The Government of the Republic of Korea confirmed the Republic of Korea Artificial Intelligence Ethics Principles on 21 August 2026, and the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the instrument jointly with the Korea Information Society Development Institute on 24 August 2026. The Principles were adopted as a joint interagency instrument following deliberation at the twelfth Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting. They are non-binding guidance rather than legislation, and they replace the National Artificial Intelligence Ethics Standards adopted in 2020.
The instrument sets out three values and seven principles. The three values are human dignity, the public good of society, and the sustainability of humanity. The seven principles are human-centeredness, privacy protection, fairness and inclusivity, accountability, safety, trustworthiness, and transparency. The Principles are addressed to developers, deployers and users of artificial intelligence systems and to government bodies, and they operate as a common reference point for voluntary practice rather than as an enforceable standard carrying sanctions.
Artificial intelligence developers and service operators in Korea gain a stated government position against which internal governance policies, model documentation and risk assessments can be aligned. Public sector bodies procuring or deploying artificial intelligence systems have a reference for procurement conditions and internal review. Foreign providers supplying artificial intelligence products into the Korean market should expect Korean counterparties and public purchasers to test contractual representations and assurance documentation against the seven principles, even though no penalty attaches to the Principles themselves.
No sanction follows from non-compliance, and the Principles create no cause of action. The government has stated that implementation will proceed through interpretive guides, sector-specific self-assessment checklists and education materials, none of which had been issued at the date of announcement. The relationship between the Principles and binding Korean statutory obligations applicable to artificial intelligence systems is not resolved in the text, and the sequencing of the promised sector guidance has not been published.
Licentium advises artificial intelligence developers, deployers and platform operators on regulatory and governance obligations across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States. We can assess how the Republic of Korea Artificial Intelligence Ethics Principles interact with your existing governance documentation and Korean market entry plans, and can connect you with Korean regulatory specialists through our partner network. Work we undertake includes artificial intelligence governance policy drafting, model documentation and assurance review, cross-border regulatory mapping for artificial intelligence products, procurement and contractual representation review, and strategic advisory on engagement with Korean and other Asian regulators.