According to Articles 39 to 44 of the Copyright Act of the Republic of Korea, under the jurisdiction of the Government of the Republic of Korea all copyrighted works enter the public domain 70 years after the death of the creator (there being multiple creators, the creator who dies last) or 70 years after publication when made public in the name of an organization. (30 years for death before 1957)

For audio files and broadcasts, the term of protection ends 70 years after creation. According to Chapter IV Section 5 of the Copyright Act:

The protection period of neighboring rights shall come into effect from the following date and continue to subsist for a period of 70 years from the next year of such date:

1. For stage performances when the stage performance takes place;
2. For phonograms when the first fixation of sounds is made; and
3. For broadcastings when the broadcasting is made.

This applies to copyrighted works of which authors died before 1 January 1963, or made public in the name of an organization before 1 January 1963.

And photograph or other work in the similar form to photography published or the negative thereof produced before and on 31 December 1976 is now in the public domain in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) because its term of copyright has expired there ; Except the photograph is of reproducing the copyright of works of art or, the photograph inserted into a work of study or art is produced only for the work thereof or let the works thereof produced.

There are exceptional cases; Property rights are to belong to the state according to provisions of the Civil Law and other laws after the copyright owner dead without heir or dissolution of a legal person or an organization. The product must also be in the public domain in the United States.( by Articles 49)