South Korea: New Anime Piracy Law Could Affect Those Who Share Links
South Korea’s new anime piracy law has been drawing attention after significantly increasing penalties for those who distribute illegal content. The change does not only affect operators of pirate websites, but also ordinary users who share links to anime, manga, and other copyrighted material.
The South Korean National Assembly approved the amendment to the copyright law on January 29, as part of a broader effort to protect creators, publishers, and companies in the entertainment industry.
South Korea: New Anime Piracy Law Could Affect Those Who Share Links
One of the most important aspects of the new anime piracy law is that sharing links to pirated content can now be considered a crime. This means that not only website administrators, but also users who knowingly spread illegal links, may be held legally responsible.
Previously, enforcement mainly targeted those hosting or directly distributing pirated files. Now, simply sharing links that lead to such material may result in legal consequences. This marks a major shift in how piracy is handled in the country.
In addition, authorities now have stronger powers to block pirate websites, including those hosted outside South Korea. This allows faster action against illegal platforms and makes it harder for them to continue operating.
With the new anime piracy law, penalties have also become more severe. The maximum prison sentence increased from five to seven years in serious copyright violation cases. Fines can reach up to 100 million won, equivalent to about 68,000 US dollars. It is estimated that losses related to anime piracy in Japan alone reached approximately 38 billion dollars in 2025.
Recently, one of the largest manga piracy websites in the world was taken down following an international investigation. The person responsible for the platform now faces criminal charges, reinforcing the global effort to combat piracy.
South Korea’s new anime piracy law could serve as a model for other countries, as we know how these situations usually evolve. With stricter regulations and stronger enforcement, the fight against piracy is expected to intensify even further in the coming years.