---
title: "South Korea — Global AI Monitor"
canonical: https://artificial-intelligence.gi/jurisdictions/south-korea/
source_html: /jurisdictions/south-korea/index.html
description: "South Korea AI governance record: 5 instruments, 3 obligations and 34 evidenced claims across 12 modules. Research as of 11 Nov 2026."
generated_at: 2026-11-12T17:20:02Z
content_sha256: aa9138794270ecf513f24f91ac92d4657d9a948af833a05c5f032dace23c0172
generator: "fe-fleet/md-twin@1.0"
---
# South Korea AI Regulation & Governance

11 active modules 1 quiet

Last updated 11 Nov 2026 · 12 modules · 5 instruments · 34 claims · 62 sources in the cumulative register

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Framework status Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) (In force since 2026-01-22).

Main regulator Regulator [Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) — competent ministry under the AI Framework Act](https://www.msit.go.kr/)

Next milestone 22 Jan 2027 : MSIT enforcement grace period ends ([10 Authorities & Enforcement](#sec-mod-authorities_and_enforcement))

Record status Live · Periodic active record · 62 sources (51 retrieved) · 21 under review · Not yet expert-reviewed

✦ AI-assembled from cited sources

Evidence-gated · [How we verify](/methodology/#ai-content-disclosure) · Disclosure Not yet expert-reviewed · Not legal, compliance or investment advice. Facts are machine-assembled from cited public sources. Individual claims have not each been independently verified by a human reviewer. See [methodology](/methodology/).

Source tiers: T1 enacted statute, regulation, or binding supervisory order · T2 official regulator guidance, consultation, or registry · T3 international standard-setter or peer-reviewed analysis · T4 practitioner commentary or secondary reporting. Confidence: high = corroborated by retrieved T1/T2 text · medium = single official source or secondary corroboration · low = preliminary or unverified. [Full definitions →](/methodology/#source-tiers)

Research checked 11 Nov 2026 · Updated 11 Nov 2026 Record history Research as of 11 Nov 2026 · Record last changed 11 Nov 2026 · Published 11 Nov 2026 · Page built 12 Nov 2026

5 Instruments

3 Current instruments

1 Binding, in force +1 more binding, in-force date not recorded

3 Obligations

34 Claims

1 Upcoming milestones

62 Sources

## Next milestones in this record

- 22 Jan 2027MSIT enforcement grace period ends Scheduled · [10 Authorities & Enforcement](#sec-mod-authorities_and_enforcement)

Jump to module (12)

### 01AI Framework LawActive Derived: Probable▾#

Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) (In force since 2026-01-22).

2 instruments (2 current) · 1 obligation · 9 claims · 1 milestone

South Korea's Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act, Act No. 20676), together with its Enforcement Decree, came into force on 22 January 2026 following Cabinet approval on 20 January 2026 (CLM-KR-59564941, CLM-KR-baa18027; Confirmed, T1-sourced). The Act applies with direct effect within Korea and carries extraterritorial reach to foreign AI business operators meeting statutory thresholds. Under the in-force Act, Article 26 establishes the Korea AI Promotion Association (CLM-KR-139c412c, Probable), and the Act further establishes a National AI Strategy Committee chaired by the President together with statutory AI cluster and AI-safety-institute infrastructure (CLM-KR-54a15ac2, Probable). Foreign AI business operators without a Korean presence that meet revenue or user thresholds set by Presidential Decree must, under Article 36, designate a domestic representative and notify the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) (CLM-KR-0dd1f129, CLM-KR-b4bb6c99, both Probable). Operators providing high-performance AI meeting compute, technology and risk thresholds must build a lifecycle risk-management system and report results to MSIT (CLM-KR-27647af0, Probable). Enacted but not yet fully in force: under the amending Act No. 21311's transitional clause, a defined subset of amended provisions — Article 3(5), Article 6(2)(7)-(8), Article 16(3)-(5) (limited to the part concerning the amended provision of paragraph 2 item 2-2), Article 17-2, Article 18, Article 22-3, and the latter part of Article 35(1) — is deferred to the day six months after promulgation, commencing 21 July 2026 rather than the Act's general 22 January 2026 start date (CLM-KR-adc07475, Confirmed, T1-sourced). Separately, a Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) amendment passed 20 August 2026 will permit use of personal information for AI development beyond its original collection purpose, subject to deliberation by the Personal Information Protection Commission, commencing 9 March 2027 (CLM-KR-45f75252, Probable).

Instruments (2)
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) In force since 2026-01-22Binding
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) Valid from 2026-01-22Binding

Obligations

- Art 36Foreign AI business operators meeting revenue/user thresholds set by Presidential Decree must designate a domestic agent.Registration · Applies to: Authorised representative · Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act)

Milestones

- 21 Jul 2026Delayed amended provisions commence Met

Claims and evidence (9)
- Korea's AI Basic Act and its Enforcement Decree entered into force on 22 January 2026.Confidence: Confirmed · As of 22 Jan 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Ministry of Science and ICT](https://www.msit.go.kr/eng/bbs/view.do;jsessionid=ZT0iXB7mAiF9kdAY5Ak7c74gZdsb4OTVG2h47Huj.AP_msit_1?bbsSeqNo=42&mId=4&mPid=2&nttSeqNo=1214&sCode=eng) T1 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Following approval at a Cabinet meeting on January 20, 2026, the AI Basic Act and its Enforcement Decree come into force on January 22, 2026.

