Pilot shows 80-fold jump in detected grooming attempts using AI tools
South Korea will deploy artificial intelligence to speed up responses to digital sex crimes, as cases continue to rise, particularly among younger age groups.
The push comes as digital sex crimes increasingly originate online and affect younger users. More than 15,600 cases were reported in 2024, with offenses involving people under 20 rising steadily over the past decade. The share of victims who first encountered perpetrators online has more than doubled, from 14.4 percent in 2018 to 36.1 percent in 2024.
The government said the new tools are designed to replace a slow, manual system that made it difficult to track and remove illegal content in a timely manner.
One system automatically scans about 20,000 websites, submits deletion requests and logs the entire process, reducing handling time per case to under a minute. The digital crime victim support center will also be able to process large batches of takedown requests, including URLs shared through bypass routes.
Previously, staff had to identify deletion procedures for each site individually, often leading to delays or missed cases. With the new system, more than 70 percent of known sites can now be handled automatically, supported by an internal tracking tool to prevent oversight. A separate feature converts explicit images into grayscale to reduce the psychological burden on staff.
Another AI system focuses on detecting and preventing child and youth sexual exploitation before it spreads. It continuously monitors social media and random chat platforms, scanning for illegal material or signs of grooming.
When suspicious content is identified, the system can automatically generate reports and request its removal from platforms. During a 25-day pilot program, the center saw a sharp increase in detection capacity.
Staff identified more than 2.7 times more child exploitation content per person and over 80 times more grooming attempts. The system determines whether content involves minors through multiple steps, including keyword detection, text extraction from images, nudity analysis and comparison with known illegal material.
Authorities said the enhanced detection will be combined with an “online outreach” program, in which trained counselors contact minors deemed at risk, aiming to intervene before abuse escalates.
Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong said stronger and faster tools are needed as digital sex crimes evolve alongside advances in technology.
“By fully integrating AI technologies into front-line operations, we aim to enhance both speed and accuracy while building a tighter support system that enables victims to recover their daily lives as quickly as possible,” she said.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
