At the 2024 Miss Korea Pageant held on September 24, an inappropriate question related to deepfakes sparked heavy criticism, prompting the organizers to issue an apology, acknowledging it as "clearly our fault."

On September 26, the pageant's organizer, Global E&B Co., posted an official statement on Instagram, admitting to the controversy. They stated, "During the final round of the '68th Miss Korea Pageant' on the 24th at the COEX Auditorium in Gangnam, Seoul, one of the Q&A questions posed to the top 15 contestants was, 'If I'm more attractive in a deep fake video, how can I bridge the gap between that and the real me?"

The organizers explained, "The intention behind the term 'deepfake video' was to refer to 'videos that replicate one’s appearance using AI technology.' The question aimed to ask about the difference between one’s digitally created image and their real appearance."

However, they acknowledged the mistake, saying, "However, we acknowledge that using the term 'deepfake' in the current context, where illegal content involving deepfakes is causing harm, was our mistake. While the question was intended to explore the growing use of AI virtual technology in fields like film, advertising, and education, we should have been more mindful of the reality that deepfakes are being exploited for illegal and sexual content."

The organizers concluded with a sincere apology: "We deeply apologize to the Miss Korea participants and everyone who felt uncomfortable due to this issue. Moving forward, we will make sure to listen to more voices and be more considerate in how we operate the Miss Korea Pageant."

The previous day, an online community shared a scene from the '2024 Miss Korea Pageant' under the title, “The Controversial Question from Miss Korea Currently Under Fire.”

In the photo, a question is displayed on the screen above the stage, asking, "If I'm more attractive in a deepfake video, how can I bridge the gap between that and the real me?"

Given the recent surge in crimes involving deepfake technology being used for sexual exploitation, the question sparked criticism for being inappropriate. Netizens expressed their disapproval with comments such as, “How can that be a question when deepfake crimes are so rampant?” “Do they not see the seriousness of the crime?” and “Miss Korea is also supposed to assess intelligence—how could they ask such a question?”

Miss Korea’s official social media was also flooded with protest comments. Some netizens wrote, “Deepfake is a crime. How can you even compare attractiveness using deepfake technology?” and “Is sexual crime amusing to you? The standards of this pageant have dropped.” Others asked, “What does this question have to do with evaluating a Miss Korea candidate’s qualities?” and “This kind of question can only be asked by someone who thinks they will never become a victim.”

Meanwhile, as fears over deepfake-related sexual crimes have been growing, authorities have stepped up their response. On September 25, a bill allowing for the punishment of individuals who knowingly possess or view deepfake sexual exploitation material passed through the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee with bipartisan agreement. Under this bill, individuals who possess, purchase, store, or watch such materials could face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million KRW (~22,832.80 USD).

Translation:

"We sincerely apologize.

This is Global E&B, the organizer of the Miss Korea Pageant.

During the final round of the '68th Miss Korea Pageant 2024' held at the COEX Auditorium in Gangnam, Seoul, on September 24, one of the Q&A questions posed to the top 15 contestants was, 'If I'm more attractive in a deepfake video, how can I bridge the gap between that and the real me?'

The intention behind the term 'deepfake video' in this question was to refer to videos created using AI technology to replicate one’s real appearance. The question was meant to ask about the difference between one's digitally created image and their real self.

However, we acknowledge that using the term 'deepfake' in the current context, where illegal content involving deepfakes is causing harm, was our mistake. While the question was intended to explore the growing use of AI virtual technology in fields like film, advertising, and education, we should have been more mindful of the reality that deepfakes are being exploited for illegal and sexual content.

We deeply apologize to the Miss Korea participants and everyone who felt uncomfortable as a result of this issue.

In the future, we will listen to more voices and be more considerate in how we operate the Miss Korea Pageant."

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