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Behind the snowballing harm caused by deepfake sexual abuse lies not only the actions of those who create such content, but also the indifference and sharing behavior of individuals who casually distribute these videos, according to critics. Once created, manipulated sexual content spreads rapidly through group chats and social networking services (SNS). Even sharing such videos out of curiosity or under the pretext of simply verifying their authenticity can contribute to the distribution network that perpetuates and amplifies these crimes.

"Even If You Didn't Create It, Distributing It Can Lead to Criminal Punishment" — Penalties Strengthened Following 2024 Legal Amendment

Under Article 14-2 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (Sexual Violence Punishment Act), anyone who edits, synthesizes, or manipulates another person's face, body, or voice into sexually humiliating content against that person's will may face up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 50 million.

Individuals who distribute or provide such manipulated content or its reproductions to others are subject to the same statutory penalties as those who originally created it.

Notably, an amendment to the law in October 2024 removed the requirement that offenders must have acted "with the intent to distribute" when producing manipulated sexual content. Consequently, criminal liability may arise even when an individual did not personally create the material but merely forwarded it to someone else.

Legal experts warn that even "simply forwarding" such content can constitute a serious criminal offense.

"Claiming that 'I did not create the content myself' provides no legal defense," said Chon Hyeong hwan, Managing Attorney at MegaX Law Office. "Although the law separately defines the offenses of creating and distributing manipulated sexual content, both are serious crimes subject to the same statutory penalties."

He added, "Even sending such content to just one person or a small group may legally constitute 'providing' the material. Therefore, even one-to-one transmission can result in significant criminal penalties."

Attorney Chon further explained, "Investigative authorities focus not only on the purpose of transmission but also on how many people received the material, how many times it was sent, and what actions the sender took afterward."

He emphasized, "Whether the content was shared in a public chat room, whether it was repeatedly transmitted, and whether the sender requested additional material or disclosed identifying information about the victim—such as their name, school, or workplace—are key factors in assessing criminal intent and determining the severity of punishment."

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