Seoul is set to provide its innovative artificial intelligence (AI) system, designed to automatically detect and report sexually exploitative content online, to institutions throughout Korea at no cost. The move aims to empower both public and private entities in the fight against digital sex crimes.
Introduced in 2023, this AI technology employs continuous real-time monitoring to identify unlawful sexual images and videos on illicit websites and social media platforms. It also initiates requests for their removal while preventing re-uploads, as revealed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The first transfer agreement for this system has already been signed, allowing central government agencies, local governments, and private companies involved in public welfare to adopt this critical technology. Additionally, nonprofit organizations working internationally may also benefit from the system, recognizing the global aspect of digital sex crimes.
Seoul’s AI tool has garnered acclaim both nationally and internationally, having earned a prestigious presidential award in a governmental innovation competition in 2023, followed by the U.N. Public Service Award the next year. The program, which was successfully implemented at the Seoul Digital Sex Crime Support Center since March 2023, has been enhanced with facial recognition capabilities and an automated reporting system.
The efficiency of this technology is impressive; it reduces the average processing time for content deletion from approximately three hours to just six minutes, making the removal process about 30 times faster than traditional methods while more than doubling the accuracy of detection. As a testament to its effectiveness, the number of deletion-support cases managed by the center surged from 2,509 in 2022 to 15,777 in 2025. The AI also has the capability to detect previously hidden and newly created illegal sites, deepfake videos, and other illicit materials that may have evaded earlier detection.
Moreover, this system not only enhances operational efficiency but also provides vital support to staff by eliminating the need for them to manually review distressing content, thereby reducing their psychological burden.
Ma Chae-sook, head of the city government’s women and family policy office, expressed hope that making this digital sex crime AI deletion technology freely available will facilitate prompt and effective support for victims across the country, increasing the reach and impact of protective measures against digital exploitation. As Seoul continues to lead in the fight against digital sex crimes, its commitment to innovation and public safety stands as a hopeful beacon for other regions.