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Seoul city's AI system that detects, deletes digital sex crime material to be offered for free

Published: 02 Mar. 2026, 15:59 Updated: 02 Mar. 2026, 17:09

An artificial intelligence program detects a digital sex crime video circulating online. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

An 18-year-old Seoul resident got a call from a friend saying photos of her that had been taken illegally were spreading on social media. After contacting the Seoul Digital Sexual Crime Victim Support Center for help, the photos, which had been posted to a newly created illegal site, were removed in bulk within minutes.

“I had no idea my photos had been shared so widely online,” said the teenager, expressing their relief.

Behind the rapid takedown is the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s digital sex crime AI deletion support technology, the first of its kind developed in the country. The system uses AI to detect images and videos linked to digital sex crimes and supports removal.

The city announced Monday it will work to expand the deletion support technology nationwide, distributing it free of charge to institutions, local governments and companies seeking to adopt it, starting with a free technology transfer agreement on Tuesday.

Developed independently in 2023 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and The Seoul Institute, the system uses AI to monitor online spaces around the clock, and automatically detect illicit material posted on illegal sites and social media, thereby enabling faster removals and helping prevent redistribution.

The Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center, operated by the Seoul Foundation of Women & Family, is already using the technology. The system received the top Presidential Award in a government innovation best-practice program in 2023, and won the top award at the UN Public Service Awards in 2024. It also became the first in the country to secure a patent for the technology.

With the deletion support technology, the city has sharply reduced the time needed to handle digital sex crime content posted online. Previously, staff had to search for and report material manually, a process that took at least about three hours. With AI, processing time dropped to six minutes, about 30 times faster, while accuracy rose by 200 to 300 percent.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, center, speaks at a roundtable marking the first anniversary at the Seoul Digital Sexual Crime Victim Support Center in March 2023. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Since the AI system was introduced, the number of digital sex crime cases the support center has resolved has also increased. The number of content taken down rose more than sixfold, from 2,509 cases in 2022 to 15,777 cases in 2025.

Outside Seoul, victim support agencies under local governments still rely on counselors to manually detect victimization material. The city estimated that providing the AI deletion support technology for free nationwide could save about 180 million won ($123,000) per institution.

“This AI deletion support technology for digital sex crimes is an innovative technology that was the first in the country to receive a patent, and it is the first case of The Seoul Institute opening a public technology it developed free of charge,” said Oh Kyun, president of the Seoul Institute.

Seoul will not limit the free distribution of the AI technology to specific institutions or regions, and will support broad use by organizations and companies using it for the public good. Considering that digital sex crime content can spread across borders, the city will also cooperate with overseas nonprofit organizations.

Applicants will be asked to submit information such as the purpose of operation and a usage plan, after which the Seoul Metropolitan Government and The Seoul Institute will review the application before proceeding with the transfer.

“Seoul decided to distribute the AI deletion support technology for digital sex crimes free of charge to protect victims,” said Ma Chae-sook, the assistant mayor of the Women and Family Office at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “We hope victims will be able to receive swift, practical support anywhere in the country.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]