Prime Minister Kim Min-seok Vows Severe Punishment for AI-Misused Fake News in Elections

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok warned on the 14th, with just 50 days remaining until the June 3 local elections, that fake news indistinguishable from reality, such as deepfakes created using artificial intelligence (AI), would face the strongest possible punishment allowed by law. Speaking at a public address concerning the 9th simultaneous local elections at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Kim stated that the advancement of generative AI technology has led to deepfake videos and false audio threatening election fairness. He characterized false information exploiting AI as a threat to the foundation of democracy and reiterated his administration's policy to impose the maximum punishment permitted by law for such actions.

Kim added that a zero-tolerance principle would apply to five major election crimes, including bribery, election violence, and official interference, which will be processed and held accountable swiftly.

PM Kim ordered relevant ministries to take action, including police crackdowns on pseudo-media, blocking the spread of false information through cooperation with major platform operators by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission, and establishing a permanent cooperation system among the Ministry of Justice, prosecution, and police.

Furthermore, Kim emphasized that administrative and financial support for stable election management must be implemented without disruption. He requested cooperation with election commissions and urged meticulous measures to ensure voting rights for students, military personnel, the elderly, and disabled voters. He also conveyed to relevant ministries the need to inspect the postal delivery system for election mail.