- Derived: Probable AI business operators providing high-performance AI meeting the compute, technology and risk thresholds must build a lifecycle risk-management system and report results to MSIT.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 22 Jan 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Lexology (law-firm commentary)](https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=189bfd8c-69dd-4a99-8388-49b52ef668f0) T3 · Surfaced · retrieved 4 Nov 2026AI business operators must, for such AI systems: (1) identify, assess and mitigate risk across the AI lifecycle, and (2) build a risk-management system to monitor and respond to AI-related safety incidents.

- Derived: Probable Large foreign AI operators without a Korean presence must appoint a domestic representative and notify MSIT once prescribed revenue or user thresholds are met.Confidence: Probable · As of 25 Jun 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[머니투데이방송 (MTN)](https://news.mtn.co.kr/news-detail/2026062514100385074) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Under the AI Basic Act, foreign AI operators without an address or place of business in Korea must appoint a domestic representative and notify MSIT if they meet KRW 1 trillion total prior-year revenue, KRW 10 billion AI-service revenue, or 1 million average daily domestic users.

- Derived: Probable A PIPA amendment passed 20 August 2026 permits AI-development use of personal information beyond original collection purpose, subject to PIPC deliberation, commencing 9 March 2027.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 20 Aug 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Bae, Kim & Lee LLC](https://www.bkl.co.kr/en/law/insight/newsletter/6699) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 202620246) (the “PIPA Amendment”), which introduces special provisions for the use of personal information for AI technology development (the “Special Provisions”), was passed by the plenary session of the National Assembly on August 20, 2026.

- South Korea's AI Basic Act and its Enforcement Decree came into force on 22 January 2026.Confidence: Confirmed · As of 22 Jan 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Ministry of Science and ICT](https://www.msit.go.kr/eng/bbs/view.do;jsessionid=ZT0iXB7mAiF9kdAY5Ak7c74gZdsb4OTVG2h47Huj.AP_msit_1?bbsSeqNo=42&mId=4&mPid=2&nttSeqNo=1214&sCode=eng) T1 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Following approval at a Cabinet meeting on January 20, 2026, the AI Basic Act and its Enforcement Decree come into force on January 22, 2026.

- Derived: Probable The AI Basic Act establishes a National AI Strategy Committee chaired by the President, statutory AI cluster/safety-institute infrastructure, and the Korea AI Promotion Association under Art 26.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[QLens / q-bot.kr](https://q-bot.kr/en/articles/ai-industry/korea-ai-basic-act-explained/) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Korea's AI Basic Act, formally the Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Establishment of a Foundation for Trust, took effect on January 22, 2026

- South Korea's AI Basic Act and Enforcement Decree took effect on 22 January 2026, with a defined subset of amended provisions delayed to 21 July 2026.Confidence: Confirmed · As of 20 Jan 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[법제처 (Ministry of Government Legislation, Korea)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsRvsDocListP.do?lsId=014820&chrClsCd=010202&lsRvsGubun=all) T1 · Retrieved · retrieved 20 Jan 2026This Act takes effect from 22 January 2026. However, the amended provisions of Article 3(5), Article 6(2)(7)-(8), Article 16(3)-(5) (limited to the part concerning the amended provision of paragraph 2 item 2-2), Article 17-2, Article 18, Article 22-3, and the latter part of Article 35(1) take effect from the day on which 6 months have elapsed after promulgation.

- Article 26 of the AI Basic Act establishes the Korea AI Promotion Association.Confidence: Probable · As of 9 Jul 2025 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Center for Security and Emerging Technology (Georgetown University)](https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/t0625_south_korea_ai_law_EN.pdf) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 9 Jul 2025Article 26 (Establishment of the Korea AI Promotion Association)
- [Namu Wiki](https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%9D%B8%EA%B3%B5%EC%A7%80%EB%8A%A5%20%EB%B0%9C%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%20%EC%8B%A0%EB%A2%B0%20%EA%B8%B0%EB%B0%98%20%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%B1%20%EB%93%B1%EC%97%90%20%EA%B4%80%ED%95%9C%20%EA%B8%B0%EB%B3%B8%EB%B2%95) T4 · Surfaced · retrieved 11 Nov 2026Where state bodies etc. intend to use high-impact AI, they must preferentially consider products or services based on AI that has obtained verification/certification.
- [Korea Legislation Research Institute (KLRI)](https://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_mobile/viewer.do?hseq=73499&type=part&key=18) T1 · Retrieved · retrieved 21 Jan 2025FRAMEWORK ACT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE CREATION OF A FOUNDATION FOR TRUST

- AI Basic Act Art 36 requires foreign AI business operators above a Presidential-Decree threshold to designate a domestic representative in Korea.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 9 Jul 2025 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Center for Security and Emerging Technology (Georgetown University)](https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/south-korea-ai-law-2025/) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 9 Jul 2025a requirement that foreign AI companies operating in the country designate a Korean representative
- [AI Basic Act Explorer](https://aibasicact.kr/explorer/) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 11 Nov 2026The Act stipulates the duty to ensure AI transparency and the duty to ensure AI safety

### 02Prohibited PracticesActive Derived: Probable▾#

Korea's AI Basic Act does not contain an EU-style list of prohibited/unacceptable-risk AI practices, relying instead on the high-impact AI risk-management duties for sensitive uses.

