Public outrage has intensified following the emergence of TikTok videos that use artificial intelligence to mock Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun.
Ahn is one of Korea’s most honored independence fighters, particularly known for having assassinated the Korean Peninsula’s first Japanese governor general, Hirobumi Ito, in Harbin, China, in October 1909.
The clips superimpose Ahn’s image onto objects like trains and balloons, with sound effects such as fart noises apparently intended to ridicule him.
Similar content had previously targeted activist Yu Gwan-sun, raising broader concerns about the misuse of generative artificial intelligence on social media.
Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University, expressed strong concern in a Facebook post Friday, saying he learned about the videos from online users on the anniversary of Ahn Jung-geun’s death.
“I found five AI-generated Ahn Jung-geun fart videos that had been uploaded, recording a combined total of about 130,000 views,” he wrote.
He also noted that similar manipulated videos have targeted other independence figures, including Yun Bong-gil and Kim Gu. He also observed that the frequency of such AI-generated mockery increased around the anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement.
Seo added that a major problem is the legal gray area.
“According to legal experts, defamation or insult laws do not apply to the deceased, making it difficult to impose meaningful penalties on such content.”
He urged both users and platforms to take stronger action.
“For now, the most important step is for users to actively report such content so that it is no longer exposed,” Seo said. “TikTok must also strengthen its monitoring to prevent such incidents from recurring.”
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