▲ This file photo, taken Aug. 20, 2026, shows Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong (C) speaking during a press briefing on response measures to digital sex crimes at the government complex in central Seoul. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- South 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 (US$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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