Initiative: Digital Sex Crime Comprehensive Response Policy
Institution: Seoul Metropolitan Government
Overview: Following the “Nth Room incident” in March 2020—a case in which 647 female adults and adolescents were coerced into producing sexually exploitative content sold on Telegram to at least 60,000 individuals—the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) developed a Digital Sex Crime Comprehensive Response Strategy, comprised of three key elements aimed at support victims of the incident and preventing future digital sex crimes.
The first element of the Strategy was the introduction of the Republic of Korea's first gender-focused comprehensive response plan, which shifts the responsibility for digital sex crimes from victims to the perpetrators. The plan comprises four stages: prevention (via education and public campaigns), creation of an early intervention process for timely reporting and response, support for victims (counseling, help with returning to daily routine, etc.), and recurrence prevention by providing counseling for perpetrators. The second element is a one-stop support system, to address the issue of victims having to repeatedly recount their traumatic experiences to multiple authorities, often leading to secondary victimization, SMG established the Seoul Digital Sexual Crime Safety Support Center (SDSSC). This one-stop support center provides victims with comprehensive, free assistance, streamlining their access to necessary services. The third element is the development of the world’s first AI-driven deletion technology specifically designed for the rapid and accurate removal of digital sex crime content. This innovation replaces the previously manual deletion process, significantly improving efficiency and effectiveness in addressing and erasing harmful content. Collectively these three elements aim to provide holistic support for victims, improve response mechanisms, and leverage technology to combat digital sex crimes more effectively.
Impact: As part of its digital sex crime response policy, the SMG integrated gender sensitivity indicators into its projects and conducted assessments of gender sensitivity. An evaluation committee, comprised of experts in women’s and adolescent studies, reviewed the city’s prevention education programs using four key indicators. The evaluation revealed that the education program was particularly effective for elementary students, leading the SMG to develop tailored prevention activities such as puppet shows for kindergartners and board games for younger students. The city’s counseling program for child and teen perpetrators incorporates a gender sensitivity framework, featuring a three-step assessment matrix: planning, midterm assessment, and conclusion of counseling. Participants are evaluated on gender sensitivity, gender equality awareness, and understanding of digital sex crimes before and after counseling. This approach aims to prevent recidivism and measure the program’s effectiveness in addressing digital sex crime.
Website: https://english.seoul.go.kr/search/?se=digital++sex+crime&ce=
Video: https://youtu.be/C_38liSyiQI