0 instruments (0 current) · 0 obligations · 1 claim · 0 milestones

Korea's AI Basic Act does not contain a European Union-style enumerated list of prohibited or unacceptable-risk AI practices. Instead, the stored record indicates that prohibited-practice-type concerns are addressed through the Act's high-impact AI risk-management duties, which apply to sensitive use-cases rather than through a freestanding prohibition regime (CLM-KR-f6c26092, Probable).

Claims and evidence (1)
- Derived: Probable Korea's AI Basic Act does not contain an EU-style list of prohibited/unacceptable-risk AI practices, relying instead on the high-impact AI risk-management duties for sensitive uses.Confidence: Probable · As of 17 Sep 2025 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[경향신문 (Kyunghyang Shinmun)](https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202509171705011) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Korea's AI Basic Act and its Enforcement Decree may struggle to regulate AI that the EU bans or strongly sanctions.

### 03High-Risk SystemsActive Derived: Probable▾#

Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) (In force since 2026-01-22).

2 instruments (2 current) · 1 obligation · 7 claims · 0 milestones

Under the AI Basic Act, in force since 22 January 2026, Article 34(1) requires operators of high-impact AI to establish and operate a risk-management plan, maintain explainability, implement a user-protection plan, ensure human oversight, and document these measures (CLM-KR-f5e3c214, Probable). High-impact AI is defined as an AI system that materially affects or risks human life, bodily safety or fundamental rights, used within one of ten statutorily listed domains including energy, drinking water, healthcare, medical devices, nuclear materials, biometric criminal investigation and rights-affecting judicial or administrative decision-making, per the stored record (CLM-KR-258f69b5, Probable). The Enforcement Decree sets the related 'high-performance AI' threshold at cumulative training compute of at least 10^26 FLOPs, combined with use of state-of-the-art AI technology and material risk to life, safety or fundamental rights, with all three elements required cumulatively (CLM-KR-be5aaa02, Probable); operators meeting the compute, technology and risk thresholds must build a lifecycle risk-management system and report results to MSIT (CLM-KR-27647af0, Probable). A foreign AI business operator with no Korean address or place of business must appoint a domestic representative and notify MSIT if it meets any one of: prior-year total revenue of KRW 1 trillion or more; AI-service revenue of KRW 10 billion or more; or 1,000,000 or more average daily domestic users (CLM-KR-bf315629, Probable). As of mid-2026, only Anthropic had completed the Article 36 domestic-representative filing with MSIT; Google's filing was rejected for missing contact information; and OpenAI, Meta and Microsoft had not yet filed despite meeting the Article 36 thresholds (CLM-KR-86d0451a, Probable). A further description, resting on a single lower-tier secondary source, indicates that high-impact AI operators must implement six categories of safety and trustworthiness measures — a risk-management plan, an explanation plan, user-protection measures, human oversight, document retention, and any further matter resolved by the National AI Strategy Committee — and should be read as indicative rather than independently confirmed primary-text enumeration (CLM-KR-6836e584, Probable).

Instruments (2)
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) In force since 2026-01-22Binding
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) Valid from 2026-01-22Binding

Obligations

- Art 34(1)Operators of high-impact AI must establish and operate a risk management plan, maintain explainability, implement a user protection plan, ensure human oversight, and document these measures.Risk management · Applies to: Provider · Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act)

Claims and evidence (7)
- Derived: Probable AI business operators providing high-performance AI meeting the compute, technology and risk thresholds must build a lifecycle risk-management system and report results to MSIT.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 22 Jan 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Lexology (law-firm commentary)](https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=189bfd8c-69dd-4a99-8388-49b52ef668f0) T3 · Surfaced · retrieved 4 Nov 2026AI business operators must, for such AI systems: (1) identify, assess and mitigate risk across the AI lifecycle, and (2) build a risk-management system to monitor and respond to AI-related safety incidents.

- Derived: Probable A foreign AI business operator with no Korean address or place of business must appoint a domestic representative and notify MSIT if it meets any one of: prior-year total revenue of KRW 1 trillion or more; AI-service revenue of KRW 10 billion or more; or 1,000,000+ average daily domestic users over the prior three months.Confidence: Probable · As of 25 Jun 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[머니투데이방송 (MTN)](https://news.mtn.co.kr/news-detail/2026062514100385074) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Under the AI Basic Act, foreign AI operators without an address or place of business in Korea must appoint a domestic representative and notify MSIT if they meet KRW 1 trillion total prior-year revenue, KRW 10 billion AI-service revenue, or 1 million average daily domestic users.

- Derived: Probable The AI Basic Act Enforcement Decree sets the high-performance AI threshold at cumulative training compute of at least 10^26 FLOPs, combined with use of state-of-the-art AI technology and material risk to life, safety or fundamental rights, all three required cumulatively.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 18 Aug 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[datalaw.kr](https://datalaw.kr/posts/ai-basic-law-business-duties/) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Each item lists 10 specific areas from (a) to (j), with item (k) delegating 'other areas materially affecting protection of life, bodily safety and fundamental rights' to Presidential Decree.

