AI-Generated 'May 18 Fake Newspaper' Spreads Online... "North Korean Directive Theory" Distorted Again

Mastheads That Did Not Exist in 1980 Also Fabricated
May 18 Memorial Foundation: "Considering Legal Action"

Malicious artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images that distort the May 18 Democratic Uprising are spreading online. Fake newspaper photos, created by combining the names of regional newspapers that did not exist at the time, are being circulated, prompting the May 18 Memorial Foundation to announce strict measures against such posts.

Fake news article circulating online. SNS capture

According to Yonhap News Agency on May 22, from the previous day, fake newspaper article images using the names of Gwangju-based media outlets have been circulating, mainly on social networking services (SNS).

These images are believed to have been produced using AI. The photo includes the masthead of 'Gwangju Ilbo,' a daily newspaper in Gwangju, along with the publication date 'May 20, 1980,' both artificially combined.

The image features a headline that reads, "May 18: Agents directed by the North seize armory and indiscriminately attack martial law troops," and a subheading stating, "Spy remnants join with rioters to soak peaceful Gwangju in blood." However, there was no newspaper called 'Gwangju Ilbo' in 1980 during the May 18 events. The image is designed to resemble a real newspaper page, but it is a fabricated and falsified image, not an actual news report.

The claims included in the image—such as the "North Korean directive theory" and "spy involvement theory"—have already been confirmed as false information through investigations by the May 18 Truth Commission and other inquiries.

Internet users who saw the image corrected the facts through comments, saying, "At the time, only Jeonnam Ilbo and Jeonnam Maeil were in operation; there was no Gwangju Ilbo." However, some continued to leave comments such as, "That is the truth of May 18," repeating distorted claims.

Recently, composite photos and videos mocking Starbucks' controversial 'Tank Day' event have also spread online. An image using a photo of former President Chun Doo-hwan and styled like a Starbucks advertisement included phrases such as "A cup that makes me stronger today: TANK DAY" and "Bang on the desk!"—both of which have drawn criticism.

The May 18 Memorial Foundation is considering legal action against repeated online posts that distort or disparage the May 18 events.

A foundation official stated, "Acts of deliberately distorting the historical facts of May 18 and mocking the victims using generative AI are recurring," adding, "We will collect relevant posts and fabricated images as evidence, conduct a legal review, and respond strictly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.