What's blocked in South Korea
All major apps work; some websites are blocked, DeepSeek downloads were paused for two months in 2025, and a December 2024 martial law decree briefly put media under military control.
- WhatsApp: Works
- Voice & video calls: Works
- Telegram: Works
- Signal: Works
- Discord: Works
- Facebook: Works
- Instagram: Works
- X (Twitter): Works
- TikTok: Works
- YouTube: Works
- Google: Works
- Works
- Age-gated
- Partly blocked
- Slowed down
- Blocked
App by app
None of the 71 apps we track is blocked or restricted in South Korea right now.
Not offered in South Korea
These companies don't sell their service here. That's a business or sanctions decision, not government censorship.
- HBO Max
- Hulu
- BBC iPlayer
- JioHotstar
- Peacock
- BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India)
Working normally
Chat & calls
Social media
Video, TV & music
Games
Privacy & tools
The 3 VPNs that fit South Korea
Our assessment, plus what visitors in South Korea are reporting this week.
Picked for streaming and everyday privacy.
NordVPN
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Surfshark
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
CyberGhost
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Not sure about these three? See 3 more VPNs ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access and Proton VPN
ExpressVPN
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Private Internet Access
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Proton VPN
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
We earn a commission if you buy a VPN through our links. It never changes what we report as blocked. How we pick and how we make money
What's going on
Freedom House rates South Korea Partly Free (65/100) and confirms that websites are blocked, though social media is not. The data protection authority suspended DeepSeek downloads in February 2025 until the app changed its privacy practices about two months later. President Yoon's one-day martial law decree in December 2024 banned 'fake news' and placed media under military control.
Before you connect: Mostly used for privacy and overseas streaming.
Is a VPN legal in South Korea?
Legal
VPN use is legal.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Are any apps blocked in South Korea?
None of the 71 apps we track is fully blocked in South Korea right now. All major apps work; some websites are blocked, DeepSeek downloads were paused for two months in 2025, and a December 2024 martial law decree briefly put media under military control.
Which streaming and online services are not available in South Korea?
HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, JioHotstar, Peacock and BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) are not offered in South Korea. That is the companies' decision, often because of licensing or sanctions.
Is it legal to use a VPN in South Korea?
Legal. VPN use is legal.
Which VPN works in South Korea?
Our picks for South Korea are NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost. Check the live votes on this page for this week's results.
Report a block
Seeing something different in South Korea? An editor reviews every report before the page changes.