Prosecutors and police said they will respond sternly to election offenders spreading "fake news" ahead of the local elections in June.
Acting Prosecutor General Ku Jahyun and Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency Yu Jaeseong on the 26th issued a joint statement by prosecutors and police "for a stern response to fake news, including the abuse of artificial intelligence (AI)" at Government Complex Seoul.
Ku said, "As AI technology has advanced and social conflicts have deepened, fake news using deepfake videos and the like has become so sophisticated that it is hard to distinguish from reality," adding, "The creation and distribution of such false information not only seriously damages individuals' reputations but also fuels social anxiety over major pending issues, with the scale of harm very large and virtually irreparable."
She continued, "Fewer than 100 days remain until the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections scheduled for June 3 this year," adding, "Ahead of the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, prosecutors will mobilize every possible measure to respond sternly to election offenders who spread fake news."
Ku also said, "We will use all investigative techniques, including forensic science, to uncover every detail of the crimes, and we will track to the end crimes that use overseas servers through international judicial cooperation," adding, "For those caught, we will ensure that heavy sentences commensurate with their crimes are handed down by rigorously maintaining indictments and seeking appropriate penalties, so that such crimes cannot take root in our society."
Ku further noted that, in this local election, compared with previous ones, there is a pronounced increase not only in offenders spreading false information but also in offenders involved in the exchange of money and valuables. She added, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office already in January ordered each Prosecution Service office to form an election task force and activate an emergency contact system, ensuring a thorough response to election offenses under an emergency duty posture."
Acting Commissioner General Yu of the Korean National Police Agency also said, "False and fabricated information is not an individual matter but a crime that undermines trust across society," adding, "We ask the public to refrain from sharing information of unclear origin and to report suspicious content to the relevant authorities."
He added, "The police will respect freedom of expression, but we will respond firmly, in accordance with the law and principles, to false and fabricated information that causes social disorder."