Cracking Down on Organized Illegal Sites Through International Cooperation

Interview with Pyo Gwang-jong, Director of Copyright Protection Division, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Leading Joint Crackdown
Struggling with Illegal Distribution of Movies, Music, and Webtoons... Crackdown with Interpol until October
"Reporting Prevents Further Damage... Focus on Webtoons Harmful to Youth"
Even Inducing Access to Gambling and Porn Sites "Increasing Collaboration and Firmly Tackling Crime"

The movie ‘Minari’ was illegally distributed online before its official release. It spread widely through mobile communities, personal cloud storage, and mobile messengers, causing significant damage. The distributor, Pan Cinema, stated, "There were so many illegal files and links that collecting evidence was difficult." This is not an issue unique to ‘Minari’. Many movies, music, and webtoons suffer from illegal distribution. There are not many cases that lead to investigations. Most efforts focus on preventing the initial leak. Civil cases involve complicated procedures and considerable costs.

Pyoh Gwang-jong, Director of the Copyright Protection Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, emphasized, "Reports must be made to prevent further damage." He added, "The government handles the procedures after a report is filed. Criminal cases incur almost no costs. The only inconvenience is submitting evidence. Although the distributor may not be caught, continuous investigations build know-how and help establish effective countermeasures."

The government is enhancing its ability to respond to copyright infringement. A representative example is the big data-based copyright infringement response system that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Copyright Protection Agency will establish starting next year. It integrates the occurrence, detection, analysis, and response to infringement into one system for rapid action. The scope of investigations is also expanding overseas. In April, the Ministry’s Special Copyright Police, the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters, and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) signed an international cooperation agreement. They will conduct joint crackdowns on illegal copyright infringement websites until October.

Korea Copyright Protection Agency Copyright Infringement Response Comprehensive Situation Room

Director Pyoh stated, "Many illegal distribution sites have servers overseas and engage in copyright infringement worldwide," adding, "We plan to cooperate with investigative agencies in various countries centered on Interpol to apprehend those involved." The targets are about thirty illegal distribution sites for webtoons, movies, and broadcasts. Even after the crackdown period ends, efforts will focus on arresting the operators and following up with procedures such as recovering criminal proceeds.

- The investigation period is limited to five months...?

"Because it is a joint investigation. Setting a deadline prioritizes and focuses the investigation. After completion, we can identify any shortcomings."

- How were the approximately thirty illegal distribution sites selected?

"Since Interpol is involved, we target mainly large-scale sites. Most have servers overseas, making evidence collection difficult. Operators sometimes reside in other countries, so multiple judicial agencies must intervene to resolve the issue. We requested Interpol’s assistance in August last year. With growing interest in intellectual property infringement, cooperation was smoothly obtained."

- Why focus on webtoons?

"Because they have a negative influence on youth. Free access to webtoons is used as bait to lure users to gambling and adult content sites. The National Police Agency also views this as a serious problem. Chief Choi Jong-sang of the Cyber Investigation Division has expressed a strong commitment to thorough investigations."

Gwangjong Pyo, Director of Copyright Protection Division, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

- Most gambling and adult content site servers are also overseas, right?

"Yes. That falls under the National Police Agency’s jurisdiction. Recently, through international cooperation investigating child sexual crimes, they have accumulated know-how. Being able to investigate copyright infringement as well makes this collaboration important. The National Police Agency’s proactive efforts led to the first Interpol international cooperative investigation in the copyright field."

- Although site names were not disclosed, could publicizing targets give them time to evade the investigation?

"There are so many that it is impossible to know without revealing names. There is no intention to reduce the guidance period. This investigation targets serious copyright infringement, not minor cases. Creators’ works are used as bait on gambling and adult content sites. Many creators cannot endure this. Considering secondary harm to students, this is an organized and malicious crime. Some sites have operated for so long that excuses are impossible."

- Are overseas investigative agencies aware of the seriousness of illegal distribution sites?

"It varies by country. The more content a country produces, the more cooperative they are. With the global increase in digital content consumption, copyright infringement is also rising, creating a shared understanding of the seriousness of illegal sites."

Movie 'Minari' still cut

- This could also help domestic platform companies establish themselves overseas.

"Actually, most large corporations have safety measures in place. For example, they attach watermarks (copy tracking technology) to each user’s service, making it easy to identify who illegally distributed videos and when. If illegal copies circulate in countries where our companies have entered, especially if the illegal site’s servers are overseas, international cooperation can be helpful."

- How do you plan to respond to the diversification of illegal distribution routes?

"This is the most difficult issue. It differs from organized crime. Minor infringements accumulate and cause significant damage to copyright holders. For sites operating as private membership-only, internal reports are necessary for crackdowns. The same applies to personal emails, KakaoTalk, and Band. A social atmosphere rejecting illegal files and links must be created. Actress Youn Yuh-jung, who won an Academy Award, appealed not to engage in illegal downloads. Inspired by this, we plan to conduct infringement prevention activities with content creators, actors, singers, and socially influential figures. Amending copyright law to increase civil liabilities for illegal distribution is also one method."

- Any requests you want to convey to content stakeholders or users?

"Our content companies’ sales exceeded 120 trillion won in 2019. However, the Korea Copyright Protection Agency has only 360 copyright infringement monitoring personnel. More efforts are needed in collaboration among rights holders’ organizations, content companies, the Copyright Protection Agency, and the government. We must firmly respond to organized copyright crimes. Even minor infringements that occur widely in daily life must not grow into malignant tumors. I hope a social culture that protects creators’ livelihoods will be established."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.