Korea has adopted an artificial intelligence (AI) system to strengthen detection and removal of online child sexual abuse material, the gender equality and family ministry said Tuesday. The National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response introduced the AI-powered system in April as Seoul seeks to better counter evolving digital sex crimes in a highly connected country. The center found 96,210 child sexual abuse materials and notified online platforms to remove them between April and September, or about 202.1 cases a day, compared with last year's daily average of 20.8, according to the ministry. The round-the-clock system allows real-time detection of illegal material on online platforms, including social media and random chat apps, reducing the workload on employees at the center who had previously monitored them in person. Once the AI system flags the material, the workers review it before filing removal requests. The ministry said it plans to expand the system to monitor 139 online platforms next year, up from 79 this year, and improve its accuracy through training with the center's