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Country tracker · Asia-Pacific · 40 countries, one method

AI in South Korea

How far South Korea has come on AI, and how complete its AI rulebook is: two scores, six lenses, every law linked to its official text.
40.6% of people aged 15–64 used a generative AI product in Q2 2026, up from 25.9% in H1 2025; #12 of the 147 economies Microsoft tracks. Its strongest lens is Research (#3 of 40) and its weakest Adoption (#30). On AI law, a national AI law with duties for companies and penalties.
Follow South KoreaAI law in South Korea
#8 of 40 on Progress89/100 Rulebook5 verified laws and rulesChecked 21 Oct 2026
In the Record’s memory12 dated events since January 2023, by month and kind. Darker means busier; choose a square to see those events.
See all 12 in the ledger →
Laws and rules12

South Korea through six lenses

How the scores work →
The same six lenses, in the same order, on every country page. Each shows its lead number, the rank among the countries the source covers, and every indicator behind the lens score. 14 of 17 indicators measure South Korea.
01Adoption#30 of 40
How widely are people and firms using AI?
40.6%
share of people aged 15–64 who used generative AI, Q2 2026
H1 2025Q2 2026
Lens score39
03Research#3 of 40
Does it build AI and its science?
23
notable AI models, 2003–2025
Lens score75
05Infrastructure#5 of 40
Does it have the machines?
6,286
H100-equivalents of known AI supercomputer capacity in operation, Oct 2026
Lens score50

AI law in South Korea

How to check a law →

South Korea's AI Basic Act and its Enforcement Decree took effect on 22 January 2026; the science ministry says fines will generally be deferred for at least one year.

Comprehensive AI lawA national AI law with duties for companies and penalties.
  1. In forceLaw · bindingAdopted 21 Jan 2025 · In force from 22 Jan 2026

    Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust (AI Basic Act), Act No. 20676

    High-impact AI duties (risk management, explanation, human oversight), notice and labelling for generative AI and deepfakes, safety duties above a compute threshold, domestic representative for large foreign providers.

    Penalty up to KRW 30m (administrative fine); fines suspended during a grace period of at least one year
    Official text Independent check Confidence: high
  2. In forceRegulation · bindingAdopted 20 Jan 2026 · In force from 22 Jan 2026

    Enforcement Decree of the AI Basic Act

    Sets thresholds and procedures: high-impact AI criteria, labelling methods, a 10^26 FLOP training-compute threshold for safety duties, and domestic-representative triggers (KRW 1tn total revenue, KRW 10bn AI-service revenue or 1m average daily users).

    Official text Independent check Confidence: high
  3. In forceLaw · bindingAdopted 26 Sep 2024 · In force from Oct 2024

    Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes amendment (sexual deepfakes)

    Criminalises possessing, buying, storing or viewing sexually explicit deepfakes; raises the maximum sentence for creating them to seven years.

    Penalty up to 3 years' imprisonment or KRW 30m fine for possession/viewing
    Official text Independent check Confidence: high
  4. In forceLaw · bindingAdopted 14 Mar 2023 · In force from 15 Mar 2024

    Personal Information Protection Act, Article 37-2 (rights on automated decisions)

    Data subjects may refuse, or ask for an explanation or review of, fully automated decisions that significantly affect their rights; controllers must disclose criteria and procedures. Refusal is limited where the decision was disclosed in advance via consent, contract or law.

    Official text Independent check Confidence: high
  5. In forceLaw · bindingAdopted 28 Dec 2023 · In force from 29 Jan 2024

    Public Official Election Act, Article 82-8 (deepfake campaign material)

    Bans realistic AI-generated campaign videos, images and audio in the 90 days before election day; outside that window such material must be labelled as AI-generated.

