President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday that the spread of disinformation through the malicious use of artificial intelligence(AI) and digital technology could threaten liberal democracy as he called for proper regulation.

The president made the remarks in his keynote speech for the New York Digital Vision Forum at New York University on the fourth day of his trip to the U.S.

Yoon said that failure to counter the deliberate spread of disinformation through the misuse of AI and other digital means poses a threat to democracy, puts democratic market economies at risk and jeopardizes the future and the lives of subsequent generations.

The president then called for an appropriate regulatory system to deal with the spread of falsehoods, saying that AI and digital technologies should not threaten the safety of individuals and society.

He added that South Korea will soon release a "Digital Bill of Rights," which will set up five guiding principles to build a brighter digital future, including one stipulating that technology should contribute to the expansion of freedom for humanity.

Yoon also said that individual self-expression through in the digital realm should be exercised responsibly with respect for the rights of others and that such technology should not become instruments of discrimination and prejudice.