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Country guide · Asia-Pacific

Defamation and Online Harassment Laws in South Korea

In South Korea, defamation is both a crime and a civil wrong. The Criminal Act punishes publicly stating facts that damage someone's reputation, even when the facts are true, unless they are true and stated solely in the public interest. Online defamation carries heavier penalties under the Information and Communications Network Act. Civil damages claims fall under the Civil Act and generally must be brought within 3 years of learning of the harm and who caused it.

Reviewed byIsabella Custódio Mesquita
Verified November 1, 2026
12 official sources

Time limit to sue (libel): 3 years
Time limit to sue (slander): 3 years
Criminal defamation: Can be a crime
Anti-SLAPP protection: Limited

This guide is general information about the law in South Korea, checked against the sources listed below on November 1, 2026. It is not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different: for advice on your situation, speak to a qualified lawyer in South Korea.

01Defamation law in South Korea

Where the law comes from

South Korea is a civil law country, so defamation rules are set mainly by statute and applied by the courts. The Criminal Act (Articles 307 to 312) defines the defamation and insult offences. The Civil Act lets victims claim damages for unlawful acts, including harm to reputation, and the Information and Communications Network Act adds rules for content posted online.

Sources1Criminal Act, Arts. 307-312 (English translation, KLRI)2Civil Act, Arts. 750, 751 and 764 (English translation, KLRI)3Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, Arts. 44 and 44-2 (English translation, KLRI)

Is defamation a crime?

Publicly stating facts that damage someone's reputation can lead to up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won, and stating false facts to up to 5 years or a fine of up to 10 million won. Higher limits apply to defamation in newspapers, broadcasts or other publications made with intent to defame. Online, defamation made to disparage someone carries up to 3 years for true facts and up to 7 years or a fine of up to 70 million won for false facts. Public insult is a separate offence punishable by up to 1 year.

Sources4Criminal Act, Arts. 307, 309 and 311 (current Korean text)1Criminal Act, Arts. 307-311 (English translation, KLRI)5Information and Communications Network Act, Art. 70 (current Korean text, as amended by Act No. 21305 of Jan. 6, 2026)

Statute of limitations

Korean law does not separate libel from slander, and there is no special deadline for defamation claims. The general tort rule applies: a damages claim expires 3 years after the victim learns of the harm and of who caused it, and in any case 10 years after the act.

Source2Civil Act, Art. 766 (English translation, KLRI)

Defamation per se

There is no defamation per se category. Instead, the Civil Act lets a court award compensation for non-financial harm to a person's reputation or for mental distress. For loss caused by unlawful or false information spread online after a 2026 amendment took effect in July 2026, a court that accepts that harm occurred but finds the exact amount very hard to prove may set damages of up to 50 million won.

Sources2Civil Act, Art. 751 (English translation, KLRI)5Information and Communications Network Act, Art. 44-10(2) and Addendum to Act No. 21305 (Jan. 6, 2026), Arts. 1-2 (current Korean text)

Anti-SLAPP protection

There is no general anti-SLAPP law. A 2026 amendment to the Network Act lets courts award up to 5 times the proven loss against certain high-reach professional publishers who knowingly spread unlawful or false information, but it bars these enhanced-damages lawsuits when they are filed to obstruct legitimate criticism in the public interest. A defendant can ask for an interim ruling, which the court must issue within 60 days, and if the claim is dismissed on this ground the plaintiff's costs include the defendant's full attorney fees.

Source5Information and Communications Network Act, Arts. 44-10(3) and 44-11 (current Korean text)

Retraction and correction

A person harmed by an untrue factual report in the press can ask the outlet for a correction within 3 months of learning of the report, and no later than 6 months after it was published. The outlet must reply within 3 days and, if it accepts, publish the correction within 7 days of the request. The same law gives rights of reply and of follow-up reporting after an acquittal, and disputes can go to the Press Arbitration Commission for mediation. Courts can also order measures to restore a victim's reputation, but ordering a published apology under this rule was held unconstitutional in 1991.

Sources6Act on Press Arbitration and Damage Remedies, Arts. 14-18 (current Korean text)7Act on Press Arbitration and Damage Remedies (English translation, KLRI)2Civil Act, Art. 764 and note on Constitutional Court decision 89Hun-Ma160 (English translation, KLRI)

Defenses and public figures

Truth alone is not a complete defence to criminal defamation: a true statement escapes punishment only if it was made solely in the public interest. For press reports, there is no liability if the report concerned the public interest and was true or there were good reasons to believe it was true, and a similar defence applies to the 2026 online damages rules. The defamation offences require a statement of fact, but a public insult with no factual claim can still be prosecuted as a separate crime.

