딥페이크 피해 신고 어디에…삭제는 디성센터·1366, 처벌은 112·ECRMWhere to report deepfake sex crimes - removal via the support center or 1366, punishment via 112 and ECRM

If you find you are a victim of a deepfake sex crime, think of two separate jobs: getting it removed and getting the offender punished. Removal goes to the National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response (02-735-8994) or the women's emergency line 1366; punishment goes to the police (112 or the cyber crime reporting system).

You don't have to be the victim to report. If you see someone else's harm, tip off police via 182 or the e-People portal, and ask Korea's communications standards commission (1377) to remove or block it.

On Naver's Q&A service, a search for 'deepfake report' returns 3,295 questions as of October 6.

Removal: start with the center

Removal support is handled by the National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response under the Korea Women's Human Rights Institute. It covers intake, removal support, monitoring for redistribution, and links to investigative, legal and medical help in one place.

The center's phone line runs from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The 1366 line answers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the private online board takes requests at any time.

You don't have to report the offender. Counseling and removal support are available without a police report, and even if you don't know who did it, you can get support as long as you have the evidence needed for removal, the center says.

Minors can apply for removal support themselves without a parent's consent.

Three things to prepare first

The center says requests for removal and monitoring are processed faster if you have three things ready.

• The exact address (URL) of the post where the material appears
• The material itself, as video or images
• Keywords that can find it, such as the post title or text

The original matters: the center says monitoring and removal depend on securing the original material. If you don't have it, reporting to police lets investigators obtain it through digital forensics and other means.

Speed matters too. In a 2024 Korea Policy Briefing interview, the head of the center's removal team said starting removal within the 24-hour golden time clearly reduces the harm.

Removal support lasts three years by default and can be extended. Depending on the platform, complete removal may be difficult, so ongoing monitoring is needed, the center adds.

If you want punishment, or saw someone else's harm

Punishing the offender is the police's job. Call 112 in an emergency; 182 is the police complaint line. You can visit a nearby police station, or file online through the cyber crime reporting system (ecrm.police.go.kr) if a visit is hard.

After you file, a case number arrives by email or text, and the National Police Agency assigns the case to a local station or cyber investigation team. A case number also lets you press platforms harder for removal, which the center lists as a reason to report.

You don't have to be the victim. If you learn of someone else's harm, you can tip off police by visiting a station, calling 182 or using the e-People portal. To have the material removed or blocked, apply to Korea's communications standards commission at 1377 or report.kocsc.or.kr.

If the offender threatens to spread the material if you report, don't meet them or tell them you have reported, the center advises. Threatening someone with such material is itself a crime punishable by at least one year in prison.

Viewers face punishment too. Since a 2024 legal change, possessing, buying, storing or even watching sexual deepfakes can be punished by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.

Leave removal to the center and punishment to the police. The center also helps connect you to investigators, so if you aren't sure whom to call first, 1366, open around the clock, is a starting point.