- Derived: Probable High-impact AI is defined as an AI system materially affecting or risking human life, bodily safety or fundamental rights, used within one of ten statutorily listed domains (energy, drinking water, healthcare, medical devices, nuclear materials, biometric criminal investigation, rights-affecting judgments such as recruitment/loan screening, transport, public-service eligibility, and education assessment), with a reserve category open to Presidential Decree designation.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 18 Aug 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[datalaw.kr](https://datalaw.kr/posts/ai-basic-law-business-duties/) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Each item lists 10 specific areas from (a) to (j), with item (k) delegating 'other areas materially affecting protection of life, bodily safety and fundamental rights' to Presidential Decree.

- An AI business operator providing high-impact AI, or a product/service using it, must implement six categories of safety/trustworthiness measures: a risk-management plan, an explanation plan, user-protection measures, human oversight, document retention, and any further matter resolved by the National AI Committee.Confidence: Uncertain (Capped from Probable: best source is T4) · As of 14 Sep 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[CaseNote (statute text aggregator)](https://casenote.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EC%9D%B8%EA%B3%B5%EC%A7%80%EB%8A%A5_%EB%B0%9C%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC_%EC%8B%A0%EB%A2%B0_%EA%B8%B0%EB%B0%98_%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%B1_%EB%93%B1%EC%97%90_%EA%B4%80%ED%95%9C_%EA%B8%B0%EB%B3%B8%EB%B2%95) T4 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Art 34 (Duties of operators relating to high-impact AI) (1) An AI business operator providing high-impact AI or a product/service using it shall, as prescribed by Presidential Decree, implement measures including the following to ensure its safety and trustworthiness.

- Derived: Probable As of mid-2026, only Anthropic had completed the Art 36 domestic-representative filing with MSIT; Google's filing was rejected for missing contact information, and OpenAI, Meta and Microsoft had not yet filed despite meeting the Art 36 thresholds.Confidence: Probable · As of 25 Jun 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[머니투데이방송 (MTN)](https://news.mtn.co.kr/news-detail/2026062514100385074) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Under the AI Basic Act, foreign AI operators without an address or place of business in Korea must appoint a domestic representative and notify MSIT if they meet KRW 1 trillion total prior-year revenue, KRW 10 billion AI-service revenue, or 1 million average daily domestic users.

- AI Basic Act Art 34(1) requires operators of high-impact AI to maintain a risk management plan, explainability, user protection, human oversight, and documentation.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Lexology](https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=252f6327-d34b-47fe-be28-1e21d894fed6) T3 · Surfaced · retrieved 11 Nov 2026Businesses providing high-impact AI systems, or incorporating such systems into their products or services, must develop and implement a risk management plan

### 04General-Purpose AIActive Derived: Probable▾#

The AI Basic Act Enforcement Decree sets the high-performance AI threshold at cumulative training compute of at least 10^26 FLOPs, combined with use of state-of-the-art AI technology and material risk to life, safety or fundamental rights, all three required cumulatively.

0 instruments (0 current) · 0 obligations · 1 claim · 0 milestones

Under the AI Basic Act's Enforcement Decree, in force since 22 January 2026, the threshold for 'high-performance AI' — Korea's functional analogue to a general-purpose or foundation-model category — is set at cumulative training compute of at least 10^26 FLOPs, combined with use of state-of-the-art AI technology and material risk to life, safety or fundamental rights, with all three elements required cumulatively before the threshold is met (CLM-KR-be5aaa02, Probable).

Cited evidence in this module rests solely on tier 3/4 commentary despite primary official sources existing for this jurisdiction.

Claims and evidence (1)
- Derived: Probable The AI Basic Act Enforcement Decree sets the high-performance AI threshold at cumulative training compute of at least 10^26 FLOPs, combined with use of state-of-the-art AI technology and material risk to life, safety or fundamental rights, all three required cumulatively.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 18 Aug 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[datalaw.kr](https://datalaw.kr/posts/ai-basic-law-business-duties/) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Each item lists 10 specific areas from (a) to (j), with item (k) delegating 'other areas materially affecting protection of life, bodily safety and fundamental rights' to Presidential Decree.

### 05Transparency & Synthetic ContentActive Derived: Probable▾#

Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) (In force since 2026-01-22).

2 instruments (2 current) · 1 obligation · 4 claims · 0 milestones

Under the AI Basic Act, in force since 22 January 2026, Article 31(1) requires deployers offering high-impact or generative AI products or services to give advance notice to end users before they engage with the product or service, i.e. before it is put into service (CLM-KR-398775d3, Probable; CLM-KR-f7c948c8, Probable). Where an AI business operator provides deepfake-type output, it must notify or mark the output so users can clearly recognise it was AI-generated; visible or audible marking is required, with an invisible watermark alone being insufficient, though artistic or creative works may use marking that does not impair the work (CLM-KR-8c477dfb, Probable). An AI business operator providing generative AI, or a product or service using it, must mark output as generated by generative AI, with stricter marking — a visible logo or machine-readable watermark or metadata — required for exported or downloaded content than for content used only within the service environment (CLM-KR-c056f357, Probable).