Sources1Criminal Act, Arts. 307, 310 and 311 (English translation, KLRI)6Act on Press Arbitration and Damage Remedies, Art. 5(2) (current Korean text)5Information and Communications Network Act, Art. 44-10(7) (current Korean text)

02Online harassment, cyberstalking and doxxing in South Korea

Cyberstalking

The Stalking Punishment Act covers unwanted conduct that causes anxiety or fear, including sending messages, images or video through phone or online networks, and pretending to be the victim online using their name, photo or other details. Doing this repeatedly or continuously is a crime punishable by up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won, or up to 5 years if a weapon is involved.

Sources8Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking, Arts. 2 and 18 (English translation, KLRI)9Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking, Arts. 2 and 18 (current Korean text)

Online harassment

Under the Network Act, it is an offence to repeatedly send someone online messages, sounds, images or video that cause fear or anxiety. The penalty is up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won, and prosecutors cannot proceed against the victim's clearly stated wishes.

Sources3Information and Communications Network Act, Arts. 44-7(1)(3) and 74(1)(3) (English translation, KLRI)5Information and Communications Network Act, Art. 74 (current Korean text)

Doxxing

The Stalking Punishment Act treats sharing, distributing or posting a person's personal information or location data online, against their will and in a way that causes fear or anxiety, as a stalking act. Doing this repeatedly or continuously is punishable as a stalking crime.

Sources8Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking, Art. 2(1)(f) (English translation, KLRI)9Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking, Art. 2 (current Korean text)

Intimate images shared without consent

Filming someone's body in a sexual way against their will, or distributing such images against the person's will, is punishable by up to 7 years in prison, even if the person agreed to the filming at the time. Creating or spreading sexual deepfakes of a real person against their will carries the same maximum penalty. Possessing, buying, saving or viewing illegally filmed images is also a crime (added in 2020, and extended to sexual deepfakes in 2024), and using such images to threaten someone carries at least 1 year in prison.

Sources10Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, Arts. 14, 14-2 and 14-3 (current Korean text)11Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (English translation, KLRI)

03Data protection and the right to have content removed

Under the Personal Information Protection Act, people can ask an organisation holding their personal information to correct or delete it, and to stop processing it, subject to exceptions set by law, such as when another law requires the data to be kept. Separately, anyone whose privacy or reputation is harmed by public online content can ask the service provider to delete it or post a rebuttal; if the provider cannot judge the dispute, it can block access temporarily for up to 30 days.

Sources12Personal Information Protection Act, Arts. 36 and 37 (English translation, KLRI)3Information and Communications Network Act, Art. 44-2 (English translation, KLRI)

04How to remove defamatory content in South Korea

How to remove defamatory content in South Korea

A lawsuit is one route, but it is slow, costly and public. Much harmful content can come down sooner through the platform’s own reporting process, a legal notice to the site owner or host, or a removal request to search engines. The right route depends on where the content lives and on the law that applies to it.

Media Removal reviews each case and recommends the fastest route that fits it. Removal always depends on each platform and, where relevant, the courts.

How to report defamation on social media

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05Frequently asked questions about defamation in South Korea

Is defamation a crime in South Korea?

Yes. Under the Criminal Act, publicly stating facts that harm someone's reputation can be a crime even when the facts are true, unless they are true and stated solely in the public interest. Spreading false facts, or defaming someone online with intent to disparage them, carries heavier maximum penalties.

How long do you have to sue for defamation in South Korea?

A civil damages claim generally has to be brought within 3 years of learning about the harm and who caused it. It is barred in any case 10 years after the defamatory act.

Can I get defamatory posts removed from a website in South Korea?

Under the Network Act, you can ask the service provider to delete the content or publish a rebuttal, explaining how your rights were harmed. The provider must take the necessary steps without delay and can block access temporarily for up to 30 days if it cannot tell whether your rights were violated. Whether content is finally removed depends on the provider and, if it comes to that, the courts.

Is sharing intimate images or sexual deepfakes illegal in South Korea?

Yes. Distributing intimate images or sexual deepfakes against the person's will can lead to up to 7 years in prison. Possessing or viewing illegally filmed intimate images has been a crime since 2020, and the same has applied to sexual deepfakes since 2024.

How do I get a newspaper to correct a false story in South Korea?

You can send the outlet a written correction request within 3 months of learning of the report, and no later than 6 months after it was published. If there is a dispute, either side can apply to the Press Arbitration Commission for mediation.

06Defamation laws in nearby countries