Law note · South Korea
청소년 보호법 (Youth Protection Act), Article 16, age and identity verification for youth-harmful media
cite 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
stage IN FORCE in force since 2001-08-25
reviewed 2026-07-15
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.
Primary source: official consolidated text, Korea National Law Information Center (law.go.kr)