South Korea Enacts Landmark AI Law, Second Only to EU

By Choonsik Yoo ( January 21, 2026, 04:25 GMT | Insight) -- South Korea confirmed Wednesday that its landmark AI Basic Act will enter into force Thursday, alongside enforcement decrees and sub-rules aimed at operationalizing the law. The framework positions South Korea as the second jurisdiction after the EU to adopt a comprehensive AI regime, establishing national AI governance while promoting industry growth, infrastructure, and a safety-and-trust framework. The government will grant a regulatory grace period of at least one year for fact-finding investigations and administrative fines, while setting up an AI Framework Act Support Desk to help businesses prepare for compliance.South Korea confirmed Wednesday that the landmark AI Basic Act will enter into full force on Thursday, as planned, along with the enforcement decree and several sub-rules to complement the law’s main provisions, as the country doubles down on various initiatives to become a global AI leader.... Prepare for tomorrow’s regulatory change, today MLex identifies risk to business wherever it emerges, with specialist reporters across the globe providing exclusive news and deep-dive analysis on the proposals, probes, enforcement actions and rulings that matter to your organization and clients, now and in the longer term. Know what others in the room don’t, with features including: Daily newsletters for Antitrust, M&A, Trade, Data Privacy & Security, Technology, AI and more Custom alerts on specific filters including geographies, industries, topics and companies to suit your practice needs Predictive analysis from expert journalists across North America, the UK and Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific Curated case files bringing together news, analysis and source documents in a single timeline Experience MLex today with a 14-day free trial.