K-Pop fans have recently exposed a disturbing trend: the rampant use of deepfakes to create pornography featuring female Korean idols. This issue has gained international attention amidst the ongoing Telegram sex crimes scandal in South Korea.
A report by Security Hero, shared by the Wall Street Journal, paints a concerning picture. The report analyzed nearly 96,000 videos from deepfake porn sites and channels over two months. Shockingly, it found that more than half (53%) featured Korean singers and actors as victims of deepfakes.
Fans rallied around the cause, drawing attention to specific websites and demanding action from the idols’ agencies. Thankfully, several agencies responded swiftly. JYP Entertainment was among the first to take a stand, followed by ATRP, YG Entertainment, FCENM, and MODHAUS. These companies all promised strong legal action against the perpetrators.
This swift response had a noticeable effect. One of the targeted websites disappeared entirely. Now, attempting to access it results in a simple “404 Not Found” message. A similar fate befell another site with a related name, “idolfake.org.”
While this initial takedown is a positive step, it highlights the complexity of the problem. Netizens warn that these sites may simply reappear under different names or URLs.
Furthermore, the shutdown of these specific sites has brought something even more concerning to light: the sheer volume of deepfake pornography available online. When users attempt to access the blocked sites directly, they are presented with a list of suggestions for other websites with similar content. This suggests a much larger network of sites profiting from this exploitation.
The issue extends beyond female idols as well. Netizens have reported deepfakes targeting male idols, further demonstrating the pervasiveness of this crime.
With these developments, the fight against deepfake pornography in Korea seems far from over. Hopefully, more agencies will follow the lead of those who have already spoken up and take legal action. Only through a combined effort can this disturbing trend be stopped.
Image- Getty Images Bank
