Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of a Foundation for Trust
Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of a Foundation for Trust (AI Basic Act, Act No. 20676)
Korea's AI Basic Act is a comprehensive framework statute combining industrial promotion with trust and safety rules. It gives a legal basis for a national AI master plan every three years and the National AI Committee, supports R&D, data, standardisation and SMEs, and imposes duties on operators of high-impact AI (risk management, explanation, human oversight) and transparency duties to notify users of generative AI output. Foreign operators above a threshold must designate a domestic representative. It was promulgated in January 2025 and took effect on 22 January 2026 after a one-year grace period.