Defiance and Deepfakes: South Korea’s Gender Struggle in the Digital Age
By: Dhanvi Mehta
Executive Summary
South Korea is confronting a dual crisis: rising digital sexual violence and persistent gender inequality. Between 2022 and 2023, reported pornographic deepfakes increased by 464%, revealing how technology is being weaponized to objectify and harm women. This trend underscores how women’s bodies continue to be treated as commodities in both online and offline spaces. Although the government passed a 2024 law criminalizing deepfake creation and distribution, weak enforcement and political hostility toward feminist institutions have limited its impact.
The 4B movement - an abbreviation for 비혼 (no marriage), 비연애 (no dating), 비출산 (no childbirth), and 비섹스 (no heterosexuality)—represents a broader feminist resistance against patriarchal expectations that constrain women’s autonomy. By rejecting traditional family roles, 4B women challenge the economic and social systems that sustain gender inequality. Yet internal divisions and shrinking state support threaten progress. South Korea must strengthen gender policy infrastructure, expand digital safety regulations, and promote inclusive feminism to safeguard human rights in the digital age.
Context and Scope of the Problem
Despite economic advancement, South Korea remains one of the most gender-unequal countries in the OECD, with women earning roughly 31% less than men. Structural sexism persists across workplaces, family roles, and the legal system.
In recent years, AI-generated deepfakes have become a dominant form of digital sexual violence. Over 21,000 cases were reported in 2023, mostly targeting women whose images were taken from social media without consent. These violations are enabled by lax oversight by digital platforms and social stigma deterring victims from reporting abuse.
While the April 2024 “Digital Sex Crime Prevention and Response Act” criminalized the creation and distribution of non-consensual deepfakes (with penalties up to five years in prison), enforcement remains limited. A lack of specialized investigators, minimal survivor protection, and political disinterest have undermined its deterrent effect.
Compounding the issue, Former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration made continuous efforts to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) - though the plan was postponed amid public backlash. After his dismissal, the recently inaugurated President Lee Jae-myung has made no attempt to address the country’s severe gender inequality. This policy vacuum leaves gender-based violence response mechanisms underfunded and fragmented.
Analysis
The deepfake crisis exposes how gender inequality evolves alongside technology. South Korea’s patriarchal norms have adapted to the digital age, transforming misogyny into algorithmic abuse. Victims - often women and minors - face lasting psychological harm, while perpetrators rarely face prosecution.
Grassroots feminist responses such as the 4B (비혼, 비연애, 비출산, 비섹스) movement have emerged as a rejection of patriarchal expectations. Women’s refusal to marry or have children reflects a broader resistance to unequal domestic and economic labor. However, trans-exclusionary rhetoric with some feminist factions continues to alienate marginalized communities.
Feminism’s growing stigmatization under the former administration - framed as “divisive” - has driven activism over the years. Transnational feminist networks now fill the vacuum left by weakened domestic advocacy, building solidarity through social media and independent digital platforms.
Policy Alternatives
Status Quo: Maintain limited enforcement under existing deepfake and gender policies.
Pros: Politically convenient; no new bureaucratic costs.
Cons: Crimes proliferate; survivors remain unprotected; public trust in institutions erodes.
Technological Reform: Focus narrowly on AI regulation without addressing gender inequity.
Pros: Advances AI ethics; avoids politically charged feminist training.
Cons: Ignores the gendered nature of digital violence.
Integrated Gender and Technology Policy (Recommended): Combine digital regulation with robust gender equity initiatives.
Pros: Addresses both technological and societal roots of abuse; enhances South Korea’s international reputation on digital rights.
Cons: Requires political will and cross-ministerial coordination.
Policy Recommendations
Enforce and Expand on the 2024 Law
Increase funding for digital forensics and specialized investigators.
Mandate transparency reports from AI and social media platforms.
Provide financial and recognition incentives for companies that adopt strict anti-deepfake monitoring and reporting protocols.
Reinstate and Strengthen the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF)
Restore leadership and full budgetary authority to coordinate gender-based violence prevention.
Offer grants for NGOs and local governments that develop gender equity programs in digital literacy and survivor support.
Create a National Digital Safety Task Force
Establish collaboration between the Ministry of Science and ICT, law enforcement, and civil society for proactive monitoring and victim support.
Introduce awards or subsidies for digital platforms demonstrating leadership in combating online gender-based violence.
Institutionalize Gender-Inclusive AI Ethics Standards
Embed gender and human rights frameworks into South Korea’s AI governance policies.
Partner with universities and tech firms to develop inclusive AI ethics curricula.
Support Feminist Education and Survivor Services
Promote inclusive feminist education at all levels to counter stigmatization.
Expand access to trauma-informed, anonymous reporting systems and long-term psychological support for survivors.
Conclusion
South Korea’s digital future hinges on its willingness to confront the intersection of gender and technology. Deepfake abuse and the erosion of feminist institutions are not isolated crises - they are symptoms of a broader struggle for equality. Enforcing new laws, restoring gender governance, and embracing inclusive feminism will be critical to protecting the rights and dignity of all citizens in an increasingly digital society.
Works Consulted
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