South Korea Bill Targets Fictional AI Porn Loophole

South Korean lawmakers have moved to tighten rules on sexually explicit AI-generated content by proposing an amendment that would criminalize material even when it features fictional characters. The proposal was introduced after a recent court ruling highlighted limits in the country’s current framework for policing synthetic sexual media.

The legislative push follows an August 2026 decision by the Uijeongbu District Court in Goyang. In that case, the court acquitted a man accused of sharing deepfake images of nude women in a Telegram chat room, after prosecutors failed to show the images involved identifiable real people.

August 2026 Goyang ruling exposed a legal gap

Judge Lee Jung-hoon ruled that the defendant could Judge Lee Jung-hoon ruled that the defendant could not be convicted under existing law because prosecutors could not prove the images depicted identifiable real persons. The verdict has been cited by lawmakers as evidence that the current approach can struggle in cases where a specific human victim cannot be verified. Under current South Korean statutes, distributing explicit deepfakes can be punished by up to seven years in prison or a maximum fine of 50 million won ($35,341). Lawmakers backing the amendment say the acquittal demonstrates that these penalties may not apply when a case hinges on proving who, exactly, is depicted. Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers propose broader criminal liability Representative Huh Young and nine other lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea introduced the amendment with the stated aim of removing the requirement to prove that a specific human individual is portrayed. In effect, the bill would treat sexually explicit synthetic content as prosecutable even when the subject is not a confirmed real person.

According to the proposal, the measure would cover the creation, distribution, and possession of the material. The scope is designed to apply regardless of whether the subject is a real person, addressing content that can be generated without using an identifiable victim.

Lawmakers cite generative AI misuse and “significant social harm” In explaining the amendment, legislators pointed to what they described as the fast pace of generative AI development and its misuse to produce manipulated sexual content. They said the spread of such material creates “significant social harm,” and argued that enforcement needs to keep up with how synthetic media is produced and shared.

The lawmakers also stated that manipulated sexual content has increasingly been used in ways that generate disgust and humiliation. Their proposal frames the issue not only as a question of individual harm, but as a broader social risk tied to the easy creation and distribution of synthetic imagery.

Bill enters committee review process

The amendment is undergoing detailed review by a subcommittee of Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. That process will determine whether the proposal advances toward a wider vote and potential changes to South Korea’s digital media rules.

For now, the timing and final wording remain uncertain, as the measure is still in the review stage. However, the proposal signals an effort by lawmakers to close a loophole underscored by the Goyang acquittal and to update enforcement tools as generative technologies evolve.