    Penalty imprisonment up to 7 years or fine of KRW 10m-50m
    Official text Independent check Confidence: high

The Rulebook score, line by line

What each line means →
89 of 100. Each line names the law or body that earns its points.
  1. Binding AI rulesAn AI law with enforceable duties on companies applies now · AI Basic Act35/35
  2. A national AI strategy, adopted or updated since 2022See Institutions8/8
  3. A body named to oversee or enforce AI rulesAI Basic Act6/6
  4. An AI safety or evaluation instituteSee Institutions6/6
  5. A right to challenge automated decisions, in forcePersonal Information Protection Act, Article 37-2 (rights on automated…12/12
  6. Rules on AI-generated content: labels or deepfake offences, in forceAI Basic Act13/13
  7. International AI governance initiatives endorsed (of 8)6 of 8. Source: AI governance initiatives by country9/12
  8. Council of Europe AI Convention: signed 5, ratified 8Not signed0/8

The record

What gets an entry →
Every dated step: laws adopted and coming into force, and each reading of AI use. Newest first; future dates are marked.
  1. 30 Jun 2026AdoptionAI user share reached 40.6%, from 37.1% in Q1 2026Share of people aged 15–64 who used a generative AI product, Q2 2026.Independent estimateSource →
  2. 31 Mar 2026AdoptionAI user share reached 37.1%, from 30.7% in H2 2025Share of people aged 15–64 who used a generative AI product, Q1 2026.Independent estimateSource →
  3. 22 Jan 2026LawsAI Basic Act came into forceOfficial sourceSource →
  4. 22 Jan 2026LawsEnforcement Decree of the AI Basic Act came into forceOfficial sourceSource →
  5. 20 Jan 2026LawsEnforcement Decree of the AI Basic Act adoptedSets thresholds and procedures: high-impact AI criteria, labelling methods, a 10^26 FLOP training-compute threshold for safety duties, and domestic-representative triggers (KRW 1tn total revenue, KRW 10bn AI-service reve…Official sourceSource →
  6. 31 Dec 2025AdoptionAI user share reached 30.7%, from 25.9% in H1 2025Share of people aged 15–64 who used a generative AI product, H2 2025.Independent estimateSource →
  7. 21 Jan 2025LawsAI Basic Act adoptedHigh-impact AI duties (risk management, explanation, human oversight), notice and labelling for generative AI and deepfakes, safety duties above a compute threshold, domestic representative for large foreign providers.Official sourceSource →
  8. Oct 2024LawsAct on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes amendment… came into forceOfficial sourceSource →
  9. 26 Sep 2024LawsAct on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes amendment… adoptedCriminalises possessing, buying, storing or viewing sexually explicit deepfakes; raises the maximum sentence for creating them to seven years.Official sourceSource →
  10. 15 Mar 2024LawsPersonal Information Protection Act, Article 37-2 (rights on automated… came into forceOfficial sourceSource →
  11. 29 Jan 2024LawsPublic Official Election Act, Article 82-8 (deepfake campaign material) came into forceOfficial sourceSource →
  12. 28 Dec 2023LawsPublic Official Election Act, Article 82-8 (deepfake campaign material) adoptedBans realistic AI-generated campaign videos, images and audio in the 90 days before election day; outside that window such material must be labelled as AI-generated.Official sourceSource →
  13. 14 Mar 2023LawsPersonal Information Protection Act, Article 37-2 (rights on automated… adoptedData subjects may refuse, or ask for an explanation or review of, fully automated decisions that significantly affect their rights; controllers must disclose criteria and procedures. Refusal is limited where the decision…Official sourceSource →

How people in South Korea see AI

Public opinion on AI →
Survey results, not scored. They show the mood that new AI rules land in.
67%say AI products have more benefits than drawbacks, 2025+5 points since 2022Ipsos, 2022–25 →46%trust their government to regulate AI responsibly2025Ipsos →46%of employees say they trust AI at work54% use itUniversity of Melbourne and KPMG International →

South Korea beside its peers

All 40 countries →
The two Progress leaders and the countries nearest to South Korea in its region. A dash means no source measures that lens for the country.
MeasureSouth KoreaUnited StatesChinaIndiaSingaporeJapan
Progressfive lenses, 0–10049#877#174#251#653#441#11
Adoptionlens score395656727723
Talentlens score3152—616518
Researchlens score758983174953
Investmentlens score5110074585049
Infrastructurelens score508883472762
Rulebook0–100897484344057
AI user shareQ2 2026 · Microsoft40.6%33.0%17.5%18.5%64.3%24.7%
Approach to AI lawComprehensive AI lawState laws, no federal AI statuteBinding rules by use caseExisting regulators, no AI statuteExisting regulators, no AI statutePromotion law, no penalties

