Sex Crimes Defense Center · Case Type

Sexual deepfakes are punishable
even just for possessing or viewing them

Penalties for synthesizing a person's face, body or voice into sexual content became much heavier with the 2024 amendment. Even if you did not create it yourself, saving or viewing it is punishable. Whether you have been accused or harmed, how you act at the early stage matters.

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Penalty provisions

Altering video material containing someone's face, body or voice into a form that can arouse sexual desire or shame, regardless of that person's will, is punished under Article 14-2 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (the “Sexual Violence Punishment Act”, 성폭력처벌법). The penalty differs by conduct.

  • Creating (editing, synthesizing, processing) · Imprisonment of up to 7 years or a fine of up to KRW 50 million [paragraph (1)]
  • Spreading (distribution, etc.) · Imprisonment of up to 7 years or a fine of up to KRW 50 million [paragraph (2)]
  • Distribution through an information and communications network for profit · Imprisonment for a fixed term of at least 3 years [paragraph (3)]
  • Possessing, purchasing, storing, viewing · Imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to KRW 30 million [paragraph (4)]
  • Threats using such material · Imprisonment for a fixed term of at least 1 year; if the threat was used to make the person do something they had no obligation to do, imprisonment for a fixed term of at least 3 years (Article 14-3)

If the victim is a child or juvenile, the sexual exploitation material provisions of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses (the “Youth Sex Protection Act”, 청소년성보호법) apply with much heavier punishment, and even possessing or viewing carries imprisonment for a fixed term of at least 1 year (Article 11(5) of that Act).

If you have been accused

Many cases leave room to contest, such as when a file posted in a chat room was downloaded automatically, when you did not know it was synthesized, or when the account named in the complaint is not yours. In a complaint for editing and distributing false video material that DAEON Law Firm handled, we obtained a no-suspicion decision by explaining that the proof was insufficient.

Investigation flow changed as of October 2, 2026 · Because of the new Article 26-2 of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, the police can no longer close sexual violence cases themselves and must refer all of them to the prosecutor. Cases under way on the effective date are no exception. It is now hard to hope for the case to end at the police level with non-referral (the police deciding not to send the case to a prosecutor), so the goal ultimately becomes a non-indictment (no suspicion) decision by the prosecutor. Police statement records follow the case as they are, so you should put more effort into the first questioning.

If you have been harmed

Once synthesized material starts to spread, it is hard to undo. Preserve the posting addresses and screens so that the dates are visible, request deletion from the Korea Media and Communications Standards Commission, and contact the Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center as well. Even if you do not know who did it, once a complaint is filed, investigative agencies will check the account information. DAEON Law Firm represented a victim in a case where the offender, who synthesized and spread an acquaintance's face, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment.

Frequently Asked Questions

I only opened a video posted in a group chat room.
If you viewed it knowing it was synthesized, the crime of viewing under paragraph (4) of the same Article may be at issue. Whether you knew, and whether it played automatically, are the key issues.
I synthesized a friend's face as a joke and did not spread it.
If you made a sexual depiction against the other person's wishes, it falls under imprisonment of up to 7 years or a fine of up to KRW 50 million even if you did not spread it. Do not delete the file first; set your approach with defense counsel before anything else.
I am a victim but do not know who made it.
Once a complaint is filed, investigative agencies can request account information from the platform operator. Bring the posting addresses, account names and screenshots, and we will work with you starting from drafting the complaint.

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Written on the basis of Korean statutes in force (National Law Information Center, Ministry of Government Legislation) and court precedents as of October 20, 2026. Results may differ with amendments to the law or the facts of each case. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Written and reviewed by Attorney Dongwoo Shin — Ph.D. in Law; certified criminal law specialist and certified divorce law specialist registered with the Korean Bar Association. He handles each case personally from consultation to judgment. About the attorney →
Last updated October 20, 2026

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