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South Korea's AI Basic Act takes effect, with a one-year pause on fines

Rule changeGovernmentFrontierKRReported

Korea's Framework Act on AI and its enforcement decree entered into force, imposing labelling of generative and deepfake outputs, risk management and human oversight for 'high-impact' AI, and a duty for large foreign providers to appoint a local representative (thresholds include KRW 1 trillion revenue or 1 million daily Korean users). The science ministry said fact-finding probes and fines of up to KRW 30 million would be withheld for at least a year except in serious cases.

Why it matters

It is one of the first comprehensive AI laws with binding duties to take effect outside the EU, and a test of how such a law is phased in for global providers.

SourceShin & Kim (law firm) Based on credible reporting; we could not open the primary document. Independently fact-checked on 7 Oct 2026.
Ministry of Science and ICT

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