Complaints filed against YouTubers for creating deepfakes of presidential candidates
The National Election Commission said Friday it had filed complaints against three YouTubers for creating and uploading deepfake content featuring presidential candidates.
'With the election nearing, (the NEC) reported three YouTube channel operators for posting audio, images and videos of presidential candidates, generated through artificial intelligence, with the purpose of either increasing or reducing their chances of winning,' the election authorities said in a press release.
This is the first time the NEC has filed a complaint against individuals for creating and distributing deepfakes of presidential candidates since relevant regulations were enacted through an amendment to the Public Official Election Act in December 2023.
The revised Public Official Election Act bans the creation, editing, distribution or posting of AI-generated audio, images or videos of unclear authenticity during the 90 days ahead of Election Day, which is Tuesday. Violating the law could result in up to seven years in prison or a fine ranging between 10 million won ($7,250) and 50 million won.
According to the NEC, the three individuals are accused of 35 counts of posting images of a candidate behind bars in a prisoner's uniform, as well as creating and posting 10 videos on YouTube of an AI-generated female news anchor promoting a candidate's victory or defeat.
The individuals are also accused of posting content and videos on their personal social media accounts conveying a negative image of a specific candidate using deepfake technology.
The AI-generated materials were reportedly related to Democratic Party of Korea candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, according to the NEC.
'With less than a week remaining until the 21st presidential election, we are focusing our efforts on cracking down on illegal activities occurring in cyberspace,' said the NEC.
The presidential election is set for June 3. Early voting began on Thursday, with turnout reaching 27.17 percent of all eligible voters as of 1 p.m. on Friday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
Security heightened for election day
Authorities vowed to put in their utmost effort to ensure a safe election, with measures ranging from accident prevention at campaign sites and polling and counting stations, to providing security when transporting ballot boxes. The Seoul Metropolitan Police announced that it will issue the 'gapho' emergency alert on Tuesday, the day of the presidential election. The gapho alert is the highest emergency level in the police's emergency response system and allows the mobilization of up to 100 percent of all available police personnel. According to police, the heightened measure was made after considering growing concerns over the increase in election-related crimes. 'As Election Day approaches, there are concerns about not only threats to candidates but about the public as well, including potential physical collisions between different supporters at campaign sites and the vandalism of election materials,' said the police. Police will deploy 21,700 personnel to provide security at polling and counting stations across the nation during Tuesday's presidential election. Armed police officers will be set to respond to certain situations, such as interference with the transport of ballot boxes, according to the police. It also added that mobile police squads used for crowd control will be stationed in the four key areas of Mapo-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu and Gangnam-gu to maintain public order until the ballot count is completed. Police temporarily banned the release of privately owned firearms until June 4 to ensure public safety to the fullest extent. It also vowed to conduct strict and prompt investigations into any election-related criminal activity. The National Fire Agency also announced that a total of 242 nationwide fire stations will go on two-day special emergency duty until the end of the June 3 presidential election. According to the agency, 464 fire trucks and close to 2,200 firefighters will be deployed at polling and counting stations across Korea to inspect electrical facilities to ensure proper operation. While a 24-hour monitoring system and on-site command system are set to ensure prompt responses in case of any incidents, firefighting personnel will also instruct building officials on how to respond to emergencies in the early stages. According to the agency, it will also secure emergency vehicle access routes around different polling and counting stations, and maintain emergency communication lines with the National Election Commission and the police. In response to the recent Seoul subway arson, Seoul Metro announced it would be implementing special safety management and strict security measures to prevent copycat crimes and handle potential contingencies on Tuesday. All 276 stations, trains and depots of Seoul Subway Line No. 1 through No. 8 will be checked. The subway operator will enhance CCTV monitoring of vulnerable areas, restrict access to key facilities and conduct 24-hour on-site patrols of subway facilities until the end of the June 3 presidential election. 'We will thoroughly inspect stations, trains and less visible areas to stop public anxiety and be fully prepared for any potential emergency situation,' the Seoul Metro official said on Monday.
![[Graphic News] Early-voting turnout hits second-highest level ever](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F01%2Fnews-p.v1.20250601.a5bbf5cf421c4996a70de832787f940f_T1.gif&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[Graphic News] Early-voting turnout hits second-highest level ever
More than 15 million voters have cast ballots in early voting for the presidential election, according to the National Election Commission on Friday, with attention now turning to how the near-record turnout might affect Election Day voting on Tuesday. The final early-voting turnout was 34.74 percent, the second-highest figure since nationwide early voting was introduced in 2014, according to the NEC. This year's turnout is down 2.19 percentage points from the all-time high of 36.93 percent, recorded in the 2022 presidential election. An estimated 15,423,607 voters cast ballots during early voting, which began at 6 a.m. Thursday and closed at 6 p.m. Friday, the NEC said. By region, South Jeolla Province recorded the highest turnout at 56.5 percent, followed by North Jeolla Province at 53.01 percent and Gwangju at 52.12 percent. The southeastern city of Daegu had the lowest turnout at 25.63 percent. (Yonhap)
![[From the Scene] Lee Jae-myung rallies in key swing cities in countdown to election](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F01%2Fnews-p.v1.20250601.4b74312a617549c58779c37e359d4d5d_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
[From the Scene] Lee Jae-myung rallies in key swing cities in countdown to election
CHEONGJU & DAEJEON, North Chungcheong Province -- Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, sought to win over voters in the battleground cities of Cheongju and Daejeon in North Chungcheong Province on Saturday, with just three days left until Election Day. In the past eight presidential elections since 1987, North Chungcheong Province, dubbed the barometer province, has accurately picked the winner. The last election was no exception. In 2022, the People Power Party's then-candidate Yoon Suk Yeol earned 50.7 percent of the vote in North Chungcheong Province compared to Lee's 45.1 percent. Yoon won the election 48.6 percent to 47.8 percent overall. Speaking to a large crowd of supporters gathered in a square outside Daejeon City Hall, Lee said, "They say if you win Chungcheong, you win South Korea ... So it's all in your hands," he said. Rallying for the second day in the province just south of Greater Seoul, Lee said he would make areas outside the capital region wealthier. He said the stark contrast between Seoul and the rest of the country showed how wealth was unevenly distributed. Lee then vowed to "end the privilege of the few." "Isn't it time our country does away with privilege, (a situation) where only the select few live with special privileges? Isn't it time we have a country where everyone has equal opportunities?" he said, as the crowd erupted into cheers. Lee cast himself as a "survivor." "For a long time, I've been attacked, prosecuted and trampled on. But I've survived it all. Through the power of the people, I've dodged the sword and the pen," Lee said. Once again, Lee blamed the Yoon administration for his legal troubles, accusing the former president of having prosecutors wrongfully charge and indict him. "I've been indicted without any evidence," Lee claimed. "This only shows how scared they are of Lee Jae-myung. Do you know why? Because Lee Jae-myung stands for the masses, not the elite, for small businesses, not large corporations. I stand for you," Lee said. Lee has five ongoing criminal trials that are set to continue, even if he is elected president. Last month, the Democratic Party proposed a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act that would suspend criminal trials for a sitting president. Asking the audience for their votes, Lee said if he wins, he will "build back South Korea into an entirely new country" and "drain the country of the Yoon cronies and insurrectionists." The final polls, conducted May 22-23 on 1,000 voters in the province, point to a Lee victory. Lee was ahead of his main rival Kim Moon-soo by 7 percentage points, 45 percent to 38 percent, a gap outside the margin of error. The two-day period of early voting ended Friday with 34.7 percent of eligible voters having cast their ballots.
