South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics

South Korea (KISO — self-regulatory)

v2009 (updated regularly)

18 domains

47 controls

The Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics, established in 2009, is a self-regulatory framework for major South Korean internet platforms. Members include Naver, Kakao, and other leading Korean internet companies. KISO reviews content moderation decisions, provides policy recommendations, and establishes industry standards for online content governance. The Code covers search result fairness, content moderation transparency, user privacy, and platform responsibility. KISO operates alongside statutory regulation by the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) under the Information and Communications Network Act.

Verified

South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics is a compliance framework from South Korea (KISO — self-regulatory) with 18 domains and 47 controls that map to 94 other frameworks. The largest domains are KISO Code Chapter 3: Content Standards and Youth Protection (5 controls), KISO Code Chapter 1: General Provisions (4 controls), KISO Code Chapter 2: Freedom of Expression (4 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.

Maintained by Gerard BlokdykVerified against the published standard 31 May 2026Control text last updated 21 May 2026

Framework summaries on this platform are AI-assisted interpretations for educational and compliance planning purposes. They do not reproduce or replace the official standards. Refer to the authoritative source for the definitive text. Framework names and trademarks belong to their respective organisations.

Framework Domains (18)

Advertising and Misinformation

2 controls

Controls in the Advertising and Misinformation domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 2 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.8.1	Advertising and Sponsored Content Disclosure	Advertising and sponsored content must be clearly distinguishable from editorial and user content. Disclosure must be pr...
KISO.8.2	Misinformation Mitigation	Members must apply proportionate measures to reduce the spread of demonstrably false information that may cause serious...

Content Categories and Safeguards

3 controls

Controls in the Content Categories and Safeguards domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 3 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.3.1	Anonymous and Pseudonymous Content Handling	Members must apply consistent handling rules to anonymous and pseudonymous posts, including provisions for identifying u...
KISO.3.2	Sensitive Content Categories	Categories including child sexual abuse material, illegal drug content, gambling promotion, and violent extremism must b...
KISO.3.3	Suicide and Self Harm Content Safeguards	Members must apply safeguards to content promoting or detailing self harm or suicide, including content warnings, helpli...

Content Moderation

1 controls

Controls in the Content Moderation domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 1 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISOSELF-1	Content Moderation Policy and Process	Per South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics: Content Moderation Policy and Process...

Elections and Manipulated Media

2 controls

Controls in the Elections and Manipulated Media domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 2 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.5.1	Election Period and Political Content	During declared election periods, members must apply additional review to political content, prevent unlawful electionee...
KISO.5.2	Deepfake and Manipulated Media Handling	Synthetic or manipulated media depicting real individuals must be labeled where feasible and removed when intended to de...

Governance, Appeals and Transparency

3 controls

Controls in the Governance, Appeals and Transparency domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 3 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.7.1	KISO Policy Committee Referrals	Members may refer difficult decisions to the KISO Policy Committee for advisory opinions and must consider the outcomes...
KISO.7.2	Transparency Reporting	Members must publish a transparency report covering volumes of takedown requests, government requests, sensitive content...
KISO.7.3	User Appeal and External Review	Users affected by content decisions must have an internal appeal route and, where unresolved, the ability to seek extern...

Hate Speech and Harassment

2 controls

Controls in the Hate Speech and Harassment domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 2 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.6.1	Hate Speech and Discrimination	Content that incites hatred or discrimination on the basis of protected attributes must be removed or restricted in line...
KISO.6.2	Cyberbullying and Online Harassment Response	Members must provide tools for users to block harassers, report patterns of abuse, and request escalated review of repea...

KISO Code Chapter 1: General Provisions

4 controls

Controls in the KISO Code Chapter 1: General Provisions domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 3 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO-1.1	Purpose	Establish self-regulatory standards ensuring internet operators enhance users' freedom of expression while increasing us...
KISO-1.2	Scope of application	Applies to member internet platform companies including Naver, DaumKakao, SK Communications, KT, and Afreeca TV
KISO-1.4	Fundamental principles	Core principles of freedom of expression, user responsibility, and trustworthy information communication space

KISO Code Chapter 2: Freedom of Expression

4 controls

Controls in the KISO Code Chapter 2: Freedom of Expression domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 4 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO-2.1	Respect for freedom of expression	Internet operators shall respect and protect users' freedom of expression in online spaces
KISO-2.2	Minimal restriction principle	Content restrictions shall be applied minimally and only when clearly justified by law or ethical standards
KISO-2.3	Transparency in content moderation	Content moderation decisions shall be transparent with clear criteria communicated to users
KISO-2.4	Creators' freedom of expression	Respect for creators' freedom of expression as a foundational principle in content governance