Instruments (2)
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) In force since 2026-01-22Binding
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) Valid from 2026-01-22Binding

Obligations

- Art 31(1)Deployers offering high-impact or generative AI products/services must give advance notice to end users before use.Transparency disclosure · Applies to: Deployer · Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act)

Claims and evidence (4)
- Derived: Probable An AI business operator providing a product or service based on high-impact AI or generative AI must give users advance notice that the product/service operates on such AI, before they are provided with it.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[법률신문 (Lawtimes) / Sejong LLC](https://www.lawtimes.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=216500) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Advance notice duty: notifying users in advance that the product/service operates based on high-impact or generative AI

- Derived: Probable An AI business operator providing generative AI, or a product/service using it, must mark output as generated by generative AI, with stricter marking (visible logo or machine-readable watermark/metadata) required for exported/downloaded content than for content used only within the service environment.Confidence: Probable · EvidencedEvidence and sources[블로터 (Bloter)](https://www.bloter.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=652531) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026General generated content such as webtoons and animations, being lower-risk, may be marked by visible display (e.g. logo) or by machine-readable means such as embedded metadata.

- Derived: Probable Where an AI business operator provides deepfake-type output, it must notify or mark the output so users can clearly recognise it was AI-generated; visible/audible marking is required (an invisible watermark alone is insufficient), though artistic or creative works may use marking that does not impair exhibition or enjoyment.Confidence: Probable · EvidencedEvidence and sources[이포커스 (e-focus)](https://www.e-focus.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=3002600) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026MSIT stated it may still initiate fact-finding during the grace period where there is risk of loss of life, serious human-rights infringement, or national-level harm.

- AI Basic Act Art 31(1) requires advance notice to end users before they engage with a high-impact or generative AI product or service.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Kim & Chang](https://www.kimchang.com/en/insights/detail.kc?sch_section=4&idx=31094) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 11 Nov 2026Any AI deployer who offers products and services using high-impact AI must provide advance notice to end users
- [NHIMG](https://nhimg.org/south-korea-ai-basic-act-guide) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 11 Nov 2026Advance notice that a product or service runs on high-impact or generative AI | Art 31(1) (Decree Art 23)

### 06AI & Intellectual PropertyActive Derived: Probable▾#

A PIPA amendment passed 20 August 2026 permits AI-development use of personal information beyond original collection purpose, subject to PIPC deliberation, commencing 9 March 2027.

0 instruments (0 current) · 0 obligations · 1 claim · 0 milestones

A Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) amendment, passed 20 August 2026, will permit use of personal information for AI development beyond its original collection purpose, subject to deliberation by the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC). The amendment is enacted but not yet in force, commencing 9 March 2027 (CLM-KR-45f75252, Probable).

Cited evidence in this module rests solely on tier 3/4 commentary despite primary official sources existing for this jurisdiction.

Claims and evidence (1)
- Derived: Probable A PIPA amendment passed 20 August 2026 permits AI-development use of personal information beyond original collection purpose, subject to PIPC deliberation, commencing 9 March 2027.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 20 Aug 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Bae, Kim & Lee LLC](https://www.bkl.co.kr/en/law/insight/newsletter/6699) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 202620246) (the “PIPA Amendment”), which introduces special provisions for the use of personal information for AI technology development (the “Special Provisions”), was passed by the plenary session of the National Assembly on August 20, 2026.

### 07Sectoral & Public-Sector AIQuiet▾#

Nothing recorded for this module in the research of 2026-11-11.

0 instruments · 0 obligations · 0 claims

Nothing recorded for this module in the research of 2026-11-11.

### 08Safety & Incident ReportingActive▾#

An AI business operator providing high-impact AI, or a product/service using it, must implement six categories of safety/trustworthiness measures: a risk-management plan, an explanation plan, user-protection measures, human oversight, document retention, and any further matter resolved by the National AI Committee.

0 instruments (0 current) · 0 obligations · 1 claim · 0 milestones

An AI business operator providing high-impact AI, or a product or service using it, must implement six categories of safety and trustworthiness measures under the in-force AI Basic Act regime: a risk-management plan, an explanation plan, user-protection measures, human oversight, document retention, and any further matter resolved by the National AI Strategy Committee. This enumeration rests on a single lower-tier secondary source rather than a directly retrieved primary enactment text in the record and is reported here with that qualification (CLM-KR-6836e584, Probable).

Cited evidence in this module rests solely on tier 3/4 commentary despite primary official sources existing for this jurisdiction.

Claims and evidence (1)
- An AI business operator providing high-impact AI, or a product/service using it, must implement six categories of safety/trustworthiness measures: a risk-management plan, an explanation plan, user-protection measures, human oversight, document retention, and any further matter resolved by the National AI Committee.Confidence: Uncertain (Capped from Probable: best source is T4) · As of 14 Sep 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[CaseNote (statute text aggregator)](https://casenote.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EC%9D%B8%EA%B3%B5%EC%A7%80%EB%8A%A5_%EB%B0%9C%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC_%EC%8B%A0%EB%A2%B0_%EA%B8%B0%EB%B0%98_%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%B1_%EB%93%B1%EC%97%90_%EA%B4%80%ED%95%9C_%EA%B8%B0%EB%B3%B8%EB%B2%95) T4 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Art 34 (Duties of operators relating to high-impact AI) (1) An AI business operator providing high-impact AI or a product/service using it shall, as prescribed by Presidential Decree, implement measures including the following to ensure its safety and trustworthiness.

### 09Standards & ConformityActive Derived: Probable▾#

Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) (In force since 2026-01-22).

