You are here: Home ›

Can You Take Photos Of People In Korea? What The Law And Etiquette Say

Station sign for Can You Take Photos Of People In Korea? What The Law And Etiquette Say

Written by

Your Sunbae

in

141
사진 촬영Line 1 · Start Here

Yes, you can take photos in public places in Korea, including street scenes with people in them. The trouble starts with close ups and posting: publishing a stranger’s recognisable face without consent can breach their portrait rights, and secretly filming someone’s body is a serious crime carrying up to seven years in prison. When in doubt, ask first.

You’re in Ikseondong, the light is perfect, and an elderly man in a flat cap is sitting outside a hanok café. Here’s how to get that photo without causing a problem. This is part of my guide to the unwritten rules of Korea.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you’re in a dispute, speak to a Korean lawyer.

Sunbae Says: Wide shot, fine. Close up of one stranger’s face, ask. Posting that face online with a snarky caption, don’t.

The Short Version

  1. Crowds, streets and landmarks with people in the background: generally fine.
  2. A close up of a stranger: ask first, and delete it if they say no.
  3. Other people’s children: don’t, unless the parent says yes.
  4. Anything in bathhouses, changing rooms or toilets: never.
  5. Military sites and some airport areas: no photos.
  6. Drones in Seoul: approval first, almost always.

Your Options For People Photos

Option Best For Cost Time My Take
Wide street shots, no close ups Everyday travel photos Free Instant My default. Faces become background
Ask a stranger, show them the result Portraits with character Free 1 minute Worth it; a smile and the Korean phrase below do the work
Friends or yourself in hanbok at a palace Classic Seoul photos Free palace entry in hanbok An hour The easiest people photo in Korea
Book a photo walk or photographer Content creators, couples Varies 1 to 2 hours Best if you want faces in your feed, legally clean

[AFFILIATE: Klook or Trazy Seoul photo walk with a local photographer]

Portrait Rights: What Korean Law Actually Says

Korea doesn’t have one single “photo law”. The right over your own image, 초상권 (chosanggwon), comes from the Constitution and the courts.

In a 2021 Supreme Court ruling (case 2020Da227455, in Korean), the court said portrait rights are protected under the first sentence of Article 10 of the Constitution, the right to human dignity, and that Articles 10 and 17 together protect privacy. In plain English: everyone has the right not to be photographed without permission, not to have that image published, and not to have it used commercially.

It isn’t absolute. The court said a photo can be lawful when it concerns a matter of public interest, is published for the public interest, and is presented fairly. The person relying on that exception has to prove it.

Portrait rights disputes are mostly civil; that case was about compensation, not jail. The real exposure for you is a demand to delete, a takedown, or a claim for damages if you publish.

Posting Online Is Where The Real Risk Is

Korea’s Criminal Act can punish defamation even when what you say is true. Article 307(1) covers publicly stating facts that damage someone’s reputation, with up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won, and the Constitutional Court upheld it in February 2021.

There’s movement, but no change yet. President Lee Jae-myung asked for a review of the offence in November 2025, a bill to narrow it was tabled in July 2026, and on 1 Oct 2026 the National Human Rights Commission put off deciding whether to back full repeal, Money Today reported (in Korean). For your trip this autumn, the law stands.

This isn’t theoretical. In September 2025, when a photo of a man in hospital scrubs sitting in a subway pregnancy seat went viral, lawyers quoted by the legal news site The Sisa Law (in Korean) said photographing and posting him carried more legal risk than his choice of seat. My subway etiquette guide explains the seats themselves.

Heads Up: Never post a “look at this rude local” photo or video with the face visible. Truthful defamation is still a crime in Korea as of October 2026, and a portrait rights claim can follow too. Blur the face or describe it in words.

The Personal Information Protection Act

Under the Personal Information Protection Act, pictures that identify someone count as personal information. The Act is aimed mainly at people and organisations handling personal information as part of their work, not tourists taking holiday snaps.

It matters if you’re filming for work, such as a client shoot or brand content. Since 15 September 2023, Article 25-2 limits filming people in public places with mobile devices for work, and says you must make the filming obvious with lights, sounds or signs. Seoul city applies the same rule to drones. If that’s you, get local advice.

Hidden Camera Crimes Are Taken Very Seriously

Korea treats secret filming as a serious sexual crime. Under Article 14 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, filming someone’s body in a way that could cause sexual humiliation, against their will, carries up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. Just possessing, buying, storing or watching such footage carries up to three years or 30 million won.

