ISTANBUL

South Korea’s presidential office said Monday that it has urged police to investigate two YouTubers who allegedly uploaded and broadcasted a deepfake video of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee.

The office said it filed a complaint against the two YouTube channel operators for allegedly violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, Yonhap News Agency reported.

One person is charged with streaming the video at a rally Saturday calling for Yoon’s ouster in Gwangju, located around 300 kilometers (186.4 miles) south of Seoul.

The other person is accused of posting the video multiple times on YouTube.

"The actions of the accused are not only clear violations of the law, but they also victimize the Republic of Korea's head of state and his spouse and publicly defame them," said the presidential office, condemning the act.

It said the “production and distribution of false video products are serious criminal acts that cannot be accepted and call for a thorough investigation."

Yoon was first detained on Jan. 15 and formally arrested on Jan. 19 in a widening probe into his botched attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3 last year, which he defended. He was indicted on Jan. 26.

He is under criminal investigation for abuse of power and leading an insurrection, making him the first sitting president to be arrested. He is also subject to a travel ban.

Suspended from office since Dec. 14, when parliament voted to impeach him, his case is now before the Constitutional Court, which has up to six months to decide whether to remove him from office or to reinstate him.