KISO Code Chapter 3: Content Standards and Youth Protection

5 controls

Controls in the KISO Code Chapter 3: Content Standards and Youth Protection domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 5 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO-3.1	Harmful content standards	Standards for identifying and addressing harmful content including hate speech and inappropriate expressions
KISO-3.2	Prevention of harm from hate speech	Measures to prevent harm caused by hate speech while respecting freedom of expression
KISO-3.3	Youth protection	Standards for protecting minors from harmful or inappropriate online content
KISO-3.4	Search result self-regulation	Self-regulatory guidelines for search result presentation and search term filtering
KISO-3.5	Story-based content guidelines	Self-regulation guidelines for webtoons, web novels, and other story-based content platforms

KISO Code Chapter 4: User Protection and Participation

4 controls

Controls in the KISO Code Chapter 4: User Protection and Participation domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 4 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO-4.1	User data protection	Internet operators shall protect user personal information and data privacy
KISO-4.2	User responsibility promotion	Promoting user responsibility for content they create and share on internet platforms
KISO-4.3	Voluntary user participation	Expanding voluntary participation by creators and users in content governance
KISO-4.4	Pursuit of social diversity	Encouraging diversity of viewpoints and promoting social diversity in online discourse

KISO Code Chapter 5: Governance and Committees

4 controls

Controls in the KISO Code Chapter 5: Governance and Committees domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 4 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO-5.1	Policy Decision Committee	Committee responsible for developing self-regulatory policies on posts, search terms, and content standards
KISO-5.2	Verification Committee	Committee that verifies the appropriateness of content handling decisions by member companies
KISO-5.3	Board of Directors governance	Board of directors composed of funding member companies approving business plans and strategic direction
KISO-5.4	Appeals and dispute resolution	Process for appealing content moderation decisions and resolving disputes between stakeholders

KISO Code Chapter 6: Emerging Technology and Social Responsibility

3 controls

Controls in the KISO Code Chapter 6: Emerging Technology and Social Responsibility domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 3 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO-6.1	AI and chatbot ethics guidelines	Ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence and chatbot implementations by member companies
KISO-6.2	New technology policy research	Research on policies for new technologies including AI, blockchain, and emerging internet services
KISO-6.3	Social responsibility of operators	Internet operators fulfilling social responsibilities in user protection and responsible innovation

Membership and User Rights

2 controls

Controls in the Membership and User Rights domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 2 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.1.1	Membership and Code Adoption	Online intermediaries that join KISO must formally adopt the Code of Ethics and align internal policies on user generate...
KISO.1.2	User Rights and Public Interest Balancing	Member services must balance user freedom of expression against the rights of third parties and the public interest, wit...

Protection of Minors

2 controls

Controls in the Protection of Minors domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 2 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.4.1	Minor Protection and Age Verification	Services likely to be accessed by minors must implement age appropriate measures including content filtering, parental i...
KISO.4.2	Harmful Information for Minors	Information classified as harmful for minors must be marked with the appropriate restriction symbol and made inaccessibl...

Reporting and Access Restriction

3 controls

Controls in the Reporting and Access Restriction domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 3 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.2.1	Defamation and Rights Infringement Reporting Channel	Members must operate an accessible reporting channel for defamation and rights infringement claims, allowing users and t...
KISO.2.2	Temporary Access Restriction Process	Upon receiving a credible rights infringement claim, the member may impose a temporary access restriction of up to 30 da...
KISO.2.3	Counter Notice and Restoration	Where the author objects to a restriction and the member cannot confirm rights infringement, content must be restored. D...

Staff Training and Wellbeing

1 controls

Controls in the Staff Training and Wellbeing domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 1 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISO.9.1	Staff Training and Wellbeing	Personnel handling user content must receive training in the Code, applicable law, and wellbeing support due to exposure...

Transparency

1 controls

Controls in the Transparency domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 1 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISOSELF-3	Transparency Reporting and KISO Cooperation	Per South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics: Transparency Reporting and KISO Coope...

User Rights

1 controls

Controls in the User Rights domain of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics — 1 controls
Code	Title	Description
KISOSELF-2	User Rights and Appeals	Per South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics: User Rights and Appeals. Source-groun...

