HYBE partners with South Korean police to combat deepfake crimes against K-Pop artists

As deepfake technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, crimes involving digitally manipulated content have surged worldwide, including in South Korea.

In September, major K-pop companies such as JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and Cube Entertainment declared war against deepfakes using images of their artists.

Now, South Korean entertainment powerhouse HYBE, the agency behind BTS, is joining the cause. The company announced on Wednesday (February 26) that it has partnered with the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency (NGPPA) to combat deepfake crimes targeting artists.

HYBE has signed a memorandum of understanding with the NGPPA in Seoul, outlining the specific measures to curb the creation and distribution of deepfakes featuring HYBE artists.

The deal includes expedited investigation processes and the establishment of a reporting hotline in South Korea.

Deepfakes are highly realistic, AI-generated media that can superimpose a person’s likeness onto existing videos. Overseas, major companies and lawmakers have launched campaigns to combat deepfakes. In the US, YouTube updated its privacy policies in July last year, allowing people to request the removal of AI-generated content that simulates their appearance or voice.

YouTube has also partnered with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in December to help it build a tool to identify AI-generated content, including AI deepfakes of famous faces.

In the UK, lawmakers called for AI legislation to protect artists from deepfakes.

Meanwhile, HYBE says the NGPPA brings significant expertise to the partnership, having been ranked first nationally for cyber sexual violence investigations during the first half of both 2023 and 2024. The agency was also recognized as the country’s top cybercrime unit by the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Center last year.

“We are delighted to collaborate with NGPPA, a recognized leader in the investigation of cybercrimes. HYBE is steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding the rights of our artists in today’s digital age,” said HYBE CEO Jason Jaesang Lee.

Ho-seung Kim, District Chief of NGPP, added: “We expect that our partnership with HYBE, Korea’s top entertainment company, will significantly improve the efficiency of our investigations.”

“We are delighted to collaborate with NGPPA, a recognized leader in the investigation of cybercrimes.”

Jason Jaesang Lee, HYBE

”As digital crimes become more sophisticated with the advancement of technology, we will enhance our investigative expertise based on the agreement.”

In September, HYBE peer YG Entertainment said it was taking legal action against deepfakes.

“We are actively monitoring this widespread and malicious illegal activity, and making efforts to delete such illegal videos. We are also taking all possible legal actions. We will continue to respond vigorously and strictly to all illegal activities that seriously harm the reputation of our artists,” YG was quoted by Korea Herald as saying.

The news outlet at the time said (G)I-dle, NewJeans, TWICE, Kwon Eun-bi and BLACKPINK are among the K-pop acts who have been victims of deepfake pornography makers.

Around the same time, HYBE also said it was ramping up its efforts to combat AI deepfake content, creating “a separate category to expedite and bolster our response to illegal pornography, including AI-generated ‘deepfake’ sexual exploitation content.”

A 2023 report by US cybersecurity firm Security Hero highlighted the vulnerability of K-pop stars to deepfake pornography. Their research, conducted in July and August 2023, uncovered 95,820 deepfake pornographic videos across ten leading websites, along with 85 deepfake channels on platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion.

In January, Starship Entertainment issued an apology after deepfake images of IVE members Jang Wonyoung and An Yujin were posted on the group’s official Weibo account. The agency attributed the incident to a staff member’s mishandling of the account and a lapse in internal protocols.

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