South Korean police have arrested a man for sharing an AI-generated image that misled authorities searching for a wolf that escaped a Daejeon city zoo. The 40-year-old man is accused of disrupting the search by creating and distributing a fake photo purporting to show the wolf, Neukgu, near an intersection.
The AI image prompted Daejeon city government to issue an emergency alert to residents and was presented at a press briefing. Police identified the suspect by reviewing security footage and AI program usage. The man stated he shared the photo "for fun." He faces charges of disrupting government work by deception, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years or a substantial fine.
The nine-day search for Neukgu, part of a program to restore the Korean wolf species, captured national attention. Since his safe return to the O-World zoo, Neukgu has become a local sensation, inspiring merchandise and mascot considerations.