Your Compliance Coverage

If you comply with South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics, you already cover:

UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

11%

5 controls mapped

Compare →

OECD AI Principles

11%

5 controls mapped

Compare →

OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence (2024 Update)

4 controls mapped

Compare →

+ 91 more: Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR) (9%), NIST AI 600-1: Generative AI Profile (7%)

See all 94 mapped frameworks ↓

Maps to 94 other frameworks

46 total controls

UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

5 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered

11%

OECD AI Principles

5 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered

11%

OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence (2024 Update)

4 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR)

4 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

NIST AI 600-1: Generative AI Profile

3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)

3 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

UNICEF Policy Guidance on AI for Children (2021)

2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

UK AI Regulation Framework

2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

ISO/IEC 23894:2023

2 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered

Singapore AI Governance Framework

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

RICS Professional Standards - Data and Technology in Property

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

UK Online Safety Act 2023

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Automotive SPICE (ASPICE) v4.0 - Process Assessment Model

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

FTC GLBA Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314)

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Virginia CDPA

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Vietnam PDPD

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Uruguay DPL

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

UK GDPR (UK General Data Protection Regulation)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Turkey KVKK

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Trinidad and Tobago Data Protection Act 2011

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

TISAX - Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Texas Data Privacy Act

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Tanzania Personal Data Protection Act (Draft)

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Taiwan PDPA

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Student Privacy Pledge 2020

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Qatar DPL

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Privacy Act 2020

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

POPIA

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Peru DPL

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Personal Data Act (personopplysningsloven)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

PDPA Thailand

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

PDPA Singapore

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Paraguay Law on Protection of Personal Data (Law No. 6534/2020)

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Oregon Consumer Privacy Act

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Oman National Cybersecurity Framework

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

NRF Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Framework (National Retail Federation)

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

NIST SP 800-66

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

NIST SP 800-146

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

NIST SP 800-145

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

NIST SP 800-144

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

NIST SP 800-122

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

NIST Privacy Framework

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

NIS2 Directive Implementing Acts

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA)

1 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered

Nebraska Data Privacy Act

1 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered

New Jersey Data Privacy Act

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

New Hampshire Data Privacy Act

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Nevada Gaming Control Board Cybersecurity Requirements

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

MTCS (Singapore)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Mexico LFPDPPP

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

MDS2 (Medical Device)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Mauritius DPA

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

MARS-E

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Malaysia PDPA 2010

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Liechtenstein DPA

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

LGPD

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

South Korea PIPA

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (UAE PDPL)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

ISO 27018

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

Austria Data Protection Act (Datenschutzgesetz, DSG, amended 2018)

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

Barbados Data Protection Act 2019

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

ISO 27799

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

ISO/IEC 27400:2022

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

ISO 13485

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

Switzerland New Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP/nDSG, 2023)

1 source controls mapped|5 target controls covered

GDPR

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

Singapore Government Instruction Manual on ICT&SS Management (IM8)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

ISO/IEC 27011:2024

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

Azerbaijan Law on Personal Data (2010)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

ISO 27017

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

ISO 26000:2010

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Albania Law on Protection of Personal Data (Law No. 9887, 2008, amended 2014)

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - Connected Product Safety

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

CISA Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPG) 2.0

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

AWWA Cybersecurity Guidance for the Water Sector (American Water Works Association)

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Bahrain PDPL

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

UK Defence Standard 05-138 - Cyber Security for Defence Suppliers

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

ASD Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

SOC for Cybersecurity - Cybersecurity Risk Management Examination

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

NIST SP 800-190

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

NIST SP 800-124 Revision 2 - Guidelines for Managing the Security of Mobile Devices

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

TEFCA - Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Sweden Data Protection Act (Dataskyddslag, 2018:218)

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Saudi Arabia PDPL

1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered

Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act (2019)

1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered

Telecommunications Sector Security Reforms (TSSR)

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

US ITAR and EAR - Export Control and Data Security

1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered

Compare South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics with UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

What is South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics and who does it apply to?

South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics is a compliance framework from South Korea (KISO — self-regulatory) with 18 domains and 47 controls. The Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics, established in 2009, is a self-regulatory framework for major South Korean internet platforms. Members include Naver, Kakao, and other leading Korean internet companies. KISO reviews content moderation decisions, provides policy recommendations, and establishes industry standards for online content governance. The Code covers search result fairness, content moderation transparency, user privacy, and platform responsibility. KISO operates alongside statutory regulation by the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) under the Information and Communications Network Act. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

What does South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics actually require?

South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics has 47 controls organised across 18 domains. The largest domains are KISO Code Chapter 3: Content Standards and Youth Protection (5 controls), KISO Code Chapter 1: General Provisions (4 controls), KISO Code Chapter 2: Freedom of Expression (4 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.

If I already comply with another framework, how much of South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics do I already cover?

South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics maps to 94 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (11% coverage), OECD AI Principles (11% coverage), OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence (2024 Update) (9% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.

How do I implement South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics?

Start your South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 47 controls and track your progress.

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