Polymarket removes Korean support and reduces Korea market visibility in South Korea

Service changes in South Korea

By July 29, Korean was no longer listed in Polymarket’s language menu. The platform had previously directed users in South Korea to a Korean-language version automatically, but now opens in English instead.

At the same time, markets tied to South Korean politics, economic data and sports became harder for local users to locate through search and recommendation features. The contracts themselves do not appear to have been removed entirely. On the global version of the site, markets such as whether North and South Korea will hold direct talks this year and South Korea’s third-quarter economic growth rate were still visible.

That suggests Polymarket limited the exposure of those markets specifically for users in South Korea rather than shutting down trading globally or cancelling existing contracts.

Regulatory review underway

The move has been interpreted by industry participants as an attempt to reduce regulatory risk in South Korea. On July 6, the Broadcasting and Media Review Division of the Korea Communications Standards Commission gave Polymarket an opportunity to explain its position while authorities review the platform’s legality and business model.

After examining the materials submitted by the company, the regulator is expected to decide whether to seek corrective steps, which could include a request to block access. According to the division, the review remains in progress and is still at the stage of receiving Polymarket’s submission. No schedule has been set for further action.

Why language and market visibility matter

The regulator had previously indicated that Polymarket could come under review if it offered Korean-language services and marketed itself to users in South Korea. Because the platform lets users commit real money and profit depending on how specific events turn out, authorities believe there is room to regard it as a new form of gambling site.

For that reason, Korean-language support and the prominence of Korea-related markets have been treated as important factors in the assessment. An official in the review division said the recent service changes appear to have been made independently by Polymarket rather than as a direct result of regulatory instructions.

Police investigation and jurisdiction questions

A separate police investigation is also under way. The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency, acting at the request of the National Police Agency, is investigating South Korean Polymarket users on allegations related to gambling. Under South Korean rules, users can face punishment for betting money on overseas illegal gambling sites even when the operators and servers are located abroad.

South Korea, however, has not yet been listed among Polymarket’s officially restricted jurisdictions. The country was not included in the platform’s published list of 39 restricted countries.

Taken together, the removal of Korean-language support and the reduced visibility of Korea-focused markets appear designed to show that Polymarket is not actively targeting South Korean users, potentially lowering the chance of a full access block. Polymarket has not publicly explained why it made the changes.