Hello everyone,
I am currently a PhD student in a music-related department at a university in the Seoul/Gyeonggi area, and I am also a researcher studying K-pop.
This is my first time posting in an online fan community like this, so I sincerely apologize for not disclosing my full name and institutional affiliation in detail here. However, if requested, I will be happy to provide more specific information about my affiliation and identity.
The research I have recently started focuses on deepfakes, distortion, and public reactions or manipulation in the age of AI. I believe there are cases where K-pop artists’ words, writings, images, or actions are being subtly edited or fabricated through AI, making it appear as if they said or did things they never actually said or did. These manipulated videos or posts can mislead people and may be used with malicious intent.
AI-generated deepfake pornography and sexually explicit content have already been widely discussed in the news and media. However, the specific area I am studying is AI-based distortion, manipulation, and misinformation involving K-pop artists and fandom culture. This topic has not yet been clearly introduced or sufficiently examined in academic research. Because of this, I am currently trying to collect and investigate relevant materials, but it is very difficult to do this alone. That is why I am reaching out to K-pop fans here for help.
I believe that if fans can share information and help gather examples, it could become a meaningful way to support and protect K-pop artists, who play such an important role in Korean culture.
Sometimes, even letters, messages, or videos that artists originally made for their fans can be distorted by people with bad intentions. In those cases, the truth and the artists’ genuine feelings may be damaged. I do not want to simply ignore this phenomenon. I am conducting this research in order to submit an academic paper to an international journal and formally raise awareness about these issues in the global academic community.
Even small pieces of information could become valuable research material. If you have seen any suspicious or relevant examples, I would be very grateful if you could send them to the email address below.
I hope that the attention and support of fans can become a shield that helps protect our artists.
Thank you very much.
Contact:
vmememrr@naver.com