More of Asia-Pacific

Every country →
India51Progress34RulebookExisting regulators, no AI statuteOpen tracker →China74Progress84RulebookBinding rules by use caseOpen tracker →Japan41Progress57RulebookPromotion law, no penaltiesOpen tracker →Taiwan18Progress53RulebookPromotion law, no penaltiesOpen tracker →Vietnam10Progress43RulebookComprehensive AI lawOpen tracker →
Malaysia10Progress11RulebookStrategy and guidance
Singapore53Progress40RulebookExisting regulators, no AI statuteOpen tracker →Indonesia13Progress36RulebookStrategy and guidanceOpen tracker →Australia37Progress44RulebookExisting regulators, no AI statuteOpen tracker →New Zealand11Progress14RulebookStrategy and guidanceOpen tracker →

Check AI-law news yourself

All our data sources →
Every law on these pages links to its official text and to an independent check. These are the registers and trackers we use, with what each is good for. A headline about a new AI law is real when the official register shows it.
Official registers8
Law and policy trackers4
  • OECD.AI Policy Navigator (formerly National AI Policies & Strategies database; GAIIN)OECDNational AI policy initiatives (strategies, governance bodies, funding, regulation) by jurisdictionUse it for Use as primary verification source for 'national AI strategy exists / date' and governance bodies; link each country page to its OECD.AI country profile
  • IAPP Global AI Law and Policy TrackerIAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals)AI laws, policies, national strategies and responsible authorities per jurisdictionUse it for Cite as a secondary legal cross-check; link out; do not reproduce
  • Council of Europe Framework Convention (CETS 225) treaty chartCouncil of Europe Treaty Office · Live chart (see coe_convention block)Signature and ratification status of the first binding international AI treatyUse it for Primary source for a 'CoE AI Convention: signed / ratified' field per country
  • Digital Policy AlertDigital Policy Alert (St.Gallen Endowment for Prosperity through Trade) · ContinuousEvent-level tracker of digital policy changes incl. AI rules, by jurisdictionUse it for Use as verification source for law-stage changes; model aiadoption.org's country timeline on its event structure
Country indices11
  • Stanford HAI AI Index Report + Global AI Vibrancy ToolStanford Institute for Human-Centered AIAnnual state-of-AI report; Vibrancy Tool ranks national AI ecosystems (R&D, economy, policy, talent, infrastructure, public opinion, etc.)Use it for Reuse individual underlying indicators (with attribution) rather than the composite; link to Vibrancy Tool for each covered country
  • Tortoise Global AI IndexTortoise MediaNational AI capacity: investment, innovation, implementationUse it for Link out and quote rank with attribution only; do not reuse scores
  • Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index 2025Oxford InsightsWhether governments can harness AI for the public goodUse it for Cite as a verification source for governance/policy-capacity; reuse rank with attribution for countries lacking other data
  • Microsoft Global AI Diffusion Report (AI user share)Microsoft (AI Economy Institute / On the Issues)AI user share: % of working-age population (15-64) using generative AI products in the periodUse it for Reuse the per-country AI user share as the core 'adoption' metric with attribution and vintage label; flag method breaks
  • IMF AI Preparedness Index (AIPI)International Monetary Fund · June 2024 (released 25 June 2024); no later update foundMacro-structural readiness to adopt AIUse it for Use as background 'structural readiness' component only; label vintage 2024
  • Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI)Global Center on AI GovernanceGovernment commitments and implementation evidence for responsible AIUse it for Cite as verification source for responsible-AI governance; adopt its framework-vs-implementation distinction in aiadoption.org's law status pills
  • AI Safety / Security Institutes network (NAAIMES)Member governments; UK AI Security Institute as coordinatorMembership of the international network of AI safety/evaluation institutesUse it for Field 'has national AI evaluation institute (year)' per country; see safety_institutes block
  • Carnegie Endowment (AI governance research, e.g. China AI safety institute work)Carnegie Endowment for International Peace · Ongoing researchQualitative country analysis of AI governanceUse it for Cite for country narrative paragraphs
  • Brookings: How are countries evaluating AI models?Brookings Institution · Article (date not confirmed)Comparative analysis of national AI evaluation institutesUse it for Cite in safety-institute methodology notes
  • Anthropic Economic Index - geographic report (Anthropic AI Usage Index)AnthropicClaude usage per capita relative to working-age population by country (AUI), plus task mixUse it for Use as secondary adoption metric beside Microsoft; triangulate, never sole sourceLink not yet opened by us
  • Epoch AI dataEpoch AI · ContinuousNotable models, training compute, GPU clusters/data centres by countryUse it for Reuse 'notable models by country' and 'AI supercomputers by country' with attributionLink not yet opened by us
Research and safety4
  • CSET (Center for Security and Emerging Technology)Georgetown University · OngoingData-driven research on AI talent, investment, compute, policy (incl. ETO tools such as AGORA AI governance document set)Use it for Cite AGORA for law-text links; reuse open datasets with attributionLink not yet opened by us
  • International AI Safety ReportExpert panel chaired by Yoshua Bengio, UK-backed secretariat · 2026 edition expected/early 2026 (not verified)Scientific synthesis of general-purpose AI capabilities and risksUse it for Cite in methodology for why safety institutes/evaluation capacity are scored; list which countries sit on the panelLink not yet opened by us
  • Our World in Data - Artificial IntelligenceOur World in Data (Global Change Data Lab) · ContinuousCharts republishing AI data (investment, models, patents, public opinion) by countryUse it for Model chart UX on OWID; reuse CC BY datasets with attributionLink not yet opened by us
  • Artificial AnalysisArtificial Analysis · ContinuousModel benchmarks, price and speed; includes model origin by countryUse it for Use for 'frontier models produced by country' cross-check; citeLink not yet opened by us

