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Education and child protection authorities are on high alert, as data reveals that more than one-third of victims of deepfake sex crimes in Korea are minors.

Amid the rapid spread of deepfake crimes, particularly within schools, where over 180 cases have involved schoolchildren as victims, education authorities and police have announced plans to implement stronger countermeasures by establishing a task force.

According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Wednesday, 781 people sought help about deepfake crimes with the Advocacy Center for Online Sexual Abuse Victims this year as of Sunday, and 36.9 percent of them were minors.

Deepfake crimes involve the manipulation of photos and videos, typically using images of unidentified individuals, to create explicit content. Victims often find their faces superimposed onto obscene images, leading to significant emotional and psychological distress.

The number of underage victims increased 4.5-fold over two years, rising from 64 in 2022 to 288. This surge exceeds the overall increase for all age groups, which grew 3.7 times from 212 to 781 during the same period.

An official at the center noted that the high incidence of these types of damage among younger generations, particularly teenagers and those in their 20s, is due to their greater familiarity with online communication and social media compared to other age groups.

The center also attributes the rise to recent advancements in deepfake technology and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.

Vice Minister of Education Oh Seok-hwan announces the ministry's plan to establish a task force to deal with deepfake crimes during a press briefing at the Government Complex Sejong, Wednesday. Yonhap

Recently, deepfake abuse has been rapidly escalating in schools nationwide.

According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 196 people — 186 students and 10 teachers — reported they were victims of deepfake crimes from January to Tuesday.

The alert was prompted by an online post on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, which disclosed a list of hundreds of middle schools, high schools and universities where students have fallen victim to deepfake crimes.

The manipulated videos were reportedly circulated through Telegram group chats, with media reports saying a chatroom where bots turn images into deepfake nude photos has nearly 227,000 users.

What is more concerning is the fact that a large number of offenders are also believed to be minors, according to authorities.

In response to the rising deepfake crimes at schools, the education ministry announced a plan to launch a dedicated task force, aiming to investigate the extent of the damage and provide support to alleviate the concerns of students and teachers.

It will conduct weekly investigations into deepfake-related cases and will cooperate with relevant authorities, including the National Police Agency, the Korea Communications Commission and the gender ministry. Additionally, it will maintain emergency contact networks with education offices nationwide.

The task force will also focus on managing the psychological impact on affected students and teachers.

Local education authorities also urgently issued announcements to schools and students, Tuesday, to raise awareness over the issue. The announcements notify that deepfake crimes are not mere acts of curiosity but serious offenses subject to punishment, causing significant harm to victims and leaving psychological damage. The notice also provided guidance on how to support victims.

The education ministry stated that child offenders involved in deepfake crimes could face serious consequences, including expulsion from school.

Police also warned that they will take stringent measures, including arrest, depending on the specifics of each deepfake case.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Communications Standards Commission, Wednesday, to establish a dedicated hotline for deepfake crimes. The agreement also aims to strengthen the support system for the swift removal of such content.