South Korea Deepfake Law
Act on Special Cases with Respect to Punishing Sexual Crimes (Deepfake Amendment 2024)
South Korea's world-strictest deepfake law: 7 years for creating/distributing, 3 years for possessing/viewing deepfake sexual content. Even viewing is criminal.
Jurisdiction
South Korea
KR
Enacted
Sep 26, 2024
Effective
Oct 1, 2024
Enforcement
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family / Korean National Police
World's strictest - criminalizes viewing/possessing deepfakes
Harms Addressed
Who Must Comply
This law applies to:
- • ALL individuals in South Korea
- • Platform operators hosting content
- • Deepfake creators and distributors
Capability triggers:
Who bears obligations:
Safety Provisions
- • 7 years imprisonment for creating/distributing deepfake sexual content
- • 3 years imprisonment for possessing/viewing deepfakes (world's only)
- • Platform takedown obligations
- • Victim protection measures
- • Enhanced penalties for repeat offenses
Enforcement
Enforced by
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family / Korean National Police
Penalties
criminal (up to 7yr)
Up to 7 years imprisonment for creation; 3 years for viewing/possessing
Quick Facts
- Binding
- Yes
- Mental Health Focus
- No
- Child Safety Focus
- Yes
- Algorithmic Scope
- No
Why It Matters
South Korea's criminalization of even VIEWING deepfakes (unique globally) creates absolute liability for platforms hosting synthetic sexual content. AI chatbot platforms must implement comprehensive deepfake detection to avoid criminal exposure for users and platform operators.
Recent Developments
Enacted September 2024 in response to Telegram deepfake crisis; strictest globally
What You Need to Comply
Platform-level deepfake detection and blocking; immediate takedown protocols
NOPE can helpCite This
APA
South Korea. (2024). Act on Special Cases with Respect to Punishing Sexual Crimes (Deepfake Amendment 2024). Retrieved from https://nope.net/regs/kr-deepfake-2024
BibTeX
@misc{kr_deepfake_2024,
title = {Act on Special Cases with Respect to Punishing Sexual Crimes (Deepfake Amendment 2024)},
author = {South Korea},
year = {2024},
url = {https://nope.net/regs/kr-deepfake-2024}
} Related Regulations
AU Deepfake Sexual Material Act
Creates Commonwealth criminal offences for "deepfake sexual material" (AI/synthetic intimate imagery) without consent. Part of Australia's layered approach: criminal law + eSafety platform enforcement.
Korea AI Act
First comprehensive AI legislation in Asia-Pacific and second in the world after EU. Regulates "High-Impact AI" in healthcare, energy, nuclear, transport, government, and education sectors. Requires transparency notifications, content labeling for generative AI, and fundamental rights impact assessments. Notable for lower penalties than EU AI Act and absence of prohibited AI practices.
Japan Revenge Porn Act
Japan's revenge porn law criminalizing distribution of private sexual images (3 years/¥500,000) but does NOT cover deepfakes - significant legal gap.
Malaysia OSA
Requires licensed platforms to implement content moderation systems, child-specific safeguards, and submit Online Safety Plans. Nine categories of harmful content regulated.
China GenAI Labeling Rules
Mandatory labeling of AI-generated content (implicit for all, explicit where applicable). Released by State Administration for Market Regulation and Standardization Administration of China. Complements existing GenAI interim measures with three national standards for AI security and governance.
India Synthetic Media Rules
Would establish due diligence framework for synthetically generated information including labeling, traceability, and platform processes for handling synthetic media harms.