Deepfake Videos Impersonating Doctor Spread Harmful Medical Misinformation in South Korea
A YouTube channel used deepfake video technology to impersonate South Korean doctor Lee Guk-jong and spread medically unfounded health advice, reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers before being reported and removed. The videos provided dangerous guidance on cardiac arrest and other medical conditions that could harm people who believed they were authentic.
What happened
A YouTube channel called 'μ΄κ΅μ’ κ΅μμ μ‘°μΈ' (Professor Lee Guk-jong's Advice) impersonated Lee Guk-jong, director of Military Hospital Daejeon, using deepfake video technology to create videos claiming to provide health information.
The channel, which opened on 20 March and gained over 40,000 subscribers within a week, posted videos with medically unsubstantiated advice including guidance on cardiac arrest response, pancreatic cancer signs, and diabetes management. A video about heart attack warning signs uploaded on 22 March reached 675,000 views.
Lee reported the impersonation as a personal information violation. The channel was subsequently deleted.
Reported impact
The harmful medical misinformation in the videos posed a threat to the health and life of viewers who believed they were watching genuine advice from the real doctor. One video advised people experiencing cardiac arrest symptoms to cough every two seconds, tap their chest, and stimulate acupressure points, when medical experts stated the only appropriate response is immediate emergency room transport.
The videos accumulated over 35,000 likes and more than 2,000 comments, with viewers expressing trust in the impersonated doctor despite the fraudulent nature of the content.
Index analysis
The deepfake videos spread through YouTube's algorithm to reach hundreds of thousands of viewers in a short timeframe. Critics noted that the platform failed to filter the impersonation and misinformation despite the fraudulent nature being apparent.
A similar health channel using comparable branding had operated since September of the previous year with minimal engagement, suggesting the credibility attributed to the impersonated doctor's name was a factor in the rapid spread.
Governance controls
YouTube did not prevent the channel's creation or spread. The channel was only removed after the impersonation was publicly reported and the doctor filed a personal information violation complaint.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.