The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of South Korea has published the “Guidelines on Ensuring AI Transparency” to provide detailed implementation measures for the transparency obligations under the AI Basic Act, effective January 22, 2026. These guidelines clarify how AI service providers must inform users when high-impact or generative AI is used, and mandate clear labeling for AI-generated content, especially for content distributed outside the service environment.

The guidelines distinguish between AI content within service environments (allowing flexible visual indicators) and content exported or shared externally (requiring explicit labeling such as watermarks or embedded metadata). A grace period of at least one year is provided for industry adaptation.

These measures aim to enhance user trust, prevent misuse such as deepfakes, and balance regulatory compliance with industry feasibility.

This regulatory development represents a medium-to-high impact compliance update for AI service providers operating in Korea, as it introduces legally binding transparency obligations tied to user notification and labeling of AI-generated content.

• Mandatory prior notice for high-impact or generative AI services
• Mandatory labeling for exported AI-generated content
• Watermark or metadata embedding required for externally distributed content
• Applies to domestic and foreign AI providers serving Korean users
• One-year grace period before enforcement

Who?

• AI platform operators
• Generative AI service providers
• International companies offering AI services in Korea
• Digital content platforms
• Developers of conversational AI and deepfake technologies
• Korean regulators overseeing AI governance

Conclusion

South Korea’s AI Transparency Guidelines operationalize the AI Basic Act by creating clear compliance obligations for AI service providers. The framework balances consumer protection and innovation by differentiating between internal and exported AI content while granting a transition period. Companies serving the Korean market must review terms of service, UI notifications, and content-labeling mechanisms to ensure compliance before enforcement begins.