Middle schooler in South Korea beaten by peers over deepfake images of classmates

SEOUL – A middle school student in the South Korean city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, was assaulted by fellow students for creating and distributing sexually explicit deepfake images of female classmates, police said on Oct 22.According to Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station, the student allegedly created the deepfake content using photos of female students taken without their consent. His actions came to light on Oct 16, when one of the victims discovered the images.Police also found indications that the student had used screenshots taken during video calls with several female students, as well as photos taken of them from behind, to create the sexually explicit content, which he allegedly distributed online.As news of the deepfakes spread throughout the school, two students who were friends of one of the victims were believed to have assaulted the male student on a hiking trail behind the school on Oct 19.The student was reportedly hospitalised and is receiving treatment for his injuries.Police are investigating the two students suspected of carrying out the assault without detention. They have also launched a preliminary investigation into the male student over suspected violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.Police declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK