President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday emphasized that authorities had "shut down an illegal sex exploitation website and forcibly repatriated its operators after arresting them abroad," adding that "even if perpetrators flee overseas after committing such acts, they will be forcibly brought back and severely punished."
Lee shared a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) detailing the "additional arrest of two operators who ran an illegal website with 540,000 members and distributed sexually exploitative material." The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Tuesday it had apprehended two operators, including one identified as A, of the illegal footage distribution site "AVMOV" on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes. The suspects had departed for Thailand after the police investigation began but expressed their intention to voluntarily return through their attorney once measures such as passport invalidation were taken.
According to the information Lee disclosed, police have identified nine of the 15 operator-level figures and arrested eight of them. Authorities have also apprehended 204 site users and are continuing to track down the top administrator and criminal proceeds.
Through X, Lee also reiterated his hardline stance against fake news. "Creating and spreading fake news about state affairs that affect people's lives is not a joke but a criminal offense subject to prosecution," Lee said. "Causing social confusion through fake news is not protected by freedom of expression."
"The circulation of accurate, fact-based information and rational criticism and debate are the core of representative democracy that supports a democratic republic," he stressed.
Police are currently investigating 38 accounts that spread false information related to the Middle East war, with 11 individuals arrested so far. Specifically, authorities are investigating 38 accounts that disseminated false information — including claims of "900,000 barrels of crude oil flowing into North Korea" and an "emergency financial order mandating forced dollar sales and exchange restrictions" — through platforms such as YouTube, X, and Naver Cafe.
