"Strict Response to Deepfakes"... Police Launch Election Offense Investigation Situation Room

Zero Tolerance for Smear Campaigns and Related Offenses

24-Hour Emergency Response System Until Election Day

The police will operate an "Election Offense Investigation Situation Room" ahead of the 9th Nationwide Local Elections scheduled for June.

The National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency announced on the 18th that Election Offense Investigation Situation Rooms have been simultaneously established at 18 city and provincial police agencies and 261 police stations nationwide. The police have designated black propaganda, bribery, public official involvement in elections, mobilization of illegal organizations, and election violence as the "five major election crimes," and plan to focus investigative capabilities around the clock on these areas.

Yoo Jaesung, Acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency, is presiding over the Election Crime Investigation Countermeasures Reporting Meeting on the 18th. National Police Agency

The police plan to respond strictly to black propaganda, such as the production and dissemination of deepfake videos and fake news, considering that such acts could influence voters' decisions regarding candidates. In particular, the police view election crimes using deepfakes as posing a risk of significant short-term impact due to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and the broad reach of online media. Therefore, cybercrime investigation units with specialized investigative capabilities at city and provincial police agencies have been tasked with directly investigating these cases.

With the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office and the establishment of the Serious Crime Investigation Office and the Public Prosecution Office scheduled for October this year, investigations into election offenses related to this local election are expected to be led primarily by the police. An official from the National Investigation Headquarters stated, "The police will respond based on the investigative capabilities and expertise accumulated from past election cases," adding, "We will promote fair and strict enforcement through close cooperation with related agencies such as the National Election Commission and the prosecution."

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