What happened
On 8 October 2026 the Ministry of Science and ICT confirmed it is drafting an amendment to the AI Framework Act that would extend the current visible deepfake-watermarking duty — now imposed only on AI companies — to AI users who produce or distribute deepfake content, including YouTubers and other content creators. Officials acknowledged AI cannot reliably distinguish deepfakes from ordinary output, so the current law forces companies to label everything; the amendment's scope and user obligations are still under discussion.
Why it matters
It would push watermarking obligations down the value chain to individual users and creators in Korea, materially broadening the population subject to the AI labelling regime and changing how AI content is distributed and disclosed in the Korean market.
Action needed
AI content platforms, creators and distribution intermediaries operating in Korea should track the draft amendment's scope, which is expected to narrow options beyond the current January 2027 soft-fines window.