Culture minister blocks access to illegal sites under new anti-piracy law

Lead

South Korea's culture minister on Monday ordered internet service providers to block access to 34 copyright-infringing websites, including the major webtoon and web novel piracy platform Newtoki, as a revised Copyright Act took effect. The move, announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, marks the first use of an emergency measure under the new law that permits the minister to immediately restrict access to illegal online content upon detection.

Coverage Comparison

Two reports from Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading wire service, covered the announcement with consistent details. Both articles cited the ministry's statement that Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young took action against the 34 sites, with Newtoki singled out as a "major platform known for illegally distributing Korean webtoons and web novels." The reports also noted that the revised Copyright Act took effect Monday following several months of preparation.

The second report added operational specifics not included in the first: it named the internet service providers receiving the order — LG Uplus, SK Broadband, KT, and Samsung SDS — and described a subsequent review process involving a committee under the Korea Copyright Protection Agency, which will have five days to decide whether to formally block the sites before the minister confirms the decision.

Key Claims

• The culture minister ordered immediate blocking of access to 34 copyright-infringing sites, including Newtoki, as reported by Yonhap in both articles.
• This is the first such measure under the revised Copyright Act, which allows emergency action upon detection of illegal content, according to Yonhap.
• Internet service providers named by the ministry — LG Uplus, SK Broadband, KT, and Samsung SDS — will deny access after internal procedures, per one Yonhap report.
• A committee under the Korea Copyright Protection Agency will review the decision within five days, a detail carried by a single Yonhap report and not independently confirmed elsewhere.
• The government cited the need to protect intellectual property in South Korea's cultural exports sector, where piracy undermines creators' revenues and global competitiveness, as stated in both Yonhap articles.

Perspectives

Minister Chae Hwi-young, quoted in both Yonhap reports, acknowledged the challenge ahead: "We recognize that operators of illegal sites will not easily give up the profits they have gained unlawfully, despite the government's firm stance and new response system. Even if this becomes an endless battle, we will act swiftly to block these sites and minimize their lifespan." The ministry also plans to expand the number of targeted sites while monitoring for operators creating replacement domains to evade enforcement.

The government's framing emphasizes the economic importance of cultural exports and the need to deter piracy. No perspectives from internet service providers, site operators, or digital rights advocates were included in the available coverage, leaving potential concerns about due process or overreach unaddressed in these reports.