South Korea requires AI labels, with fines deferred
A national AI law with labelling duties is live, and the grace period is the time to prepare.
Background
South Korea's AI Basic Act took effect on 22 January 2026, introducing labelling duties for AI-generated content and specific requirements for realistic deepfakes. Fines are deferred for at least a year from the date the Act took effect.
Three key points
1. What the Act requires. The AI Basic Act requires advance notice when a service uses generative AI, labels on AI-generated outputs, and clearer labelling for realistic deepfakes. Fines for labelling failures can reach 30 million won, approximately 20,000 US dollars. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced it is deferring enforcement of fines for at least twelve months.
2. AI-generated endorsers in ads must be labelled. One compliance guide reports that official guidance treats those who only use AI output in their own content as users rather than operators, and that AI-generated endorsers in advertisements must be labelled as virtual persons since 1 June 2026.
3. The law sits alongside Korea's advertising code. The AI Basic Act does not replace Korea's existing advertising rules. Marketing into the Korean market needs a review of both frameworks to understand the full set of obligations.
Why this matters
South Korea is an important market for global consumer brands, and its AI content rules are now live even while fines are deferred. The deferral period is the time to build a compliant labelling practice, so that enforcement when it begins does not require disruptive changes.
Sources: US International Trade Administration; PetaPixel; Synthetic White.
