President Lee Jae-myung said he had ordered agencies responsible for transnational crime to pursue the “physical destruction or closure” of illegal websites when conventional legal closure or access blocking is impossible because the sites are based overseas. He said the measure would apply to sites used for crimes including sexual exploitation and illegal gambling.
- Targets
- Websites used for sexual exploitation, illegal gambling and related crimes
- Trigger
- Ordinary legal closure or access blocking is not possible
- Responsible bodies
- Agencies assigned to combat transnational crime
In a post on X, Lee said actions that harm people in South Korea for profit would not be tolerated. His statement signals a push for stronger intervention against overseas operators who remain beyond the immediate reach of domestic blocking and enforcement measures.
An escalation of the August response plan
The order follows an integrated government response announced on August 20. That plan called for separately criminalizing the creation and operation of websites distributing illegally filmed or sexually exploitative material. It also proposed cutting off advertising revenue and freezing or restricting accounts used to operate the sites.
Police said they would establish a dedicated investigation team to identify principal operators and trace financial flows. Authorities were also considering so-called lawful hacking, under which investigators could directly access illegal sites to collect evidence or delete original data. For sites hosted abroad, relevant agencies planned to jointly request service suspensions from overseas hosting providers and content delivery networks.
The available reports do not specify the legal authority, technical methods or oversight procedures that would govern physical disruption. Those details will determine how the order is implemented across borders and whether service providers or foreign authorities must cooperate. The next points to watch are formal implementation guidance, the scope of agencies involved and any safeguards attached to direct technical action.