Guro District Office Official Fined for Deepfaking Colleague's Face to Depict Romantic Relationship

A male public official at the Guro District Office in Seoul has been sentenced to a fine in the first trial for using generative AI to composite a female colleague's face to make it appear as though they were in a romantic relationship and posting the images on his social media.

The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced the defendant, a man in his 50s surnamed Lee, to a total fine of 6 million won today (September 11) on charges including violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and defamation.

Lee is accused of downloading a photo of a colleague in the same department, surnamed B, from the district office's organizational chart in November of last year, using generative AI to composite it so that they appeared to be lovers, and posting the images on his social media profile four times.

The case came to public attention following an SBS report in March, after which the police conducted supplementary investigations into the defamation charges and sent the case back to the prosecution.

During the sentencing hearing today, the court rebuked Lee, stating, "The victim has stated that upon seeing the false videos posted by the defendant, she was overcome with shame, insult, and disgust all at once," adding, "She says she is experiencing severe shame and fear as rumors have spread within the workplace since the incident."

During the trial, Lee argued that the videos he posted were unlikely to cause sexual humiliation and that he had no such intent, but the court rejected the argument.

The judge pointed out, "It cannot be concluded that whether a video qualifies as a form capable of arousing sexual desire or shame is limited to forms where the body is exposed," noting, "Cases like the video in this case, where clothing clings tightly to reveal the contours of the body, can also apply."

The court also explained the reasoning for the sentencing, stating, "The defendant has not been forgiven by the victim, and even in court, he offered an incomprehensible excuse that people would have had difficulty recognizing the victim due to his facial recognition impairment, making it questionable whether he is reflecting on his crime."

It added that favorable factors were considered, including the fact that the defendant suffers from a mental illness, acknowledges the factual basis of the offense, and is a first-time offender.

In July, the prosecution demanded a 10-month prison sentence for Lee, stating, "He publicly posted the photos even while recognizing their problematic nature."

※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.