Korean Man Walks Free After Buying Edited “Nudes” Of Underage Idols

A man in his 20s has been acquitted after being accused of buying edited images that combined the faces of underage female idols with nude bodies.

According to court documents, he was charged after purchasing the images for ₩20,000 KRW (about $12.80 USD).

The photos were created by combining the faces of female celebrities with the bodies of other women, making them digitally altered composites rather than real photographs.

Prosecutors argued that the images qualified as child sexual exploitation material under the “Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse,” claiming that the faces used belonged to underage female celebrities. However, the court disagreed.

Judges stated that the images did not depict real child or juvenile victims, but were instead artificially created using facial images. Because of this, the court ruled that they did not meet the legal definition of illegal sexual exploitation material.

These composite images do not actually depict real child or juvenile victims. They are merely images created using the faces of alleged victims. They cannot be considered child or juvenile sexual exploitation material under the law.

It cannot be definitively assumed as common knowledge that the idols involved are under 19 years old simply because they are members of idol groups. The quality of the images is also poor, making it easy to recognize that they are composites. Therefore, this cannot be punished under the statute under which the indictment was filed.

— Court’s decision

The man was ultimately found not guilty and acquitted of all charges.