Analysis of 30,000 Illegal Pornographic Sites Reveals 6,683 Still Accessible

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Holds Briefing on Digital Sex Crime Analysis Results on July 23
Won Min-kyung: "Findings Will Be Used for Blocking Distribution and Supporting Investigations"

The government has analyzed more than 30,000 illegal pornographic websites and found that over 6,000 of them are accessible through both domestic and international routes.

On July 23, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family held a presentation at the Government Complex Seoul to announce the results of an in-depth research study on illegal websites related to digital sex crimes, with Minister Won Minkyoung in attendance.

Yonhap News

This research targeted 34,628 distribution websites identified during support processes for victims of digital sex crimes, including sites distributing illegal recordings. Of these, 3,832 illegal pornographic websites were accessible via domestic internet connections, and 2,851 sites could be accessed only by using overseas VPN connections. In total, access was possible to 6,683 sites.

The remaining 27,945 sites were categorized as gambling and other types (9,624 sites), discontinued operations (14,615 sites), or access errors and blocks (2,906 sites).

An in-depth analysis also revealed websites distributing videos of Korean victims. An official from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, "Among these illegal websites, more than 1,000 sites operated in Korean or had Korean-language categories and were found to have distributed videos of Korean victims."

The ministry further explained that the in-depth study identified specific details about the illegal site distribution ecosystem, including revenue structures such as banner advertisements and organized groups of the same operators.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to use the results of this analysis for: ▲ blocking and deleting illegal websites ▲ understanding the structure of illegal website ecosystems ▲ providing investigative leads. More detailed analysis will be included and announced next month in the 'Integrated Response Plan for Illegal Websites.'

To encourage policy proposals and reports of illegal websites for eradicating digital sex crimes, the ‘National Participation Week for the Eradication of Digital Sex Crimes’ will also be held. This campaign will run from July 27 to August 2 through a Naver public service banner, allowing anyone to easily submit policy ideas or report illegal websites. Submitted proposals and reports will be reflected in future policies aimed at eradicating digital sex crimes.

Minister Won Minkyoung stated, "This in-depth analysis is significant as it goes beyond simply responding to individual websites to reveal the broader structure and ecosystem distributing illegal recordings. We will actively utilize these analysis results to block distribution and support investigations, making the digital environment safer from digital sex crimes."

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