South Korea's Broadcasting Media and Telecommunications Commission has converted a dedicated unit handling policies on false and manipulated information and enforcement against online platforms into a formal position within its organisation. It is moving to overhaul its enforcement system in earnest following the implementation last month of revisions to the Information and Communications Network Act.

Government and other officials said on Aug. 6 that the commission recently reorganised the "False and Manipulated Information Policy Team" under its Broadcasting and Communications User Policy Bureau into the "Information Integrity Policy Division". The team had operated as an extra-quota organisation, but was upgraded to an official division-level organisation after consultations on organisational structure with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Along with drafting policies to respond to false and manipulated information, the Information Integrity Policy Division will handle designation and management of large information and communications service providers under the revised law, demands for data submissions and investigations and supervision. It will also handle the imposition of penalty surcharges and fines for legal violations.

The revised Information and Communications Network Act, which took effect on July 7, imposes obligations on online platform operators above a certain size. They must set their own policies to prevent the distribution of false and manipulated information, establish fact-checking systems and publish transparency reports.

Under the enforcement decree, the law applies to services with daily active users of at least 1,000,000. Nine services were included, including Naver, Daum, Kakao, Nate and DC Inside.

The Information Integrity Policy Division will also be responsible for setting up and operating the "Information and Communications Service Transparency Center" that the commission is pushing to establish. The center is expected to support fact-checking groups, build and operate a related database, and carry out research and education and international cooperation.

The Information Integrity Policy Division has a headcount of 7, and the division chief position is currently vacant, with the unit operating under an acting system.

A commission official said it had converted the existing False and Manipulated Information Policy Team into an official division after consultations on organisational structure with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The official said the tasks themselves had not changed, and the move was aimed at improving stability in organisational operations.

The commission also upgraded its "Value-added Telecommunications Investigation Support Team" into the "Value-added Telecommunications Market Investigation Division" under the organisational reshuffle. The new division will handle investigations and corrective measures into prohibited acts by online platform operators and acts that undermine user interests, analysis of terms of service and market monitoring.