K-pop agencies declare war on deepfake porn using artists’ faces

Girl group Twice’s agency, JYP Entertainment, announced Friday that it is collecting data related to deepfake videos of the girl group’s members and will take legal measures against the creators and distributors.

“We are fully aware of the severity of the current situation in which deepfake videos of our artists are spreading online,” the agency said in a statement, calling the videos “irrefutably illegal.”

“We will take legal measures and show no leniency. We will not overlook any actions that infringe our artists’ rights and will take firm measures until the end.”

Singer Kwon Eun-bi’s agency, Woollim Entertainment, also echoed the agency’s statement, warning of legal measures against anyone who makes or distributes deep fake videos of the K-pop singer.

Girl group NewJeans’ agency ADOR had also warned of legal measures against deepfake videos in June.

The online crime of creating or watching sex videos using K-pop artists’ faces in pornographic content has surfaced with the discovery earlier this month of a nationwide deepfake epidemic, particularly prevalent among male teenagers and students.

Police have been cracking down on deepfake sex crimes since Wednesday, following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s order to eradicate such crimes. Prosecutors and police are reviewing ways to strengthen investigative resources and expand undercover operations.

A recent report from a U.S. cybersecurity agency, Security Hero, identified Koreans as the No.1 target for deepfake pornography creators in 2023. A separate report by the police found that approximately 60 percent of deepfake pornography victims in the country are teenagers.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]