South Korean law targeting ‘fake news’ takes effect, but journalists say it discourages critical reporting and can lead to self-censorship

South Korea enforced a law allowing punitive damages against news outlets and social media influencers for spreading false information, prompting concerns from journalists and civil liberties groups about self-censorship and restricted critical reporting. The law permits fines of up to 1 billion won for repeat violations and mandates content removal by large social media platforms upon reporting false information.