U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy holds a roundtable with South Korean and Japanese correspondents at the Washington D.C. Foreign Press Center on April 7 (local time). [Yonhap News] 

On the 9th (local time), the U.S. Department of State expressed concern regarding the enforcement of South Korea’s amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act, stating, "The Republic of Korea should not impose excessive burdens on U.S. companies, nor should it use the implementation of the law as a means to demand censorship of freedom of expression."

In response to an inquiry from Yonhap News regarding the Department's position on the implementation of the Network Act, a State Department spokesperson stated, "The United States holds serious concerns that the amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act could lead to excessive content regulation and undermine freedom of expression."

The spokesperson added, "We look forward to continued dialogue between the [South Korean government] and key stakeholders, especially U.S. tech companies, to ensure that the implementation of the law does not stifle freedom of expression."

Furthermore, the spokesperson stated, "The United States will continue to work with South Korea to foster a free and open digital environment for everyone."

The Network Act, which went into effect on the 7th, is centered on prohibiting and punishing the dissemination of false, fabricated information on information and communication networks, and imposing legal obligations—such as the removal of illegal or false information—on major platform operators that manage large-scale information networks.

The Trump administration has previously raised objections to the law, arguing that it conflicts with U.S. online content regulation principles that prioritize freedom of expression and could place undue burdens on U.S. platform companies such as Meta and Google.

Sarah Rogers, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, also conveyed these concerns during her visit to South Korea this past April and discussed the issue with South Korean authorities.

The State Department spokesperson noted today, "Under Secretary Rogers held productive discussions with South Korean officials earlier this year and positively assessed that the South Korean side actively engaged in the dialogue and demonstrated a high level of understanding regarding the risk that vaguely drafted provisions could compel platforms to engage in over-censorship of expression."