This is why phones are off limits in bathhouse areas, changing rooms and toilets, and why people react strongly to a camera pointed low on an escalator or a subway. My jjimjilbang guide covers the bathhouse rules.

Smart glasses are the new worry. Police received three cases of suspected illegal filming with AI glasses in 2026, and the science ministry has started a study to write guidelines, KBS reported on 18 Sep 2026. If you travel in camera glasses, take them off in bathhouses, changing rooms and anywhere people undress, and expect looks on the subway.

The Shutter Sound: A Standard, Not A Law

Korean model phones make a click you can’t turn off. That isn’t a law. It comes from a 2004 voluntary standard by the Telecommunications Technology Association, which sets the click at 60 to 68 decibels to fight hidden camera crimes. A 24 Jul 2026 Yonhap fact check (in Korean) confirmed it has no legal binding force and no penalty, noted that an iOS 27 beta mutes the click only when it detects a selfie, and quoted the science ministry saying any change would need social consensus.

What it means for you: a phone bought abroad usually lets you mute the camera. Silence isn’t illegal, but a silent camera pointed at strangers is exactly what makes locals nervous. I leave the sound on.

Military Sites And Some Airports

Under the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act, photographing, sketching or recording military bases and installations in protected zones without permission is prohibited. Police in North Chungcheong warned in 2022 that runway and hangar photos at Cheongju International Airport, which shares its site with an air force base, could lead to up to three years in prison or a 30 million won fine.

If a sign shows a crossed out camera, obey it. On DMZ tours, follow your guide’s instructions about where photos are allowed.

Drones In Seoul

Don’t just launch a drone in Seoul. The city says it’s a flight restricted area (in Korean): you need approval through the Drone One Stop portal three to five days in advance, and unauthorised flights can bring a fine of up to 5 million won under the Aviation Safety Act.

VisitKorea’s drone guide, updated 4 Sep 2026, adds three separate approvals (flight, aerial photography, and the landowner or site manager), no flights from sunset to sunrise, and registration for drones over 2 kg even for hobby use.

Heads Up: Palaces are the classic drone mistake. Unauthorised drone filming happens two or three times a month at Seoul’s royal palaces, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported in September 2026, and staff are cracking down. Gyeongbokgung sits in central Seoul’s restricted airspace; keep the drone in its case.

[SUNBAE FIELD TEST: Try applying for a Seoul drone flight approval on drone.onestop.go.kr as a foreign visitor. Report whether the portal works in English, whether it needs a Korean phone number or ID, and how long approval took.]

Offers Worth Knowing

VisitKorea lists three designated drone parks where you can fly without advance approval: Seoul’s Gwangnaru Hangang riverside drone park, plus parks in Daejeon and Gwangju. Search 광나루 드론공원 in Naver Map for directions, and check the park’s own rules on the day.

What Locals Know

Korea blurs by default. Korean TV and YouTube blur passers by as routine, and filming ordinary people and posting them online without consent is hard to imagine here, Media Today explained (in Korean). Korean privacy is centred on the person, while US law is centred on the place, which is why a street video that’s fine in Los Angeles can be a problem in Seoul.

Takedowns are fast. Anyone who says a post invades their privacy can ask a Korean platform to hide it for at least 30 days, the same article notes. Your clip can vanish even if no one sues.

A wave of the hand means no. People rarely argue; they cover their face or wave. Lower the camera and move on.

What’s Changing In 2026

Privacy is getting stricter, not looser, and the rules are chasing new tech. The 2023 rule on filming for work in public, the July 2026 shutter sound debate, smart glasses cases and the palace drone problem all point one way. And there are more of you with cameras: Korea hit a record of about 18.94 million foreign visitors in 2025, according to Yanolja Research. My read: expect less patience with creators filming strangers in busy spots, especially in crowded weeks like Halloween in Seoul and peak autumn foliage.

[AFFILIATE: Klook hanbok rental near Gyeongbokgung]

Pick Your Version

If It’s Your First Time. Shoot wide and shoot places. For people, ask. In my experience, people dressed up in hanbok are the easiest yes; my temple and palace dress code guide covers where photos are limited inside halls. Start with my first timer hub.

If You’re Bringing Kids. Photograph your own kids freely. Keep other families’ children out of frame or ask the parent. More in my Seoul with kids guide.

If You’re Travelling Solo. Asking someone to take your photo is normal and people usually help. If you’re making content, blur faces before posting. My solo Seoul guide has more.

