Apple has updated App Store age ratings in South Korea, giving developers a new way to use an official local classification and preparing stricter ratings for some mature content. The change was announced on 12 August 2026 and applies specifically to apps in the Games and Entertainment categories offered through the Korean App Store.
One part of the update is available immediately: developers with a rating from South Korea’s Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) can override Apple’s automatically generated regional rating when submitting the app’s next version. A second change arrives in October 2026, when two content descriptors that can currently receive an “All” rating will move to 12+.
What changed with App Store age ratings in South Korea?
Apple normally generates an app’s age rating from answers supplied by its developer in the App Store Connect age-rating questionnaire. In South Korea, Games and Entertainment apps also display region-specific classifications designed to meet local requirements.
Under Apple’s new process, a developer whose app already has an official GRAC classification can provide the corresponding Rating Classification Number, or RCN, with the app’s next version submission. Apple says this can override the existing App Store rating in Korea with one of four regional values:
- All
- 12+
- 15+
- 19+
This does not let a developer simply choose a more favourable label. The override depends on a valid classification issued by GRAC and the RCN linked to that official decision.
Two descriptors will move from All to 12+
Starting in October 2026, Apple will adjust how two content descriptors affect the Korean App Store rating:
- Infrequent profanity and crude humour
- Infrequent mature or suggestive themes
Those descriptors currently can fall within the “All” classification. After the October change, they will correspond to 12+. The result should be a clearer distinction between apps intended for all ages and apps containing occasional language, humour or themes that parents may consider unsuitable for younger children.
Why the Korea App Store rating update matters
For developers
The immediate change should make it easier to keep an app’s App Store listing aligned with its official Korean classification. Developers who have gone through GRAC’s process no longer need to rely only on the rating produced from Apple’s questionnaire.
Studios should confirm that the RCN is correct before their next submission and review their questionnaire answers at the same time. Developers using either of the descriptors affected in October should also check whether screenshots, marketing copy, parental guidance and support information remain appropriate for a 12+ listing.
For users and parents
Age ratings are a quick guide rather than a full review of an app. Even so, consistency between Apple’s listing and the local regulator’s classification can make buying and download decisions easier. The October adjustment may also reduce situations in which an app marked for everyone contains occasional mature material that a parent did not expect.
The update is regional. Australian users will continue to see the classifications Apple applies for Australia, where age-rating rules also changed earlier in 2026. For more local context, read our guide to App Store age ratings in Australia.
What developers should do now
- Check the current Korean listing. Review the age rating shown for each affected Games or Entertainment app.
- Locate the GRAC RCN. If the app has an official GRAC rating, make sure the classification number and related records are available.
- Use the next version submission. Apple says the override can be provided when submitting the app’s next version.
- Review content descriptors. Pay particular attention to infrequent profanity, crude humour, and mature or suggestive themes before October.
- Keep questionnaire answers accurate. An official override does not remove the need for complete and truthful App Store Connect information.
Apple provides detailed instructions in its App Store Connect guide, along with a reference explaining the Korean age-rating values.
Does this affect iPhone and iPad owners elsewhere?
Not directly. Apple’s announcement concerns region-specific App Store ratings in the Republic of Korea. It does not change an app’s global content, add a new iOS feature or alter the rating displayed in every country.
However, the update reflects Apple’s broader move toward more detailed, locally compliant app classifications. The company has recently made other age-rating changes, including new social-media questions in App Store Connect. Our earlier explainer covers how social-media capabilities affect App Store age ratings.
Final thoughts
The latest App Store age ratings South Korea update is targeted but practical. Developers gain a formal route to align Korean App Store listings with GRAC decisions, while users should see clearer guidance when occasional mature content triggers a 12+ rating from October. Developers with relevant apps should review their classifications now rather than waiting for the new threshold to take effect.
FAQs
When did Apple announce the Korean age-rating changes?
Apple announced them on 12 August 2026. The GRAC override process is available now, while the content-descriptor adjustment starts in October 2026.
What is a GRAC Rating Classification Number?
It is the RCN associated with an official classification from South Korea’s Game Rating and Administration Committee. Eligible developers can provide it with their next app version submission.
Which Korean App Store ratings can be used?
Apple lists four region-specific values: All, 12+, 15+ and 19+.
Which content descriptors are changing in October?
Infrequent profanity and crude humour, plus infrequent mature or suggestive themes, will move from an All rating to 12+.
Will the change alter age ratings in Australia?
No. This announcement is specific to the Republic of Korea. Ratings shown in Australia continue to follow the applicable Australian App Store framework.
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