Access to major illegal adult content websites in South Korea blocked overnight with cooperation from Cloudflare

Access to numerous adult content websites, adult game websites, as well as sites violating copyright infringement have been cut off for Korean users as of May 1 KST. 

Anyone attempting to access these sites are instead directed to a notice issued by Cloudflare. It read, "Government-ordered blocking under the Korea Network Act."

The change reflects the Korea Media and Communications Commission's strategic new approach to internet censorship. 

In fact, the Korea Media and Communications Commission requested Cloudflare's cooperation with banning access to many of these illegal sites in September, 2025. Upon receiving the request, it took Cloudflare nearly 8 months to reorganize and restructure domains and servers. 

Websites primarily targeted through the new censorship initiative include adult content websites housing libraries of illegally filmed adult content, as well as sites illegally mass distributing copyright infringement content.

Beginning on May 11 KST, the censorship system will be strengthened to immediately recognize and block websites where copyright infringement content is detected. 

Many Korean netizens welcomed the crackdown particularly targeting adult content websites, as South Korea has been highly prone in recent years to the indiscriminate distribution of illegally filmed content where victims' faces and identities remain highly exposed. 

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