Gu Jahyun, Acting Prosecutor General: "We Will Mobilize Every Possible Means to Respond Strictly to Fake News in the June 3 Local Elections"

Joint Prosecution-Police Statement on Responding to Fake News
Gu Jahyun: "We Will Track Election Offenders to the End"
Yoo Jaesung: "We Will Strictly Punish the Initial Disseminators of Deepfakes"

Gu Jahyun, Acting Prosecutor General, stated on June 3, ahead of the 9th nationwide local elections, "The prosecution will mobilize every possible means to respond strictly to election offenders who disseminate fake news."

Acting Prosecutor General Gu Jahyeon and Acting Commissioner General Yu Jaeseong are issuing a joint statement by the prosecution and police at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul on February 26, 2026, to take stern action against fake news, including the misuse of AI. Photo by Jo Yongjun

On the morning of the same day at the Government Complex Seoul, Acting Prosecutor General Gu held a "Joint Prosecution-Police Statement on Responding to Fake News, Including the Misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI)" and said, "There are concerns that election crimes exploiting 'fake news' will surge further as election day approaches."

The prosecution plans to use investigative techniques such as forensic science to uncover the criminal acts of election offenders, and to track crimes that use overseas servers through international judicial cooperation.

Acting Prosecutor General Gu emphasized, "In this local election, compared to previous local elections, there is a marked increase not only in offenders spreading false information but also in offenders involved in the exchange of money and valuables," adding, "We will ensure that heavy sentences commensurate with the crimes are handed down to those caught, by thoroughly maintaining the charges and seeking appropriate sentences, so that such crimes cannot take root in our society."

He went on to say, "The prosecution is responding strictly by designating as key targets for crackdown not only offenders who spread false information and engage in smear campaigns through fake news, but also those involved in election-related bribery, illegal election interference by public officials, and election-related acts of violence," and added, "In January, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office ordered all levels of prosecutors' offices to form dedicated election investigation teams and activate emergency contact systems, and under this emergency work system we will do our utmost to respond to election offenders."

Yu Jaesung, Acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency, is issuing a joint statement by the police and prosecution at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Feb. 26, 2026, to respond firmly to fake news, including AI misuse. 2026.2.26 Photo by Cho Yongjun

On the same day, Yoo Jaesung, Acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency, also stated, "Ahead of the local elections, we plan to respond under a zero-tolerance principle to fabricated and manipulated information that undermines the fairness of the election and the order of democracy," adding, "In particular, for election crimes using deepfakes, we will track distribution channels and strictly punish not only the initial disseminators but also the creators."

Since February, the National Police Agency has formed dedicated election crime investigation teams at police agencies nationwide and has been conducting intensive crackdowns on the "five major election crimes," including the dissemination of false information. In addition, since January it has been carrying out a "focused crackdown on crimes related to false information," during which a total of 110 people have been apprehended and 6 of them have been arrested and detained.

Acting Commissioner Yoo appealed, "Fabricated and manipulated information is not an individual problem but a crime that destroys the trust of society as a whole," and urged, "Please refrain from sharing information with unclear sources, and report any suspicious content to the relevant authorities."

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