Sunbae’s Picks

My pick for street photos: early morning in the old hanok lanes, before the crowds, when you can shoot buildings with no faces to worry about. In Bukchon, tourists are only allowed in the red zone from 10am to 5pm, so plan around that.

If I wanted a portrait, I’d ask with a smile and show the photo afterwards. In my experience, older people who say yes often want to see it.

I’d skip filming strangers on the subway for any reason. It reads as creepy here, even when it isn’t. My piece on why Koreans can seem rude explains the personal space side, and my apps guide covers the translator you’ll need to ask.

Worth It / Skip It

Worth It: Asking. A few Korean words turn an awkward moment into a better photo.

Skip It: Posting a stranger as the villain of your travel story. The legal risk is real, and it’s unkind.

Word Of The Stop

사진 찍어도 돼요? (sajin jjigeodo dwaeyo?): Is it OK if I take a photo? If they wave a hand, that’s a no. Smile, say “죄송합니다” (joesonghamnida, sorry) and move on.

Map And Directions

  1. 1
    Ikseondong 익선동
    1Jongno 3-ga StationEXIT4

    Hanok café lanes; shoot wide, ask before a close up of a stranger

    Naver MapKakaoMapGoogle Maps
  2. 2
    Bukchon Hanok Village (red zone) 북촌한옥마을
    3Anguk StationEXIT2

    People live here: tourists allowed in the Bukchon-ro 11-gil red zone 10am to 5pm only; keep voices down and don't photograph into homes

    Naver MapKakaoMapGoogle Maps
  3. 3
    Gyeongbokgung Palace 경복궁
    3Gyeongbokgung StationEXIT5

    Hanbok photos welcome; no drones (central Seoul restricted airspace); ask before photographing other visitors up close

    Naver MapKakaoMapGoogle Maps
  4. 4
    Gwangnaru Hangang drone park 광나루 한강공원 드론공원Area pin
    Check Naver Map for the nearest stationCheck Naver Map for the route

    One of three designated drone parks in Korea where you can fly without advance approval; daytime only, check on site rules

    Naver MapKakaoMapGoogle Maps

Last Mile

  • Gyeongbokgung Station → Anguk Station about 2 min (1 stop)
  • Anguk Station → Jongno 3-ga Station about 2 min (1 stop)
Get the map appsNNaver Map App Store Google PlayKKakaoMap App Store Google PlayBoth work in English. With the app installed, the Naver Map and KakaoMap buttons open directions straight to the pin.

Tap a button to open directions on your phone. In Korea, Naver Map and KakaoMap give full walking directions; Google Maps covers subway and bus but, as of September 2026, still has no turn by turn walking or driving here. Pins marked “Area pin” show a neighbourhood, not a door.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Illegal To Take Photos Of People In Korea?

Not in public places in general. Portrait rights mean people can object to being photographed or published without consent, usually through civil claims. Secretly filming someone’s body is a serious crime.

Why Do Korean Phones Make A Shutter Sound?

Because of a voluntary 2004 industry standard meant to deter hidden camera crimes. It isn’t a law, and phones bought abroad usually let you mute it.

Can I Fly A Drone In Seoul?

Only with approval in most of the city. Apply through the Drone One Stop portal three to five days ahead, never fly between sunset and sunrise, and get separate approval to film. Designated drone parks such as Gwangnaru need no advance approval.

Can I Post Photos Of Strangers On Social Media?

It’s risky if they’re recognisable. Blur faces, and never add accusations: as of October 2026, Korea’s defamation law can still apply even to true statements. This is general information, not legal advice.

Next Stop

Resources

How I Checked This

On 5 Oct 2026 I reread the Supreme Court portrait rights ruling and the relevant statutes on the Korean Law Information Center and the Korea Legislation Research Institute, checked the truthful defamation debate against Money Today’s 1 Oct 2026 report, the shutter standard against Yonhap’s July 2026 fact check, smart glasses cases against KBS, drone rules against Seoul city and VisitKorea, palace drone incidents against the Korea JoongAng Daily, and Korean privacy norms against Media Today. English translations are for reference only; the Korean text governs. I couldn’t confirm how the drone portal works for foreign visitors, hence the field test.

Sources

Written by your sunbae. 24 years living in Seoul, former Korean TV and radio presenter, university professor, and two decades behind the decks in the city’s clubs. Every fact here is checked against official sources and, wherever possible, on the ground.

Beep Check: verified 5 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.

More posts