Government: 'Zero Tolerance' for AI Disinformation Ahead of Elections

With the local elections just around the corner, the South Korean government is taking a firm stance against the growing threat of disinformation, especially that fueled by artificial intelligence. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo convened a meeting of relevant ministers to declare a 'zero-tolerance' approach to fake news, deepfakes, and other forms of fabricated content that could undermine the fairness of the electoral process.

The urgency of this measure is underscored by the rapid advancement of generative AI technologies, which enable the creation of increasingly sophisticated and rapidly spreading false information. Recognizing that such content poses a direct threat to democratic principles, the government has moved the traditional 'Fair Election' meeting up by more than a month to proactively address these challenges.

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Fake news is not freedom of expression but a challenge to democracy, and it is a clear criminal act.

Prime Minister Han explicitly stated that spreading fake news is not an exercise of free speech but a criminal act against democracy. Consequently, authorities are tasked with intensifying crackdowns on outlets that disseminate false information and collaborating with platform providers to block such content at its source. This proactive strategy aims to prevent the election from being marred by confusion and manipulation.

Beyond combating disinformation, the government is also committed to upholding the integrity of the election through other means. This includes reinforcing discipline among public officials to ensure their impartial conduct during the election period, allocating necessary resources to the Election Commission for fair vote counting, and implementing thorough preparations to ensure that all eligible voters, including students, soldiers, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, can exercise their right to vote without hindrance.

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We convened the Fair Election Relations Ministers' Meeting more than a month earlier than usual to prevent the election from becoming chaotic and confused.