The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) will push for a mandatory labeling system for AI-generated content so consumers can clearly know that AI creations are not real.
The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) presented this policy goal in a briefing on the 16th at the Blue House state guesthouse. Standing member Ko Min-su of the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) said at a "KMCC work report pre-briefing" for the press at the Government Complex Gwacheon the previous day, "We will create an environment where the public can use digital media with confidence in response to the spread of AI and changes in the digital environment."
The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) announced a plan to build a basic media society by expanding the public's rights to participate in, access, and choose media. A basic media society means a society that substantially guarantees every citizen the right to participate in media, access it freely, and choose safe and trustworthy media.
To first broaden participation in media, the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) will expand the number of viewer media centers nationwide from 12 to 14 by adding two locations (North Gyeongsang and North Jeolla) and implement life cycle–tailored media education. To expand access to media, it will widen coverage from people with visual and hearing impairments to all people with disabilities and require online video service (OTT) providers to increase disability-friendly programming. To ensure choice in media, it will introduce a labeling system for AI-generated content. Although the basic AI law that took effect in January this year introduced a requirement to label AI-generated content, the scope is limited to "AI operators." A YouTuber who produces videos with AI is classified as a user, not an operator. The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) will push a system requiring content posters to indicate whether content is AI-generated and imposing management obligations on platforms.
To boost the competitiveness of the broadcasting and media industry, the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) will reasonably improve ownership, cross-ownership, advertising, and programming regulations, while establishing a promotion strategy for pay TV media. Standing member Ko said, "We will raise the industry's innovation capacity by fostering an AI-based broadcasting production environment, strengthening the competitiveness of local broadcasters, and nurturing young creators."
In response to the spread of AI, the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) will expand the scope of measures to prevent the distribution of illegal recordings from videos to images and will inspect platforms' implementation of technical and administrative measures. It will introduce an "emergency blocking authority" to swiftly delete and block illegal drug-related information distributed online within 24 hours.
Based on its key tasks for the second half, the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) laid out a blueprint to make 2027, the "100th year of Korean broadcasting," a starting point for opening the next 100 years of broadcasting, media, and communications. It plans to promote centennial projects that everyone can join to look back on the history and achievements of Korean broadcasting and to present a future vision for the next 100 years. Alongside this, it will work to swiftly launch the "Media Development Committee," a social deliberation body where the government, industry, academia, and other stakeholders can come together to discuss new development directions suited to the rapidly changing media environment.
KMCC Chair Kim Jong-cheol said, "We will build a basic media society that substantially guarantees everyone the right to participate in media, access it, and choose safe and trustworthy media, and we will vigorously open a new 100 years of broadcasting, media, and communications for the Republic of Korea."
At the briefing held the previous day, the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) said regarding restrictions on youth use of social media (SNS), "We are pushing measures to prevent 'infinite scroll' and 'autoplay' that cause addiction unless there is guardian consent." In response to criticism that the establishment of a transparency center mandated by the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection is being delayed, it noted, "Because the related budget was not included in this year's main budget, we are working to secure about 2.8 billion won through a reserve fund."