Police vowed to crack down on sex crimes involving deepfake technology in view of an increase in the number of cases in recent years. 

The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced Tuesday that it will start an intensive seven-month campaign against deepfakes starting Wednesday. Cyber sex crime investigators from municipal and provincial police agencies will work to eradicate the illegal use of deepfakes during that time, and the KNPA will use deepfake detection software to support their work.

Deepfakes that depict underage victims will be reported as child and adolescent sexual exploitation material under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses, the agency said.

The number of cases involving deepfake videos increased every year over the past four years, the agency added, from 156 cases in 2021 to 297 cases in 2024 as of July.

In 2021, 78 people were charged in connection with deepfake sex crime allegations. As of July, the 2024 figure stood at 178.