Women's movement to denounce deepfake sex crimes in Korea spreads around the world

Sam Lee and Monica Ding hold a hand sign during a protest on September 21. A photo provided by Sam Lee

"There are no borders for women,” "The damage to a deepfake victim is the damage to all of us."

The women's movement to denounce deepfake sex crimes in Korea is spreading around the world. Recently, protests have been organized by Korean and Chinese feminists in the UK, Japan, Canada, and the U.S.

On September 3 (local time), more than 100 women from all over the world, including Koreans and Chinese, gathered in London's Trafalgar Square, chanting, “My daily life is not your pornography.” On the 7th, a protest against deepfake sex crimes was held in front of the Korean Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

On the 21st, when more than 5,000 people gathered at Hyehwa Station in Seoul to demand accountability from the state and government, Chinese and Korean students and migrants gathered in Toronto, Canada, to add their voices in Korean, Chinese, and English. On the 28th, a similar protest will be held in Los Angeles, the U.S. "It's not just Korean women who are angry about deepfake sex crimes," they said. "Solidarity with Korean women will spread further in the future."

Sam Lee (31), a Korean international student living in Canada, and Monica Ding (26), a Chinese national, organized the protest in Toronto. News of women taking to the streets in London to speak out quickly spread on social media. “I wanted to let the victims know that we in Canada are here to comfort and support them,” they said. They were deeply outraged by the crimes committed against minors.

Monica Ding's suggestion also gave Sam Lee the strength to speak out, as she felt helpless in the face of recurring digital sexual crimes such as Soranet, Nth room, and Deepfake. “I want to stand by the side of Korean women.” Monica Ding's gesture of solidarity brought Sam Lee to the streets.

The two women, along with more than 20 other Chinese and Korean students and immigrants, marched for two and a half hours through Koreatown, Chinatown, and to Toronto City Hall, chanting, “The damage to a deepfake victim is the damage to all of us."

There was also a burden of publicizing the shameful appearance of the mother country. “I was afraid of the reaction, 'Why are you embarrassing your country here?' but I was courageous because I thought that restoring normalcy to the lives of victims of crime is restoring Korea's honor,” said Sam Lee.

The people of Toronto did not see the Korean issue as someone else's problem. Passersby expressed their support by saying, “I support you,” and “This is a very serious issue.” Many people honked their car horns in support.

They chose the 21st as the date of the protest to show their support to Seoul’s protest in the Hyehwa station. “Recently, news broke in China that a man sold illegal videos on overseas websites,” said Monica Ding, adding that “digital sexual violence is not only a Korean problem, but a global one.” She added, “Korean feminism is a great inspiration for women outside the country's borders.”

Sam Lee was an international student at the time of the murders in Seoul's Gangnam Station, and she said that her inability to cooperate with people in Korea remained a debt of her heart. On one side of her office, there is a hand sign which was used at a demonstration to commemorate the murder in Gangnam Station that reads, "Our fear has come back with courage." It is her pledge to never forget the debt in her heart.

They said the solidarity of women across borders will continue. “Sometimes it's scary to go to protests, but as women, we will connect across borders,” Monica Ding said. Sam Lee said, “I want to say, 'It's okay to be helpless for a moment in a world that makes us falling apart every day, so let's move forward together tomorrow.’”

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.