remains a conservative and patriarchal society. As highlighted by Human Rights Watch, the nation's progress on gender equality and other modern human rights has not kept pace with its rapid digital advancements.

In 2020, the infamous ‘Nth Room Case’ came to light, largely thanks to the efforts of anonymous female digital technology experts. The case involved hundreds of victims, many of them minors, and exposed around 260,000 participants who shared intimate content through Telegram channels.

The most depraved deepfake creators and users don’t stop at producing pornographic images and videos. They also distribute victims' personal data and, in some cases, resort to blackmail to coerce real pornographic content from their targets.

In response to the 2020 ‘Nth Room Case,’ the Ministry of Justice's Task Force on Digital Sexual Offences proposed around 60 legislative changes, none of which have yet been introduced. The task force was disbanded shortly after conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in 2022. During his presidential campaign, Yoon claimed that there was "no structural gender discrimination" in South Korea.

The victims of deepfakes are not limited to actresses or music stars; ordinary individuals are also targeted, with deepfake videos commissioned by their acquaintances, including schoolmates, students, teachers, sisters, and even mothers. On 21 September, these exploited women took to the streets, demanding that the authorities take action against the perpetrators of these crimes.

In this context, South Korea’s shockingly low birth rate becomes less surprising. While widespread misogyny is not the only factor, the lack of accountability for such crimes undoubtedly plays a significant role in the country’s broader social issues.

Source: theconversation.com, english.hani.co.kr