Politics

South Korea to require AI-generated ad labels in early 2026 as crackdown on deception intensifies

Wednesday, 10 December 2025 4:22PM UTC

South Korea announces mandatory labelling of AI-created advertisements from 2026 to combat rising digital disinformation and deceptive marketing, with enhanced monitoring and stricter enforcement to follow.

South Korea will require advertisers to label any advertisements created using artificial intelligence beginning in early 2026, the government announced, in a bid to curb a surge in deceptive promotions that use fabricated experts and deepfaked celebrities to push products on social media. According to the original report, the measure follows a policy meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and is intended to protect consumers, especially older people, who are increasingly unable to distinguish AI-made content from genuine material. ^[1]^[2]^[3]

Officials said the requirement will be backed by changes to telecommunications and related laws so the labelling rule, strengthened monitoring and punitive measures can take effect in early 2026. Lee Dong-hoon, director of economic and financial policy at the Office for Government Policy Coordination, told a briefing that such ads are “disrupting the market order,” and that “swift action is now essential.” He added that “Anyone who creates, edits, and posts AI-generated photos or videos will be required to label them as AI-made, and the users of the platform will be prohibited from removing or tampering with those labels.” ^[1]^[5]^[7]

The government said platform operators will be responsible for ensuring advertisers comply with the labelling rules and will face accountability for failures to police content. Officials indicated they will also tighten takedown procedures, enabling reviews within 24 hours and an emergency block process to remove harmful ads even before formal deliberation is complete. The announcements mirror summaries from international outlets noting the same legal and enforcement timetable. ^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Data cited by the administration illustrates the scale of the problem. The Food and Drug Safety Ministry identified more than 97,600 illegal online ads for food and pharmaceutical products in 2024 and 68,950 through September this year, up from roughly 59,000 in 2023, prompting authorities to expand monitoring to sectors such as private education, cosmetics and illegal gambling. The government said it will bolster the monitoring capabilities of the Food and Drug Safety Ministry and the Korea Consumer Agency, including through the use of AI tools. ^[1]^[2]^[5]

To deter bad actors, officials plan to raise fines and introduce punitive damages next year; those who knowingly distribute false or fabricated information online could be held liable for damages up to five times the losses incurred, the government said. Reports from domestic outlets also describe plans to revise the Information and Communications Network Act to formalise the labelling obligation and to prohibit users from tampering with AI labels. ^[1]^[7]^[5]

The moves come as Seoul pursues a broader national strategy to strengthen its AI and semiconductor capabilities. Prime Minister Kim told the meeting it is crucial to “minimize the side effects of new technologies” even as the country embraces the “AI era,” and separate government statements highlighted plans to ramp up research and development spending on AI-specific chips and expand chip manufacturing beyond the capital region. Regulators will also require wireless carriers to transition to 5G standalone networks as part of licence renewals, a step officials say is necessary because higher bandwidth and lower latency better support advanced AI applications. ^[1]

While the policy aims to strike a balance between innovation and consumer protection, enforcement will be critical to its impact. Industry data and reports underscore the rapid growth of AI-enabled deceptive advertising across YouTube, Facebook and other platforms, and the government’s reliance on platforms to police content means outcomes will depend on how vigorously operators implement labelling and removal rules. The company claims and government statements framing the measures signal a more interventionist regulatory approach as South Korea seeks to limit harms without stifling its AI ambitions. ^[1]^[2]^[5]

##Reference Map:

^[1] (The Independent) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7
^[2] (Associated Press) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 7
^[3] (Euronews) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2
^[4] (ABC News) - Paragraph 3
^[5] (Korea Times) - Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 7
^[7] (Asia Economic) - Paragraph 2, Paragraph 5

