How many websites did South Korean authorities shut down in the digital sex crimes crackdown this year?

Authorities shut down 66 websites hosting illegal sexually exploitative material this year. They also caught 32 website operators and remotely deleted illegally filmed material on 16 of the sites to prevent redistribution.

Why were overseas-based websites targeted in Korea's crackdown on sexually exploitative material?

Authorities said the latest crackdown focused on websites with servers overseas that repeatedly refused to cooperate with requests to take down illegal material. The government also said it has been speeding up approval procedures to block access to such websites.

What did Korean authorities seize from illegal websites linked to sexually exploitative material and gambling?

They seized 2.7 billion won in criminal proceeds from the websites distributing sexually exploitative material. Separately, they said they shut down 236 illegal gambling websites suspected of funding those sites and seized 176 billion won worth of proceeds from the gambling operation.

Korea shuts down over 60 websites distributing sexually exploitative material

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Summary

Korean authorities shut down 66 websites distributing sexually exploitative material this year in a joint crackdown led by the gender equality ministry, the Korea Media and Communications Commission and the National Police Agency. The effort began in April with a cross-agency task force to respond faster to digital sex crimes and support victims. Authorities also deleted illegal material from 16 websites, seized 2.7 billion won in criminal proceeds, and reduced the number of publicly accessible illegal websites from 6,683 to 4,736.

Key Facts

Police caught 32 website operators in the crackdown, according to the ministry.
The latest campaign targeted overseas-based servers that repeatedly refused takedown requests.
Authorities also shut down 236 illegal gambling websites suspected of funding sexually exploitative material sites and apprehended 3,663 people.
Police seized 176 billion won worth of proceeds from the gambling websites.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 22, 2026 3:30 pm KST

Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong attends a meeting on response measures to digital sex crimes at the Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Korean authorities closed more than 60 illegal websites distributing sexually exploitative material this year in an interagency crackdown on digital sex crimes, officials said Tuesday.

In April, the gender equality ministry, the Korea Media and Communications Commission and the National Police Agency formed a joint task force to better respond to such crimes and strengthen support for victims.

Under the interagency effort, police shut down 66 websites hosting such illegal material, and caught 32 website operators, the ministry said, marking a sharp rise from six such websites closed in all of last year.

The latest crackdown targeted websites with servers overseas that repeatedly refused to cooperate with authorities' request to take down illegal material.

Authorities also remotely deleted illegally filmed material on 16 of the 66 websites to prevent redistribution. They also seized 2.7 billion won ($2 million) worth of criminal proceeds.

Under the broader interagency effort, the number of websites with illegal material that remain accessible to the public decreased from 6,683 last month to 4,736, according to the ministry.

The ministry said the government has focused on speeding up approval procedures to block access to such websites

Authorities also shut down 236 illegal gambling websites suspected to be funding websites distributing sexually exploitative material, and have apprehended 3,663 people.

They seized 176 billion won worth of proceeds from the gambling websites.

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