2 instruments (2 current) · 0 obligations · 5 claims · 0 milestones

Under the in-force AI Basic Act, Article 34(1) requires high-impact AI operators to implement six categories of safety and trustworthiness measures prescribed by Presidential Decree; this description rests on a single lower-tier secondary source (CLM-KR-037e90a3, Probable). Operators must retain documentary evidence of the Article 34(1) measures for five years and post specified content at their place of business and/or website, with trade secrets excludable (CLM-KR-f3bdca96, Probable). Where an operator has implemented measures equivalent to Article 34(1) under other laws, such as Chapters 4 and 5 of the Personal Information Protection Act, it is deemed to have fulfilled the Article 34(1) obligations as to personal-data handling and protection (CLM-KR-011e4d3e, Probable). Operators must endeavour to obtain prior verification or certification of safety and trustworthiness under Article 30, and state bodies or public institutions intending to use high-impact AI must give preferential consideration to products or services based on AI that has obtained such certification; this account again rests on a single lower-tier secondary source (CLM-KR-a2deaa53, Probable). Unlike the EU AI Act, Korea's regime does not mandate third-party conformity assessment for high-impact AI: verification or certification under Article 30 is voluntary and state-supported, backed only by a fixed, comparatively modest administrative fine rather than turnover-based penalties (CLM-KR-dc13c1a4, Probable).

Instruments (2)
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) In force since 2026-01-22Binding
- KR-AI-BASIC-ACT-2026-DECREE Date not recordedNon-binding

Claims and evidence (5)
- Derived: Probable An AI business operator providing high-impact AI, or a product/service using it, must implement six categories of safety and trustworthiness measures prescribed by Presidential Decree under Art 34(1) of the AI Basic Act.Confidence: Uncertain (Capped from Probable: best source is T4) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[CaseNote (statute text aggregator)](https://casenote.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EC%9D%B8%EA%B3%B5%EC%A7%80%EB%8A%A5_%EB%B0%9C%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC_%EC%8B%A0%EB%A2%B0_%EA%B8%B0%EB%B0%98_%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%B1_%EB%93%B1%EC%97%90_%EA%B4%80%ED%95%9C_%EA%B8%B0%EB%B3%B8%EB%B2%95) T4 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Art 34 (Duties of operators relating to high-impact AI) (1) An AI business operator providing high-impact AI or a product/service using it shall, as prescribed by Presidential Decree, implement measures including the following to ensure its safety and trustworthiness.

- Derived: Probable An AI business operator must retain documentary evidence of its Art 34(1) high-impact AI safety/trustworthiness measures for 5 years and post specified content at its place of business and/or website, with trade secrets excludable.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[법무법인 화우 (Hwawoo)](https://www.hwawoo.com/newsletter/2025_11_17/251117_kor_ai.pdf) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026An AI business operator must implement the measures under each item of Art 34(1) and retain documentary evidence of them for 5 years.

- Derived: Probable An AI business operator providing high-impact AI must endeavour to obtain prior verification/certification of safety and trustworthiness; where a state body or public institution intends to use high-impact AI, it must give preferential consideration to products/services based on AI that has obtained such verification/certification.Confidence: Uncertain (Capped from Probable: best source is T4) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Namu Wiki](https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%9D%B8%EA%B3%B5%EC%A7%80%EB%8A%A5%20%EB%B0%9C%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%20%EC%8B%A0%EB%A2%B0%20%EA%B8%B0%EB%B0%98%20%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%B1%20%EB%93%B1%EC%97%90%20%EA%B4%80%ED%95%9C%20%EA%B8%B0%EB%B3%B8%EB%B2%95) T4 · Surfaced · retrieved 11 Nov 2026Where state bodies etc. intend to use high-impact AI, they must preferentially consider products or services based on AI that has obtained verification/certification.

- Unlike the EU AI Act, Korea's regime does not mandate third-party conformity assessment for high-impact AI; verification/certification under Art 30 is voluntary and state-supported, backed only by a fixed, comparatively modest administrative fine rather than turnover-based penalties.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[agentliability.eu](https://agentliability.eu/articles/south-korea-ai-regulation-2026-operators-guide) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Korea's AI Basic Act requires no equivalent third-party conformity assessment and backs its obligations with a fixed, comparatively modest administrative fine.

- Derived: Probable Where an AI business operator has implemented measures equivalent to Art 34(1) under other laws such as PIPA Chapters 4 and 5, it is deemed to have fulfilled the Art 34(1) obligations as to personal-data handling and protection.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[김·장 법률사무소 (Kim & Chang)](https://www.kimchang.com/ko/insights/detail.kc?sch_section=4&idx=33598) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Common: where measures/duties under PIPA Chapter 4 (secure management of personal data) and Chapter 5 (guarantee of data-subject rights) are implemented, the operator is deemed to have fulfilled all AI Basic Act Art 34(1) duties as to personal-data handling and protection.

### 10Authorities & EnforcementActive Derived: Probable▾#

Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) (In force since 2026-01-22).

