"Eradicating Deepfakes and Vote-Buying in the June 3 Local Elections"

Jeonnam Police Switch to 24-Hour Investigation System Ahead of Local Elections

The Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency established an "Election Offense Investigation Situation Room" at 23 police stations in the province on the 18th. Photo by Jeonnam Police Agency

With the upcoming June 3 local elections, the Jeonnam Provincial Police have launched a full-scale response to prevent election-related crimes. The police have announced plans for a high-intensity crackdown targeting not only false information and vote-buying but also deepfake videos.

On March 18, the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency established an "Election Crime Investigation Situation Room" at 23 police stations throughout the province and announced that it would operate a 24-hour emergency response system until election day.

This move demonstrates the agency's intention to establish a strong foundation for enforcement from the outset, given the expectation that illegal activities will surge as the election approaches.

The police have identified the following as the five major election crimes that undermine the fairness of the election: 1) negative campaigning, 2) bribery, 3) public officials’ involvement in elections, 4) illegal mobilization of organizations, and 5) election-related violence. The agency will focus its enforcement efforts on these crimes.

In particular, the police plan to apply a principle of rapid response to block the spread of fake news and false information at an early stage, as these can distort voters’ judgment. Recently, AI-based deepfake videos, which are rapidly spreading, have also become a primary target for investigation.

The police, led by the cybercrime investigation unit, plan to track down not only the creators but also the initial distributors of such content. Deepfake videos created for campaign purposes have been completely banned since March 5.

This election is likely to be conducted as a "police-led investigation," given the upcoming changes to the investigative system, such as the abolition of the prosecutor’s office and the establishment of a new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and a Public Prosecution Service. Accordingly, the Jeonnam Provincial Police plan to strengthen cooperation with the Election Commission and other related agencies to enhance the effectiveness of enforcement operations.

Mo Sangmyo, Commissioner of the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency, stated, "Local elections are an important procedure for realizing local autonomy, and we will do our utmost to ensure a clean and fair election," adding, "If you become aware of any illegal election activities, please report them actively to 112 or the nearest police station."

Meanwhile, the police announced that they will strictly protect the identity of informants and may provide a reward of up to 200 million won to whistleblowers.

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