Is pornography legal in South Korea?
Illegal
Producing and distributing pornography is a crime, and circulating it online is prohibited; viewing it privately is not prosecuted.
South Korea is one of 49 countries classified “Illegal” for pornography — 71% of the 69 with data.
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Pornography laws by region
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Checked by hand against the source.
Nearby countries
- North Korea
- Illegal Producing, distributing, and possessing pornography is a criminal offense punishable by labor camps.
- Japan
- Restricted Pornography is legal only if sexual genitals are censored; uncensored distribution is illegal.
- China
- Illegal Producing, selling, and distributing pornography is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
- Mongolia
- Illegal Preparation, dissemination, and sale of pornography are punishable by fines or incarceration.
- Philippines
- Illegal Maintaining or hiring a person to engage in pornography is an unlawful act of trafficking.
- Vietnam
- Illegal Vietnam imposes criminal penalties including imprisonment for the distribution and production of pornographic materials.
Other laws in South Korea
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Divorce
- Legal
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Not permitted
- Incest Laws
- Legal between adults
- Marriage Age
- 18+
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.