Government-Wide Response to Digital Sex Crimes: "Integrated Support Group" Launched

Launch of "Digital Sex Crime Victim Integrated Support Group" on May 6

Strong Measures Including Investigation Requests and International Cooperation on Illegal Footage

"Beyond Deletion Support, Blocking Distribution Channels"

The government-wide joint "Digital Sex Crime Victim Integrated Support Group" (Integrated Support Group) was launched on May 6 to strengthen the prevention of digital sex crimes and integrated response measures. Previously, efforts focused on supporting victims by deleting illegal footage, but with improved cooperation among relevant ministries, the emphasis will now shift to preemptive blocking and strengthening sanctions.

On this day, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that it would hold a plaque unveiling ceremony to mark the launch of the Integrated Support Group, with key officials such as Kim Jongcheol, Chairperson of the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission, Yu Jaeseong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, and Jeong Jeongok, Gender Equality and Family Secretary, in attendance. The Integrated Support Group is composed of a total of eight members: one chief (concurrently held by the Director of Safety and Human Rights Policy at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family), one deputy chief, and seven team members (two from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, two from the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission, and three from the National Police Agency). The Central Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center will be responsible for the initial analysis of illegal footage and platforms where such materials are distributed, collaborating closely with the group.

To respond to evolving digital sex crimes, the government has established five comprehensive cross-ministry action plans and supported the deletion of approximately 1.53 million materials, assisting around 53,000 victims. However, there were limitations in responding quickly, as even obvious illegal footage required a review process by the Broadcasting and Media Evaluation Committee before access could be blocked. Problems also arose with illegal and harmful websites hosted on overseas servers, where administrative sanctions were difficult to enforce, resulting in persistent damage from repeated postings and refusals to comply with deletion requests. To address these issues from a victim-centered, government-wide perspective, the government established a Prime Ministerial Directive to set up the Integrated Support Group within the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

The Integrated Support Group will conduct in-depth analyses of illegal footage distribution channels, the operational methods and revenue structures of sites that repeatedly post such content, and will promote a coordinated response—such as investigation requests, imposing fines, rapid blocking, and international cooperation—through collaboration with relevant agencies.

Furthermore, when victims encounter clear-cut illegal footage, the group will swiftly block access via telecommunications operators. The group will also directly respond to urgent and severe cases, such as mass victimization incidents, that are difficult for frontline support agencies to handle.

Additionally, to prevent the spread of illegal footage, the group will build cooperative relationships with information and communications service providers, encourage reporting by the public and businesses, and devise legal and institutional improvements to cut off criminal proceeds and facilitate reporting.

Won Minkyoung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, stated, "At this point, a more fundamental response is needed to block the infinite replication and spread of sexually exploitative material that threatens the everyday lives of citizens." She added, "The government will go beyond simple deletion support, swiftly blocking distribution channels for illegal footage and establishing a robust response system that holds perpetrators fully accountable for repeated dissemination and refusal to delete, using every means available."

Kim Jongcheol, Chairperson of the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission, said, "We will thoroughly inspect and manage the fulfillment of obligations to prevent the distribution of illegal footage, thereby strengthening the responsibility of operators. We will work closely with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the National Police Agency to eradicate digital sex crimes."

Yu Jaeseong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, commented, "With the launch of the Integrated Support Group, we will combine the police's advanced investigative techniques with the blocking capabilities of related agencies to completely root out the 'distribution-supply-consumption' crime ecosystem, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy with strict measures."

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