Game Industry Promotion Act · Article 31-2
Do you need a domestic agent for your game in Korea?
Game Industry Promotion Act (“GIPA”), Article 31-2
In force In force since 23 October 2025. An amendment passed the National Assembly on 1 October 2026 and has not yet been promulgated.
Since 23 October 2025, foreign game distributors and providers with no address or place of business in Korea must appoint a domestic agent in writing once they meet any one of three tests: total revenue, daily installs of a single game in Korea, or a reporting order from the Minister of Culture. The agent’s details go into the game’s terms of service.
| Who | Game distributors and providers with no office in Korea |
|---|---|
| Tests | Meet any one of 3 |
| Korean entity first? | Not in the Act in force today |
| Where the agent is published | Terms of service |
| Fine for no agent (cap) | KRW 20 million |
| Status | In force since 23 October 2025. An amendment passed the National Assembly on 1 October 2026 and has not yet been promulgated. |
| Korean title | 게임산업진흥에 관한 법률 |
| Also called | Domestic representative, local representative (국내대리인) |
Who must appoint a domestic agent?
A company with no address or office in Korea that meets any one of these tests:
- Total revenue of KRW 1 trillion or more in the prior year
- A game installed on average 1,000 or more times a day on mobile devices sold in Korea during the prior year — counted per game, not per publisher
- A reporting order from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism after an incident that seriously harms the game market
How are the numbers counted?
- Revenue
- Worldwide revenue for the prior year, converted to Korean won at that year’s average exchange rate.
- Installs
- Counted per game title: a game installed on average 1,000 or more times a day on mobile devices sold in Korea during the prior year.
- Ministry route
- A reporting order from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism also triggers the duty.
Does a Korean entity have to be the agent?
The agent needs an address or place of business in Korea. The Act in force today has no Korean-affiliate rule.
What does the agent do, and what stays with you?
| The agent | Your company |
|---|---|
| Carries out the reports the authorities order | Provides accurate information and decides how to answer |
| Carries out the game labelling duty, including probability disclosure | Keeps the probability data and in-game displays accurate |
| Keeps a working line of contact with your company | Keeps the agent’s details in your terms of service |
Anything the agent does wrong in these tasks is treated as your company’s own breach. Legal positions stay with your counsel.
What must you publish, and where?
| Item | For a company agent |
|---|---|
| Name | Company name and its representative |
| Address | Office address in Korea |
| Phone | A Korean phone number |
| A contact email |
The agent’s name (for a company, its name and representative), address, phone number and email must appear in the terms of service you use for the game.
What are the penalties?
| Failure | Cap | Standard amount in the decree |
|---|---|---|
| Not appointing an agent | Up to KRW 20 million | KRW 20 million |
What is changing?
- An amendment passed the National Assembly on 1 October 2026. It has not been promulgated, so it is not yet law; we will update this page with its text and dates once it is.
Korea’s GIPA Article 31-2 in English
Official English translation (Korea Legislation Research Institute). The Korean text on law.go.kr is the binding version.
Article 31-2 (Designation of Domestic Agents)
(1) A person who engages in game distribution business or game providing business without a domicile or place of business in the Republic of Korea and meets the standards prescribed by Presidential Decree in consideration of the number of game users, sales, etc. shall designate a person who acts on behalf of the following matters (hereinafter referred to as "domestic agent") in writing: 1. Filing a report as directed under Article 31 (2); 2. Fulfillment of the obligation to indicate game products under Article 33.
(2) A domestic agent shall be a person who has a domicile or place of business in the Republic of Korea.
(3) When a domestic agent is designated under paragraph (1), the following matters shall be included in the terms and conditions prepared by the game products-related business entities under Article 3 (1) of the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions: 1. Name of a domestic agent (in cases of a corporation, referring to the name thereof and the name of the representative); 2. The address (in cases of a corporation, referring to the seat of its place of business), telephone number, and e-mail address of a domestic agent.
(4) Where a domestic agent violates this Act in relation to each subparagraph of paragraph (1), the game products-related business entity shall be deemed to have committed such violation.
(5) A domestic agent shall secure a valid means of contact with game products-related business entities under paragraph (1).
Enforcement Decree, Article 18-3: the thresholds
(1) In the provisions, with the exception of the subparagraphs, of Article 31-2 (1) of the Act, "a person who ... meets the standards prescribed by presidential decree" means a person who falls under any of the following subparagraphs: 1. A person whose total sales for the previous year (referring to the previous fiscal year in the case of a corporation) is at least 1 trillion won; 2. A person who distributes or provides any game products for which, calculated on the basis of the immediately preceding year, the average daily number of installations on mobile communication terminal devices defined in the Telecommunications Business Act (limited to such devices sold in Korea) is at least 1,000; 3. Where any incident or accident that significantly disrupts order in the distribution of game products has occurred or is likely to occur, a person who is required by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to file a report pursuant to Article 31 (2) of the Act.
(2) The total sales under paragraph (1) 1 shall be based on the amount converted into Korean won by applying the average exchange rate for the immediately preceding year (referring to the preceding fiscal year, in the case of a corporation).
How KoreaAgent runs it
- We have been the designated game agent for 10+ global publishers under TheGameAgent, the BoostHub team behind this service
- Regulator letters on probability disclosure are sent to your team as a translated alert within two business hours of arrival
- On Complete for Games we check your probability disclosures before the regulator does, and work through correction requests with you
Questions about the GIPA agent rule
What is the game domestic agent’s core role?
To be your official point of contact with Korean authorities: carrying out the reports they order and your game labelling duty, including probability disclosure for loot boxes, and keeping a working line to your team. In our work for game publishers, probability disclosure is the main reason the game regulator (GRAC) gets in touch.
What happens if we do not appoint a game agent?
A fine of up to KRW 20 million, which the decree also sets as the standard amount. An amendment passed by the National Assembly on 1 October 2026, not yet promulgated, would reportedly also allow orders restricting network access.
Must our Korean subsidiary be the game agent?
Not under the current Act: the agent only needs an address or place of business in Korea. The amendment passed on 1 October 2026 would reportedly require a Korean entity you set up or control to be chosen first; it is not yet in force.
Is the 1,000-installs test per publisher or per game?
The decree words it per game: a game installed on average 1,000 or more times a day on devices sold in Korea during the prior year.
Where must the game agent be disclosed?
In the terms of service for the game. If you also need a PIPA agent, the same details must appear in your privacy policy.
Can KoreaAgent be our game agent?
Yes. Under the current Act the agent needs an address or place of business in Korea. As TheGameAgent, our team has been the game agent for more than ten global publishers since the rule took effect in October 2025.
Related questions
Sources
- Game Industry Promotion Act Art. 31-2 (Korean, official text)
- Game Industry Promotion Act Art. 48 (fines) (Korean, official text)
- Enforcement Decree Art. 18-3 (thresholds) (Korean, official text)
- Game Industry Promotion Act, English translation (for reference)
Korean title: 게임산업진흥에 관한 법률. Summarized by Youngho Kim (KoreaAgent) from the official Korean text on law.go.kr, which is the authoritative version. This is general information, not legal advice, and it does not say whether the law applies to your company. Last reviewed: .