South Korean authorities have ordered a temporary halt to downloads of DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence applications due to privacy concerns, marking another regulatory challenge for AI technology in the country. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) announced that DeepSeek failed to properly inform users about personal data collection and obtain necessary consent, violating South Korean privacy laws. The suspension affects both DeepSeek’s chat and code applications, which are AI-powered tools similar to ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot. The regulatory body found that DeepSeek collected users’ personal information without establishing a domestic agent to handle privacy issues, as required by law. The company has been given until March 15 to address these violations. This action reflects South Korea’s increasing scrutiny of AI applications and their data handling practices, following similar regulatory measures taken against other AI services. The KCC emphasized that the suspension will remain in effect until DeepSeek implements proper privacy protection measures and complies with local regulations. This case highlights the growing tension between rapid AI technology deployment and regulatory compliance, particularly regarding data privacy and user protection. The incident also underscores the importance of international AI companies understanding and adhering to local privacy laws when operating in different jurisdictions.