How the scores work

Two scores, never added together. Download every score and indicator (CSV).

Progress, 0–100

  1. Five lenses, same for everyone. Adoption, Talent, Research, Investment and Infrastructure. Each lens is the average of its indicators; Progress is the average of the lenses.
  2. Only published numbers. Each indicator is a chart on AI Adoption with its source and CSV, or a public dataset linked on the page (Microsoft AI Diffusion, Epoch AI GPU Clusters).
  3. Scaled so outliers do not swamp the rest. Money, models and compute use a log scale on which the leader scores 100; shares and rates use the range of countries the source covers.
  4. Gaps stay gaps. A source that does not cover a country leaves a dash, never a guess. A country below a source's top-15 list scores 0 on that indicator, and the page says so. The coverage flag shows how many of the 17 indicators measure the country.

Rulebook, 0–100

How complete and binding a country's AI rules are. It does not grade whether the rules are good, strict or lenient. Points come only from laws we have verified against an official source.

Binding AI rulesup to 35
  • An AI law with enforceable duties on companies applies now35
  • Enforceable rules on AI systems apply, but only in part of the country26
  • An AI law with enforceable duties is enacted; its duties start later26
  • A national AI law is in force, but it sets no penalties for companies20
  • An AI bill or official draft is before the legislature or out for consultation10
  • No AI-specific law, bill or official draft0
Institutions, safeguards, international65
  • A national AI strategy, adopted or updated since 20228
  • A body named to oversee or enforce AI rules6
  • An AI safety or evaluation institute6
  • A right to challenge automated decisions, in force12
  • Rules on AI-generated content: labels or deepfake offences, in force13
  • International AI governance initiatives endorsed (of 8)12
  • Council of Europe AI Convention: signed 5, ratified 88
Disclosure: AI Adoption uses AI tools in its research and editorial work. No government, company or lobby group has any say in a country's scores or its law register, and the same rules apply to every country. Editorial standards · Data sources · Corrections
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