South Korean police recently arrested a man in his 40s for spreading a picture generated by artificial intelligence on the Internet, falsely claiming that the picture showed the wolf "Nukko" that escaped from a zoo in Daejeon and was haunting near a road intersection. Police believe the man created and distributed false images to interfere with authorities' search for the escaped wolf.
According to reports, this fake picture began to circulate online shortly after "Nukko" disappeared on April 8. The picture showed that the wolf was walking along a road intersection, causing the searchers to urgently adjust their search deployment and move to the wrong location to launch the operation. The local government later sent emergency text messages to residents, warning of wolf sightings near the intersection, and law enforcement authorities also showed this AI-generated picture at a press conference.
The police said they finally identified the man by accessing surveillance videos and reviewing the suspect's AI program usage records. At present, the police have not yet stated whether the man took the initiative to send the pictures directly to the arrest department or simply spread the relevant content on the Internet. According to local media reports, when interviewed by the police, the man said that he did it "just for fun."
Currently, the South Korean police are investigating him on suspicion of "obstructing official duties through deception." According to reports, this crime carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won, approximately US$6,700 or £5,000.
"Nyukgu" is now two years old. He was only successfully captured near a highway last week, nine days after he escaped. During this period, the wolf chase continued to attract national attention in South Korea. Even South Korean President Lee Jae-myung publicly prayed for the safe return of the wolf.
According to reports, "Nukko" was born in 2024 and belongs to the Korean wolf rehabilitation project promoted by Daejeon O-World Zoo. Korean wolves were once widespread across the Korean Peninsula, but are now considered extinct in the wild.
With "Nukko" safely brought back to the zoo, the wolf quickly became popular locally. A local bakery has launched pastry products bearing his image, and the local government is reportedly considering making it its official mascot. In addition, a video uploaded by the zoo of "Nukegu" eating in the enclosure has been viewed more than 1 million times. However, the zoo later stated that in order to provide it with a quiet recovery environment, it will no longer continue to release relevant updates in the future.