South Korea AI Basic Act

South Korea was one of the first countries after the EU to pass a general AI law. Its AI Basic Act has applied since 22 January 2026, including to foreign companies offering AI in the country.

It requires notifying people when AI is used, labelling generated content that could be mistaken for real and, for high-impact AI (for example in health, employment or transport), assessing impact, keeping human oversight and documenting. Foreign companies above a certain size must appoint a local representative.

Maximum fines are low compared with the AI Act (up to 30 million won) and the government has signalled a grace period before penalties. Companies already complying with the AI Act have much of the work done.

Track updates: news for every country, with date and source, in our Regulatory Radar.