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/east-asia/south-korea-ai-advertisements-labels-ads-b2881845.html - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://apnews.com/article/6df668ae93489da7d448c66e53905bbb - South Korea has announced that starting in early 2026, all advertisements created using artificial intelligence (AI) must be clearly labeled. This measure aims to address the increasing prevalence of deceptive promotions featuring fabricated experts or deepfaked celebrities endorsing products like weight-loss pills, cosmetics, and illegal gambling sites on social media platforms. Officials highlighted the risks to consumers, particularly older individuals who may struggle to identify AI-generated content. The government plans to revise telecommunications laws to enforce this labeling requirement and strengthen monitoring and punitive measures against such deceptive practices.
https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/12/10/south-korea-says-advertisers-must-label-ai-generated-ads - In response to the surge of deceptive AI-generated advertisements, South Korea will mandate that all AI-created ads be labeled starting next year. The initiative seeks to curb misleading promotions featuring deepfaked celebrities or fabricated experts endorsing products on social media. Officials emphasized the need for swift action to protect consumers, especially older individuals who may find it challenging to discern AI-made content. The government plans to revise telecommunications laws to implement this requirement and hold platform operators accountable for ensuring compliance.
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/south-korea-require-advertisers-label-ai-generated-ads-128268838 - South Korea is set to require advertisers to label AI-generated content in their ads starting next year. This move aims to combat the rise of deceptive promotions featuring deepfaked celebrities or fabricated experts endorsing products on social media. Officials highlighted the risks to consumers, particularly older individuals who may struggle to identify AI-made content. The government plans to revise telecommunications laws to enforce this labeling requirement and strengthen monitoring and punitive measures against such deceptive practices.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/tech-science/20251210/korea-to-mandate-labeling-of-ai-generated-content-to-counter-fake-ads - South Korea will require online platforms to label content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) to curb the spread of fake and exaggerated advertisements. The government plans to introduce a mandatory labeling system for AI-generated content and expedite the review process necessary to correct false advertising. Platform operators will be responsible for informing publishers of the labeling method and obligation, and users will be prohibited from removing or tampering with the AI-generated content label.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/south-korea-require-advertisers-label-065051963.html - South Korea is set to require advertisers to label AI-generated content in their ads starting next year. This move aims to combat the rise of deceptive promotions featuring deepfaked celebrities or fabricated experts endorsing products on social media. Officials highlighted the risks to consumers, particularly older individuals who may struggle to identify AI-made content. The government plans to revise telecommunications laws to enforce this labeling requirement and strengthen monitoring and punitive measures against such deceptive practices.
https://cm.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2025121010104067904 - South Korea will introduce a mandatory labeling system for AI-generated content to counter the spread of fake and exaggerated advertisements. The government plans to revise the Information and Communications Network Act in the first half of next year to implement this labeling system. Platform operators will be responsible for informing publishers of the labeling method and obligation, and users will be prohibited from removing or tampering with the AI-generated content label. The government also plans to introduce punitive damages of up to five times the actual damages for malicious distribution of false or manipulated information.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative is fresh, with the earliest known publication date being December 10, 2025. Multiple reputable outlets, including the Associated Press and Euronews, have reported on this development, indicating a high level of originality. The Independent's coverage is consistent with these reports, suggesting no significant discrepancies. The narrative is not based on a press release, as it includes direct quotes from officials and detailed policy measures, which typically warrants a high freshness score.

Quotes check

Score: 10

Notes: The quotes attributed to Lee Dong-hoon, director of economic and financial policy at the Office for Government Policy Coordination, appear to be original, with no earlier matches found online. This suggests the content is potentially exclusive.

Source reliability

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative originates from The Independent, a reputable UK-based news outlet. The Associated Press and Euronews have also reported on this topic, further corroborating the information.

Plausability check

Score: 10

Notes: The claims about South Korea's new policy requiring advertisers to label AI-generated ads are plausible and align with reports from multiple reputable sources. The narrative includes specific details about the policy, such as the involvement of Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and the role of platform operators, which are consistent with other reports. The language and tone are appropriate for the topic and region, and there are no signs of excessive or off-topic detail.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is fresh, original, and corroborated by multiple reputable sources. The quotes appear to be exclusive, and the information is consistent with other reports. The source is reliable, and the claims are plausible and well-supported.

AI regulation
Advertising standards
Digital deception