South Korea is accelerating its efforts to join the ranks of global AI powers. Last Thursday, the world's first comprehensive South Korea’s ‘world-first’ AI laws came into effect. This legislative move marks South Korea's attempt to find a balance between regulation and innovation, aiming to become one of the world's three major AI powers alongside the U.S. and China.

According to the new law, the South Korean government has introduced strict "transparency" requirements for AI-generated content. All non-factual content generated by AI, such as comics or artworks, must include an invisible digital watermark; for highly misleading deepfakes, a visible visual label is required. Additionally, operators of "high-impact AI" systems, such as medical diagnostics, recruitment interviews, and loan approvals, must establish rigorous risk assessment and decision-making record-keeping mechanisms.

However, this "front-runner" global law has sparked intense polarized reactions within South Korea. Local tech startups are anxious, with a survey showing that 98% of AI startups have not yet prepared for compliance, fearing that overly stringent regulations may stifle industry innovation. At the same time, civil society groups have criticized the law as insufficient, arguing that the current provisions overly favor industrial interests and leave obvious legal loopholes in preventing AI-related infringements and protecting victims, especially those affected by deepfakes.

Despite the controversy, the South Korean Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology stated that the law aims to eliminate legal uncertainty and build a healthy AI ecosystem. The government has committed to providing at least a one-year grace period and continuous optimization of guidelines to ensure that this highly flexible framework becomes an important reference for global AI governance.

Key Points:

  • 📜 South Korea has officially implemented the world's first basic AI law, requiring AI-generated content to add digital watermarks and imposing risk assessments on "high-impact AI."

  • ⚖️ The law faces dual pressures domestically: startups worry about high compliance costs stifling innovation, while civil society groups question the law's protection of citizens' rights.

  • 🌏 The South Korean government aims to eliminate technological uncertainty through this law, helping the country become one of the world's top three AI leaders by around 2026.