As AI-generated images proliferate across social media and YouTube, their use to disseminate political messages has become a mounting concern. Recently, Hwang Hee-du, a director at the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, posted on his social accounts that the true identity behind a prominent young female far-right account had been exposed and that the account’s content had been produced with AI deepfake technology.
Hwang shared a screenshot of an apology posted by the Instagram account in question. The account had published photos that appeared to show a woman in her 20s alongside political slogans such as “Yun Again.” The account owner wrote, “I must apologize,” then admitted they were actually male, apologized to anyone who felt betrayed, and deleted the account shortly afterward.
Hwang warned that AI has advanced to the point where the human eye can no longer reliably tell real from fake. He described the case as a textbook example of cognitive warfare that attacks how people process information. He added that, beyond AI manipulation, perpetrators frequently steal images of real women—flight attendants and influencers among them—to create posts that shout slogans like “Myeolgong” and “Yun Again.”
Hwang stressed that this tactic is more than simple attention-seeking: it’s a deliberate form of propaganda designed to manufacture false public opinion and erode societal trust. He said many people are deceived not because of personal lapses in judgment but because repeated exposure and algorithmic amplification create a manipulated cognitive environment. He warned that if AI misuse and photo-theft crimes are left unchecked, democracy itself could be at risk.
Meanwhile, a short clip of a woman captured on a recent baseball broadcast that went viral online is also suspected to be AI-generated. Earlier this month, a brief video of a woman watching the game from the stands drew wide attention on social networks and online forums. In the clip she wears a white off-shoulder top and jeans, crosses her legs, and watches the game intently before sighing, apparently frustrated by the players’ performance. Viewers both in Korea and abroad hailed her as “Korea’s baseball goddess.” After the roughly five-second clip surpassed 8.1 million views, some baseball fans raised doubts that it had been manipulated with AI. The broadcast displayed Kim Seo-hyun as the pitcher and Jo In-seong as the batter, but Kim Seo-hyun joined Hanwha in 2023, while Jo In-seong entered the LG Twins in 1998, retired in 2017, and now serves as a coach. Fans pointed out that a matchup between those two players on the field would be impossible.
This is not the first time AI-generated images circulating on social media have sparked controversy. Last month, after a wolf named Neukgu escaped from Daejeon Zoo, doctored photos purporting to show the wolf spread online and caused public alarm. Police later arrested a man in his 40s identified as A, who created and distributed the images; the Daejeon Police Cyber Investigation Unit charged him with obstructing police and fire department search efforts (obstruction of official duties through deception).
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