K-Pop Deepfake Case: Accused Targeting aespa, LE SSERAFIM Gets Suspended Jail Term

When K-pop fandoms were still reeling from the shock of explicit deepfake images targeting some of their biggest stars, a South Korean court has now delivered its verdict. The man accused of creating and circulating manipulated content involving members of aespa and LE SSERAFIM has been handed a prison sentence but with a suspension that keeps him out of jail for now.

According to a report by AllKPop, the Uijeongbu District Court on January 25, 2026, sentenced the accused, identified only as ‘A’, to one year and six months in prison. However, the court suspended the sentence for a period of three years, meaning he will not serve time behind bars unless he violates the conditions of his probation.

As part of the ruling, the court also ordered him

to complete 40 hours of education focused on preventing sexual violence. In addition, he has been barred for five years from working with children, teenagers, or people with disabilities.

The case dates back to December 2024, when ‘A’ allegedly operated a Telegram chat room for roughly four months. During this period, he reportedly used editing software to create fake explicit images and videos by superimposing faces onto nude bodies. Investigators confirmed that such content was produced around 330 times and that the victims included celebrities as well as people known personally to the accused. Among the high-profile targets were members of popular girl groups aespa, LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans.

The court’s decision comes amid growing concern in South Korea’s entertainment industry over the misuse of artificial intelligence and digital tools to create sexually explicit material. In response to similar incidents, LE SSERAFIM’s agency, Source Music, had earlier announced a strict “zero tolerance” policy against such content.

At the time, the agency made it clear that it would pursue strong legal action without settlements to protect its artists from sexual harassment and harmful online material, reflecting a wider industry push to crack down on digital sex crimes involving idols.