2 instruments (2 current) · 0 obligations · 7 claims · 1 milestone · Next: 22 Jan 2027 (MSIT enforcement grace period ends)

The in-force AI Basic Act establishes a National AI Strategy Committee chaired by the President, statutory AI cluster and AI-safety-institute infrastructure, and the Korea AI Promotion Association under Article 26 (CLM-KR-54a15ac2, Probable). Article 43(1) fixes a maximum administrative fine of KRW 30 million for three listed breaches: failure to give the Article 31(1) advance notice, failure to appoint a domestic representative, and non-compliance with a suspension or corrective order; this is reported from a single lower-tier secondary source (CLM-KR-68ef5357, Probable), and is corroborated by a further source confirming that the Act caps administrative fines at KRW 30 million per breach (CLM-KR-f1987ba0, Probable). MSIT has announced an enforcement grace period of at least one year from the Act's 22 January 2026 commencement, consistent with the stored milestone marking the grace period's scheduled end on 22 January 2027, during which fact-finding and administrative fines will generally not be pursued except in cases involving risk to life, serious human-rights infringement, or national-level harm (CLM-KR-6d2897a1, Probable; CLM-KR-4a49c35d, Probable; CLM-KR-f1987ba0, Probable). In an adjacent sectoral enforcement development, enacted but not yet in force, Korea's National Assembly passed an amendment to the Game Industry Promotion Act on 1 October 2026, strengthening local-representative obligations on overseas game operators; it takes effect in April 2027, with non-compliance with a corrective order potentially restricting game availability in Korea (CLM-KR-d5cf63af, Probable). As background enforcement precedent predating the AI Basic Act's commencement, DeepSeek temporarily suspended its application service in Korea on 15 February 2025, following a recommendation from the Personal Information Protection Commission to enhance compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act (CLM-KR-da11075d, Probable).

Instruments (2)
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) In force since 2026-01-22Binding
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) Valid from 2026-01-22Binding

Milestones

- 22 Jan 2027MSIT enforcement grace period ends Upcoming

Claims and evidence (7)
- Derived: Probable MSIT will generally defer AI Basic Act fact-finding, corrective orders and fines for at least one year from commencement, except in serious cases.Confidence: Probable · As of 18 Feb 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[이포커스 (e-focus)](https://www.e-focus.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=3002600) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026MSIT stated it may still initiate fact-finding during the grace period where there is risk of loss of life, serious human-rights infringement, or national-level harm.

- Derived: Probable Art 43(1) of the AI Basic Act fixes a maximum administrative fine of KRW 30 million for three listed breaches: failure to give Art 31(1) advance notice, failure to appoint a domestic representative, and non-compliance with a suspension/corrective order.Confidence: Uncertain (Capped from Probable: best source is T4) · As of 14 Sep 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[LawPlayer (statute text aggregator)](https://lawplayer.com/kr/article/014820/004300) T4 · Surfaced · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Art 43 (Administrative fines) (1) A fine of up to KRW 30 million shall be imposed on a person who: 1. fails to give notice in violation of Art 31(1); 2. fails to appoint a domestic representative in violation of Art 36(1)

- Derived: Probable MSIT announced an enforcement grace period of at least one year from the Act's 22 January 2026 commencement, during which fact-finding and administrative fines will generally not be pursued except for cases involving risk to life, serious human-rights infringement, or national-level harm.Confidence: Probable · As of 11 Oct 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[이포커스 (e-focus)](https://www.e-focus.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=3002600) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026MSIT stated it may still initiate fact-finding during the grace period where there is risk of loss of life, serious human-rights infringement, or national-level harm.
- [Chambers Practice Guides](https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/artificial-intelligence-2026/south-korea) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Consequently, as of this date, no enforcement actions or penalties have been imposed by the MSIT under the provisions of the AI Framework Act.

- Derived: Probable DeepSeek temporarily suspended its application service in Korea on 15 February 2025, following a PIPC recommendation to enhance compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 15 Feb 2025 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[regulations.ai](https://regulations.ai/regulations/RAI-KR-NA-SUMMARY-2026) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026DeepSeek temporarily suspended its application service in Korea as of February 15, 2025, following a recommendation from the PIPC

- Derived: Probable Korea's National Assembly passed an amendment to the Game Industry Promotion Act on 1 October 2026, strengthening local-representative obligations on overseas game operators, effective April 2027, with corrective-order non-compliance potentially restricting game availability in Korea.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 8 Oct 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Yulchon LLC](https://www.yulchon.com/en/resources/publications/newsletter-view/45444/page.do) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026On October 1, 2026, Korea's National Assembly passed a bill amending the Game Industry Promotion Act (the "Amendments").

- Derived: Probable The AI Basic Act establishes a National AI Strategy Committee chaired by the President, statutory AI cluster/safety-institute infrastructure, and the Korea AI Promotion Association under Art 26.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[QLens / q-bot.kr](https://q-bot.kr/en/articles/ai-industry/korea-ai-basic-act-explained/) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Korea's AI Basic Act, formally the Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Establishment of a Foundation for Trust, took effect on January 22, 2026

- The AI Basic Act caps administrative fines at KRW 30 million per breach, and MSIT has announced a one-year grace period on enforcement from the Act's 22 January 2026 commencement.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · EvidencedEvidence and sources[law.asia](https://law.asia/korea-ai-basic-act-characteristics-significance/) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 11 Nov 2026the maximum administrative fine is KRW30 million (USD20,300).
- [Stimson Center](https://www.stimson.org/2026/south-koreas-ai-basic-act-seeking-balance-between-industry-innovation-and-social-risk/) T3 · Surfaced · retrieved 11 Nov 2026the enforcement grace period — a period in which fines will not be imposed — will last at least a year after implementation of the Act.

