Two people allegedly behind a deepfake video featuring scantily dressed images of President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee which was screened in downtown Gwangju have been booked by police.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency said Thursday that the pair were booked on charges of producing and distributing false video materials in violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.

They are accused of distributing the deepfake video near the May 18 Democracy Square, close to the protest site calling for President Yoon's impeachment on Feb. 15 in the Geumnam-ro area of Dong District.

The video contained sexually degrading depictions of Yoon and the first lady. The screening was reportedly unrelated to the civic group that organized the protest.

The video was uploaded on YouTube. Its creator is reportedly based overseas, while the person who screened it is believed to reside in Gyeonggi.

Following a complaint from the presidential office, police launched an investigation and assigned the case to the Gwangju police based on the location of the incident.

Police plan to summon the pair for questioning after reviewing the legal aspects of the case.



BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]