A scene from SBS TV's "Unanswered Questions" which recently explored deepfake pornography. Courtesy of SBS
A study by an international cybersecurity firm reveals that over half of the people featured in deepfake pornography are South Koreans.
The report, titled "2023 Deepfake Production Status," has recently been released by U.S.-based cybersecurity company Security Hero.
It identified South Korea as the most vulnerable country to deepfake crimes.
According to the report, which analyzed the top 10 deepfake porn websites and 85 YouTube channels between July and August last year, 53 percent of the individuals appearing in deepfake content were of South Korean nationality.
The report said that certain countries are particularly susceptible to explicit deepfake content. "South Korea tops the list of these nations with a 53 percent rate of susceptibility to deepfake adult content," it said.
The U.S. followed with 20 percent, Japan was third with 10 percent and the U.K. was fourth with 6 percent.
Korean singers main targets
The report also pointed out that the most likely professions to become subjects of unauthorized deepfake content are singers and actresses.
It found that 8 out of the top 10 people most frequently depicted in deepfake pornography worldwide were South Korean singers.
All 10 were either singers or actresses, with South Korean singers occupying positions 1 to 7 and 9. According to the report, there were 1,595 deepfake productions featuring the No. 1-ranked South Korean singer, "A," with approximately 5.61 million views.
Similarly, the second-ranked singer, "B," appeared in 1,238 deepfake videos, accumulating 3.865 million views. However, due to the sensitive nature of the data, it did not to disclose the names of these individuals.
The table shows that South Korea is the most vulnerable country to deepfake pornographic content. Captured from Security Hero website
Adult websites flooded with deepfake content
The report also noted that the amount of adult content created using deepfakes is increasing annually, rising from 3,725 instances in 2022 to 21,019 in 2023, a surge of 464 percent in just one year.
It said that 7 of the top 10 adult websites host deepfake content. The primary subjects are women, with 99 percent of deepfake adult videos featuring women.
"In our survey of U.S. men, a notable 48 percent of respondents reported having viewed deepfake pornography at least once," the report said. "This statistic underscores the widespread presence of deepfake content within the adult entertainment landscape and highlights its growing influence on consumer preferences."
Security Hero said that a comprehensive strategy is essential to counter the threat posed by deepfake content targeting individuals. This strategy should include legal measures to protect personal privacy, rights, and reputation, along with deepfake detection technologies and public awareness campaigns.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.