The Korea Times story "Deepfake crisis at schools" by Jung Da-hyun, published Dec. 2 / Korea Times file
The Korea Times reporter Jung Da-hyun
The Korea Times reporter Jung Da-hyun won the 2025 Amnesty International Korea Media Award Thursday for her investigative coverage, titled "Deepfake crisis at schools," produced in collaboration with the Excellence Lab team at sister publication Hankook Ilbo.
The award-winning series examines the alarming prevalence and impact of deepfake crimes among teenagers. Judges praised the comprehensive reporting for its detailed analysis and practical guidance on confronting these emerging threats in educational environments.
"The situation repeats and worsens. After a storm of outrage passes, new perpetrators and types of crimes arise. Each new crime learns from the previous, systematically destroying the ordinary lives of innocent individuals," the judges said in a statement.
"Technology, instead of serving humanity, often becomes a means for crime. Although 'deepfake' combines 'deep learning' and 'fake,' this neutral term fails to conveys the full extent of harm caused by such synthetic media crimes against their victims."
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Amnesty International Korea, the Korean branch of the international human rights nongovernmental organization, annually honors outstanding journalism that raises awareness of human rights issues and contributes to the protection and promotion of human rights in Korea through the Amnesty International Korea Media Awards.
This year, eight stories were selected from more than 84 submissions, highlighting human rights issues such as labor rights, discrimination, communities neglected by legal protections and the Russia-Ukraine war.
A special mention was awarded to So Sung-uk, his husband Kim Yong-min and their legal representatives for their contribution to the landmark 2024 ruling in Korea recognizing the right of same-sex couples to receive spousal health insurance coverage.
The award ceremony will take place at the Korea Press Center on March 27.