Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
Schools urged to enhance sex education amid rising deepfake crimes among youth
A school police officer delivers a lecture on preventing deepfake sexual exploitation at a middle school in Daegu, Friday. Yonhap
By Jung Da-hyun
Calls are growing for a comprehensive overhaul of school sex education in Korea as deepfake exploitation materials spread rapidly among teenagers, according to school officials and experts, Sunday.
Current sex education in schools has failed to address emerging issues like deepfake crimes, leaving many minors unaware of the potential harm such crimes pose, they said. Deepfake exploitation materials involve manipulating photos and videos to create explicit content, often targeting specific individuals such as classmates, teachers or celebrities.
Sex education in elementary, middle and high schools across the nation currently consists of 15 hours per year, in accordance with the Ministry of Education’s guidelines.
This includes two hours each on sexual violence and domestic violence prevention education for elementary schools, while middle and high schools must provide an additional hour focused on prostitution prevention, totaling three hours.
However, the lack of standardized guidance from the education ministry, due to restrictions under the Local Education Autonomy Act, has led to inconsistencies.
Sex education is not just limited to school health teachers or external instructors. It can also be taught by general subject teachers, including instructors of Korean, English and physical education.
Therefore, the content and effectiveness of the education can vary widely depending on each teacher's understanding.
A recent survey by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union also showed concerns, with 92.7 percent of teachers nationwide reporting difficulty preparing classes due to unclear objectives and content related to gender equality, sexual harassment and other issues.
Experts are calling for a more systematic approach to sex education in schools, emphasizing the need for curriculum updates that reflect current issues.
Shin Kyung-ah, a sociology professor at Hallym University and president of the Korean Association of Women’s Studies, advocates for integrating sex and gender equality education into the regular school curriculum, suggesting it be taught more frequently, such as once a month.
"With students being exposed to digital devices at a young age, it’s crucial to begin this education early, ensuring they receive consistent instruction starting from the lower grades of elementary school," she said.
She also stressed the importance of collaboration between schools and families in addressing digital-based crimes.
"If parents participate in online education alongside their children, it can increase awareness in everyday life outside of school and enable more effective supervision," Shin added.
Heo Min-sook, a researcher at the National Assembly Research Service, also highlighted the need for comprehensive education, extending it to teachers as well.
"To ensure that teachers can deliver high-quality sex education, they must be systematically trained with sufficient knowledge and understanding, allowing them to educate their students effectively," she said.