South Korea to mandate labels on AI-made ads
South Korea will require advertisers to label AI-generated ads and make platforms responsible for compliance, officials said after a Dec. 10 policy meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. The government will revise laws so the rules and tougher enforcement—24-hour reviews, emergency takedowns, and punitive damages up to five times losses—take effect in early 2026 amid a surge of deepfake-driven promotions on YouTube, Facebook and other services.
📌 Key Facts
- Office for Government Policy Coordination’s Lee Dong-hoon said labels will be mandatory on AI-created photos/videos and platforms may not allow labels to be removed.
- Food and Drug Safety Ministry flagged 96,700 illegal online ads in 2024 and 68,950 through Sept. 2025, up from ~59,000 in 2023.
- Planned enforcement includes faster reviews within 24 hours, emergency blocking of harmful ads, and punitive liability up to 5x damages.