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Fines on illegal spam senders increased up to 6 percent of sales, also includes carriers

Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 16:48

Kim Jong-cheol, chair of the Korea Media Communications Commission, speaking during an event held in Seoul on March 20. [YONHAP]

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a revised communication law to impose fines of up to 6 percent of relevant sales on illegal spam senders, as well as on mobile carriers that fail to properly prevent them, the media watchdog said.

The revision to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection will additionally confiscate proceeds from illegal activities on top of such fines, according to the Korea Media Communications Commission (KMCC).

The revision came amid criticism that the previous regulation only imposed fines of up to 30 million won ($199,000) on spam senders, raising concerns that the level of punishment was too low compared to the gains from such illegal activities.

New fines will be applied to mobile carriers that have failed to properly prevent such activities, it added.

The KMCC said it plans to draw up a relevant enforcement decree and meet with experts to set a detailed scope for imposing fines.

“The revision is expected to ease public inconvenience caused by illegal spam messages and prevent potential damage,” KMCC Chair Kim Jong-cheol said in a release.

“The government will continue efforts to create a safe, free and vibrant digital service environment,” Kim added.

Yonhap