청소년 보호법 (Youth Protection Act), Article 16, age and identity verification for youth-harmful media
In force
청소년 보호법 (Youth Protection Act, Act No. 21277, most recently amended 2025-12-30, effective 2026-07-01), Art. 16; verification duty introduced by the amendment of Act No. 6479 (2001), renumbered by the 2011 whole amendment
Effective 2001-08-25 · Applies to private
Requires anyone who sells, rents, distributes or otherwise provides media designated as harmful to youth (Korean: 청소년유해매체물) to verify the recipient's age and identity, using in-person confirmation, a certified digital certificate, or mobile phone carrier authentication, and prohibits providing such media to anyone under 19. The verification duty dates to the 2001 amendment (Act No. 6479, effective 25 August 2001) and sits in Article 16 of the wholly amended Act. Commercial violations carry criminal penalties under Article 58.
| Age threshold | 19 |
| Verification methods | gov id, digital id, third party service |
| Penalties | Up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30,000,000 Korean won for commercial provision to a minor without verification, plus per-violation administrative fines |
| Enforcement body | Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (여성가족부) and the Youth Protection Committee, with criminal enforcement by police and prosecutors |
| Private suits | no |
Source: 청소년 보호법 (Youth Protection Act, Act No. 21277, most recently amended 2025-12-30, effective 2026-07-01), Art. 16; verification duty introduced by the amendment of Act No. 6479 (2001), renumbered by the 2011 whole amendment
청소년 보호법 (former) Article 26, mandatory online game curfew (shutdown system), repealed
Repealed
청소년 보호법 (Youth Protection Act) former Art. 26, repealed by Act No. 18550 (promulgated 2021-12-07)
Effective 2011-11-20 · Applies to private
Formerly barred online game providers from offering internet games to anyone under 16 between midnight and 6 a.m., commonly called the shutdown system or Cinderella law. The National Assembly passed the repeal on 2021-11-11, the repeal was promulgated as Act No. 18550 on 2021-12-07, and it took effect on 2022-01-01, unifying game-time control into the parental-choice Game Time Selection System under the Game Industry Promotion Act.
| Age threshold | 16 |
| Enforcement body | Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (여성가족부) |
| Private suits | no |
Source: 청소년 보호법 (Youth Protection Act) former Art. 26, repealed by Act No. 18550 (promulgated 2021-12-07)
게임산업진흥에 관한 법률 (Game Industry Promotion Act), Article 12-3, Game Time Selection System
In force
게임산업진흥에 관한 법률 (Game Industry Promotion Act, Act No. 20485, amended 2024-10-22), Art. 12-3
Effective 2012-01-22 · Applies to private
Lets a minor under 18 or the minor's legal guardian request that an online game provider restrict the minor's game access to specific hours or a set daily duration, and requires the game provider to comply with the requested restriction. Since the parallel mandatory overnight shutdown system was repealed effective January 1, 2022, this parental-choice system is the sole statutory game-time control for minors.
| Age threshold | 18 |
| Verification methods | parental consent, self declaration |
| Enforcement body | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (문화체육관광부) |
| Private suits | no |
Source: 게임산업진흥에 관한 법률 (Game Industry Promotion Act, Act No. 20485, amended 2024-10-22), Art. 12-3