▲ Kim Jong-cheol, chairperson of the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), speaks at a press conference at the government complex in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, in this file photo taken June 15, 2026. (Yonhap)

network act-amendment

Revision aimed at preventing spread of false information takes effect

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's amendment to the Network Act aimed at preventing the spread of false information online took effect on Tuesday.

The revised law comes as concerns grow over disinformation amid the increasing influence of social media and the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), the government has said.

Under the revision, publishers with more than 100,000 subscribers or with content of more than 100,000 monthly average views could face punitive fines of up to five times the actual damage caused by the repeated spreading of false or fabricated information online.

Online platforms whose daily average users for the past three months as of the end of 2025 exceed 1 million are also required to make efforts to prevent the spread of false information.

They must act on reports of such content, including its removal, and are mandated to reveal reports of such efforts, according to the revision.

The Korea Media Communications Commission has designated the International Fact-Checking Network's (IFCN) code of principle as the standard for fact-checking activities.

It will also operate a "transparency center" to back efforts to support the cooperation between private fact-checking organizations and platforms, the media watchdog said.

Critics have expressed concerns that the amendment could excessively limit people's rights to expression. The law defines "false information" as information in which "all or part" of the content is false or has been altered in a way that misleads consumers into believing it is true.

"I think the real issue is the possibility of getting caught up in unnecessary disputes due to third-party complaints or reports, rather than the actual punishment," one online community user wrote.

Local portal giant Naver Corp. and messenger app operator Kakao Corp. have reportedly updated their existing illegal information reporting functions, to include false information, industry insiders said.

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