The legislation and judiciary committee passed the revision to the Act on special cases concerning the punishment of sexual crimes amid public alarm over a surge in digital sex crimes using doctored pornographic images of girls and women, reports Yonhap news agency.

The revised Act calls for punishing people possessing, purchasing, storing or viewing deepfake sexual materials and other fabricated videos with up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$22,500).

Lawmakers from the ruling and main opposition parties also decided to add a clause in the revised Act for clarification to prevent individuals who "unknowingly" stored or viewed such materials from facing punishment.

The committee also passed revisions to the Act on the protection of children against sex crimes and the sexual violence prevention act.

Under the revision to the Act on Protecting Children, using sexually exploitative material to blackmail or coerce children and teenagers will be newly punishable by law and more heavily than under existing laws.

While current laws punish such crimes with imprisonment of one or more years in the case of blackmail and three or more years in the case of coercion, the revision raises the sentences to three or more years and five or more years, respectively, in the event the crimes are carried out against children and teenagers.

Meanwhile, the revision to the sexual violence prevention act stipulates that it is the government's responsibility to delete illegally filmed material and help victims return to everyday life.