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Owners of bars, pubs and other adult-only businesses will not be penalized for being tricked into selling to minors after the revision of related laws, which will come into force within six months.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Monday, under the revised Public Health Control law and others, operators of such facilities will not face business suspension orders for selling age-restricted products if they fail to recognize underage buyers due to fake IDs.

This comes after complaints that the level of penalties levied for such unintended violations are too harsh. Many such business owners said it would be difficult to avoid being deceived if a fake ID, or if someone else's ID, was used.

Currently, officials can impose a seven-day business suspension on those who are caught selling alcohol to minors for the first time. The suspension period would extend to a month for a second violation, and to two months for a third.

Efforts to change the law and related rules started to gain traction after President Yoon Suk Yeol's meeting with small business owners in early February. Yoon called for change, saying that the law had been abused not just by teenagers who would refuse to pay their tabs but also by some businesspeople trying to eliminate competitors.

Two months later, officials revised a related code of practice to lessen the penalties — from a two-month business suspension for the first violation to a seven-day suspension. Last month, the National Assembly passed a bill to revise the law to exempt unintended violators from any penalties.

According to a survey conducted last year by the Ministry of Government Legislation, 80.8 percent of respondents said they would support the idea of easing administrative penalties on such violators.