The dissemination of illegal deepfake content is on the rise, with around 50 days left until the April 10 general elections.

According to the National Election Commission(NEC) on Monday, there were 129 pieces of deepfake content targeting voters in violation of the public election law between January 29 and February 16. The NEC said most of the content has been deleted, while measures are being taken for the rest.

AI-based fabricated video content and images have emerged as a major potential threat to democracy. This includes a deepfake video of President Yoon Suk Yeol expressing support for a ruling party candidate ahead of the 2022 local elections, disseminated through social media.

In response, the National Assembly passed a revision bill last December, prohibiting campaign use of deepfake technology starting 90 days before an election. The ban took effect on January 29, one month after the legal proclamation.

Violators are subject to a maximum seven years in prison or up to 50 million won, or around 37-thousand U.S. dollars, in fines.