How many undercover police investigations into digital sex crimes were carried out in Korea this year?

Police carried out 598 undercover investigations from January to August this year, compared with 179 in the same period last year. The number has therefore more than tripled year on year.

Why did Korean police expand undercover investigations against sex crimes involving minors and adults?

Police said the scope expanded after a law criminalizing attempts to engage children and teenagers in sexual conversations took effect in October last year. The government also broadened undercover investigations to include cases involving adult victims in June last year.

What has the undercover investigation system achieved since it began in 2021?

Since its introduction after the Nth room case, the system has led to 1,503 undercover investigations, 2,873 apprehensions and 164 formal arrests. In the first eight months of this year alone, 338 suspects were apprehended in cases involving sexual exploitation conversations with children and adolescents.

Undercover investigations by police into digital sex crimes more than triple this year

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Summary

Police undercover investigations into digital sex crimes in Korea have more than tripled this year, with 598 cases from January to August, as authorities grapple with deepfake-related offenses. The National Office of Investigation said the tactic began in 2021 after the Nth room case. Since then, police have carried out 1,503 undercover investigations, apprehended 2,873 suspects and formally arrested 164.

Key Facts

Police conducted 598 undercover investigations from January to August this year, up from 179 in the same period last year.
Since the undercover measure was introduced in 2021, police have apprehended 2,873 suspects and formally arrested 164 of them.
In the first eight months of this year, police apprehended 338 suspects in undercover investigations involving conversations with children and adolescents for sexual exploitation, and six were formally arrested.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 27, 2026 11:35 am KST

Gender Minister Won Min-kyong presents progress on digital sex crime investigations at the 3rd Interagency Meeting on the Response to Digital Sex Crimes held at the Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The number of undercover investigations conducted by the police has more than tripled this year from a year earlier, data showed Sunday, as Korea continues to grapple with digital sex crimes, often involving deepfake technology.

The National Office of Investigation under the Korean National Police Agency said it carried out 598 undercover investigations from January to August this year, compared with 179 cases during the same period last year.

The police first introduced such undercover investigations in 2021 following the "Nth room" case, in which underage girls were coerced into obscene acts in front of cameras and the footage was shared in paid online chatrooms.

Since adopting the measure, the police have conducted 1,503 undercover investigations through the end of August, apprehended 2,873 suspects and formally arrested 164 of them.

In the first eight months of this year, police apprehended 338 suspects through undercover investigations for engaging in conversations with children and adolescents for the purpose of sexual exploitation, six of whom were formally arrested.

Police said the scope of investigations in which officers pose as children or teenagers has expanded since a law criminalizing attempts to engage in conversations with minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation took effect in October last year.

Meanwhile, the government also expanded the scope of such undercover investigations to include cases involving adult victims in June last year.

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