South Korean police have classified fake news as a serious crime and launched a comprehensive investigation. The move comes from the assessment that false information goes beyond defamation, undermining public trust in government policies and triggering secondary crimes. Ahead of the upcoming June local elections, authorities also plan to crack down on public opinion manipulation using artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake technology.
Yoo Jae-sung, acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, said at a regular press briefing on Monday that "we are conducting rigorous and swift investigations into the distribution of false information including fake news." Yoo added, "False information in itself constitutes crimes such as defamation and publication of false facts, but it is also a grave matter that can cause public anxiety and spread into behaviors such as hoarding."
Police have been operating a "Task Force on Responding to False Information Distribution" since October last year. Beyond arresting simple distributors, investigators are closely examining organized production systems that deploy automated bots and the process through which these actors obtain financial gains. "Recently, false information related to the Middle East conflict has been continuously circulated online, undermining trust in national policies," Yoo said. "We are requesting deletion and blocking through real-time monitoring, and we plan to rigorously investigate any illegal activity."
Yoo also expressed determination to enforce the law ahead of the election period. Police plan to focus on blocking high-tech crimes that disrupt public sentiment ahead of the June 3 local elections. "We will also strongly crack down on acts that distort voter judgment through AI-generated deepfake video and voice manipulation," Yoo stressed.
