{
  "id": 6724118,
  "title": "Digital sex crimes against minors in Korea rise nearly 30-fold in 7 years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/digital-sex-crimes-against-minors-in-korea-rise-nearly-30-fold-in-7",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T07:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20260911/digital-sex-crimes-against-minors-in-korea-rise-nearly-30-fold-in-7-years"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Digital sex crimes against minors in South Korea have surged nearly 30 times in the past seven years, highlighting the rising susceptibility of young individuals to online sexual exploitation. In 2022, the National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response reported 3,052 victims aged 19 or younger, a dramatic increase from just 111 cases in 2018. This marked the first time the annual figure surpassed 3,000 victims, signaling a troubling trend that digital sex crimes involving advanced technologies like artificial intelligence are increasingly targeting younger people. The majority of victims, over 77 percent, were minors and young adults. Their frequent use of social media and other online platforms makes them more vulnerable to digital sex crime risks. The center's assistance volume also spiked, rising from around 33,000 cases in 2018 to a significant number in 2022.",
  "summary": "The number of teenagers and younger children reporting digital sex crimes in Korea jumped nearly 30-fold in just seven years, underscoring the growing vulnerability of young people to sexual exploitation online. According to data from the state-run National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response, the number of victims aged 19 or younger who sought help from the center last year was 3,052, up…",
  "key_points": [
    "Digital sex crimes against minors in South Korea increased 29-fold from 2018 to 2022.",
    "3,052 victims aged 19 or younger reported in 2022, up from 111 in 2018.",
    "Majority of victims, over 77%, were minors and young adults using social media."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The surge in digital sex crimes against minors in South Korea highlights the growing vulnerability of young people to online exploitation as they increasingly use social media and other online platforms.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Digital sex crimes against minors in Korea rise nearly 30-fold in 7 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/digital-sex-crimes-against-minors-in-korea-rise-nearly-30-fold-in-7-6725689",
        "published": "2026-09-11T08:07:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}