South Korea has officially enforced a revised law designed to combat the spread of online misinformation, introducing tougher penalties for individuals who repeatedly share illegal or manipulated content.
The measure took effect on Tuesday but has already drawn criticism from opposition groups, journalists, and civil society organizations over concerns about free speech.
The amended Information and Communications Network Act strengthens the country’s approach to addressing online falsehoods. Previously, authorities primarily relied on civil lawsuits and existing defamation laws to deal with misleading content.
Under the new rules, individuals who are found to have intentionally spread illegal or manipulated information may be ordered to pay damages of up to five times the actual losses caused. Repeat offenders whose posts have been declared illegal by the courts may also face fines of up to ₩1 billion (about $655,000).
The legislation also imposes new responsibilities on major technology companies, including Naver, Kakao, Google, and Meta. These platforms are now required to establish systems for users to report suspected misinformation and publish transparency reports twice a year detailing the number of complaints received and the actions taken in response.
The South Korean government has stepped up efforts to address online misinformation following several high-profile incidents in recent years.
Among them were unverified claims of foreign interference after the 2024 martial law attempt and the circulation of an AI-generated audio recording that falsely linked actor Kim Soo-hyun to a relationship with a deceased underage actress, an incident that significantly affected his career and public activities.
However, the law has faced strong opposition from the People Power Party (PPP), media organizations, and advocacy groups. Critics argue that the legislation does not clearly define what constitutes “false” or “manipulated” information, raising concerns that the measure could be applied too broadly and limit freedom of expression.
PPP spokesperson Cho Yong-sool cautioned:
“We will see a world where platform companies excessively remove information, investigative journalism is stifled, and citizens find it difficult to even speak their minds.”
The Journalists Association of Korea also called on the government to adopt safeguards that would protect investigative journalism and ensure that reporting in the public interest is not unfairly restricted under the new law.