Overview
- The revised Information and Communications Network Act took effect Tuesday, July 7, 2026, activating new penalties, platform duties and an administrative fine regime.
- Courts can award punitive damages of up to five times proven losses for publishers with at least 100,000 subscribers or 100,000 average monthly views, and repeat distribution after a final finding can trigger administrative fines up to 1 billion won.
- Online platforms with more than 1 million daily users must create reporting channels, act on reports of false or manipulated information and publish regular transparency reports about how complaints were handled.
- The Korea Media and Communications Commission has adopted the International Fact‑Checking Network code and will run a transparency center to coordinate fact‑checking, but critics say the center’s administrative and financial ties to the KMCC risk politicized determinations.
- Opposition parties, journalist groups and civic organizations have announced legal and public challenges and warn the law’s vague standards and steep penalties could push platforms to preemptively remove content and chill watchdog reporting.