Deepfake videos of South Korean politicians spread ahead of June 2025 election
Deepfake videos of South Korean political candidates spread on social media ahead of the June 2025 presidential election, with videos of former president Yoon Suk-yeol, Lee Jae-myung and Han Dong-hun receiving millions of views. Government agencies including the National Electoral Commission and police are investigating, while the election occurs during a legal gap before AI watermarking requirements take effect in January 2026.
What happened
Deepfake videos of South Korean political candidates spread on social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram and online communities ahead of the June 2025 presidential election. Videos show politicians including former president Yoon Suk-yeol, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hun in compromising or false situations.
One deepfake video of Yoon Suk-yeol removing Han Dong-hun's hairpiece was posted on TikTok on March 9 and received 1.4 million views and approximately 2,000 shares within a week. Lee Jae-myung's campaign announced it would file a complaint with Seoul Police on March 16 against a YouTuber who created and distributed deepfake videos.
Reported impact
The Democratic Party reported that deepfake videos intended to damage politicians' images are spreading rapidly across social media and political online communities. AI technology advancement has made it difficult to judge the authenticity of deepfake content, and the lack of watermarking requirements is expected to increase damage to election candidates.
Index analysis
AI-based startup companies with deepfake detection technology are actively discussing how to respond to detection requests from politicians and government agencies ahead of the election. The National Electoral Commission established a 'Deepfake Review Advisory Group' and deployed special response teams to monitor AI-generated false content.
The election occurs during a legal gap before the AI Basic Law takes effect in January 2026, which will mandate watermarking of AI-generated content. Online tools that remove AI generation markers are already being shared.
Governance controls
South Korea's 2023 revision to the Public Official Election Act prohibits the creation and distribution of deepfake videos for election campaigns from 90 days before the election. The Democratic Party established 'Democratic Police Box' in January to respond quickly to false and manipulated information, and its legal support team reviews civil and criminal measures in coordination with Meta and Google platforms.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.