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(Hankyoreh file photo)

Amid the recent proliferation of illegal deepfake pornography on the chat app Telegram, South Korean police have announced that they have begun a preliminary investigation of Telegram for aiding and abetting sex crimes. This is the first time Korean police have moved to investigate an overseas platform that has refused to cooperate in an investigation. 

During a press conference on Monday, Woo Jong-soo, the chief of the police National Office of Investigation, announced, “Due to recent events, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has begun a preliminary investigation of Telegram, looking at charges of aiding and abetting [in sex crimes].” 

Noting that Telegram’s founder was arrested in France, Woo said Korean police would “inquire into ways to request cooperative assistance from French and international authorities in our investigation of Telegram.”

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget Airport outside Paris on Aug. 24 by French authorities. The charges against Durov are related to neglect in regard to the distribution of child sexual abuse material and prostitution that has occurred on Telegram channels. 

Korean police are also looking to charge people who have made and programmed deepfake bots. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cybercrime division is currently conducting preliminary investigations of eight Telegram rooms that produced illegal deepfakes. 

In the case of a chat room that produced deepfakes of female soldiers, the room disappeared immediately after media reports of its activity, leaving police investigators without any clues. 

“The Telegram chat that produced and distributed deepfakes of female soldiers disappeared on the same day its activities were reported by the press. We will do our best to recover any clues available,” Woo said. 

Media reports on such Telegram chat rooms also led to a sudden explosion of victim reports throughout the country. Authorities received 88 reports of deepfake crimes from Aug. 26 to 29. So far, 24 suspects have been identified. Considering that 297 deepfake crimes were reported from January to July of this year, this was a sharp increase. 

“Similar to the #MeToo movement, victims are realizing that they have suffered punishable crimes. In the past, people would have just assumed there’s nothing they can do, but now they’re coming forward and reporting it,” Woo added.

“A considerable amount of reports include the identity of the perpetrator.” 

To boost efficiency, police are also emphasizing the importance of expanding the scope of undercover operations. Current regulations permit undercover investigations only when it comes to digital sex crimes that target minors, and undercover officers who wish to conceal their identity need prior approval from their department chief. 

“Recently, digital sex crimes have expanded to not only target teenagers and children but also adults, yet current regulations bar undercover operations when adult victims are involved. Expediency is key in ongoing investigations, but many processes need prior approval from superiors,” Woo said.

“We need to expand the scope of undercover operations so we can investigate criminals targeting adults. We will also push for policies that allow undercover officers to conceal their personal identities when needed and attain the necessary bureaucratic approval after the fact.”

By Lee Ji-hye, staff reporter

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