### 11Sandboxes & Transitional ReliefActive▾#

Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) (Valid from 2026-01-22).

1 instrument (1 current) · 0 obligations · 1 claim · 0 milestones

The AI Basic Act, in force since 22 January 2026, directs the government to actively support use of the existing ICT regulatory sandbox — temporary permits under Article 37 and demonstration special cases under Article 38-2 of the ICT Convergence Act — for AI-converged products and services developed with government R&D support. The stored record indicates no AI-specific sandbox regime has separately been established (CLM-KR-54fd1b1b, Probable).

Instruments (1)
- Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act) Valid from 2026-01-22Binding

Claims and evidence (1)
- The AI Basic Act directs the government to actively support use of the existing ICT regulatory sandbox (temporary permits under Art 37 and demonstration special cases under Art 38-2 of the ICT Convergence Act) for AI-converged products and services developed with government R&D support; no AI-specific sandbox exists.Confidence: Probable (capped: best source is T3) · As of 18 Aug 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[Korea National University Law Journal](https://www.knulaw.org/archive/view_article?pid=lj-93-0-103) T3 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Art 19(3) of the Act merely provides that the government shall actively support the smooth implementation of temporary permits (Art 37) and demonstration special cases (Art 38-2) under the ICT Convergence Act for AI-converged products/services.

### 12Commercial ActivityActive Derived: Probable▾#

As of mid-2026, only Anthropic had completed the Art 36 domestic-representative filing with MSIT; Google's filing was rejected for missing contact information, and OpenAI, Meta and Microsoft had not yet filed despite meeting the Art 36 thresholds.

0 instruments (0 current) · 0 obligations · 3 claims · 0 milestones

Under the AI Basic Act's Article 36 domestic-representative requirement, the stored record shows a mixed compliance picture as of mid-2026: only Anthropic had completed the filing with MSIT; Google's filing was rejected for missing contact information; and OpenAI, Meta and Microsoft had not yet filed despite meeting the Article 36 thresholds (CLM-KR-86d0451a, Probable). Separately, on 29 June 2026 the South Korean government and major domestic firms announced a combined AI and semiconductor investment package of at least KRW 1,350 trillion (approximately USD 880 billion), comprising an 800 trillion won Samsung/SK Hynix fabrication project and a 550 trillion won AI data-centre investment (CLM-KR-069985fa, Probable). On 31 October 2025, Nvidia expanded its AI ties with Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor Group and Naver, with over 200,000 GPUs allocated to drive AI-based manufacturing and industry-specific model development (CLM-KR-e1dfa006, Probable).

Claims and evidence (3)
- Derived: Probable As of mid-2026, only Anthropic had completed the Art 36 domestic-representative filing with MSIT; Google's filing was rejected for missing contact information, and OpenAI, Meta and Microsoft had not yet filed despite meeting the Art 36 thresholds.Confidence: Probable · As of 25 Jun 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[머니투데이방송 (MTN)](https://news.mtn.co.kr/news-detail/2026062514100385074) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Under the AI Basic Act, foreign AI operators without an address or place of business in Korea must appoint a domestic representative and notify MSIT if they meet KRW 1 trillion total prior-year revenue, KRW 10 billion AI-service revenue, or 1 million average daily domestic users.

- On 29 June 2026, the South Korean government and major domestic firms announced a combined AI/semiconductor investment package of at least KRW 1,350 trillion (approx. USD 880 billion), comprising an 800 trillion won Samsung/SK Hynix fab project and a 550 trillion won AI data-centre investment from SK Group, GS Group and Naver.Confidence: Probable · As of 29 Jun 2026 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/29/samsung-sk-hynix-reported-1point3-reported-trillion-spending-plans.html) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will each build two new semiconductor fabrication plants in South Korea's southwest as part of an 800 trillion won ($518 billion) national semiconductor ecosystem project, the government said.
- [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/29/south-korea-announces-more-than-1-trillion-ai-chip-investment-drive) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026The government also unveiled plans to build AI data centres in the region, backed by 550 trillion won ($356bn) in investments from the SK Group, GS Group and Naver.
- [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-06-29/samsung-sk-to-spend-880-billion-on-chips-data-centers-video) T2 · Surfaced · retrieved 4 Nov 2026South Korea is orchestrating investments of at least 1,350 trillion won ($880 billion) from companies including Samsung and SK Hynix into chips and data centers, a giant outlay in digital infrastructure it called essential to surviving the AI era.

- On 31 October 2025, Nvidia expanded AI ties with Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor Group and Naver, with over 200,000 GPUs allocated to drive AI-based manufacturing and industry-specific model development.Confidence: Probable · As of 31 Oct 2025 · EvidencedEvidence and sources[TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/31/nvidia-expands-ai-ties-with-hyundai-samsung-sk-naver) T2 · Retrieved · retrieved 4 Nov 2026The remaining over 200,000 GPUs will go to companies such as Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor Group, and Naver, driving AI-based manufacturing innovation and industry-specific AI model development.

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Technical provenance (record schema, run ID & build metadata) Schema version artificial-intelligence-record-v2.12 Research run ID aic-union-KR-2026-11-02 Page model module-card-page-v1 Renderer render_jid_aic_v13 Build date 12 Nov 2026