334 guides
Appeals against administrative dispositions
- Public Official Appeal Review Deadline of 30 Days A public official who wishes to contest a disciplinary action, demotion, leave of absence, removal from position or dismissal must request a review by the Appeals Commission within 30 days of receiving the statement of reasons for the disposition. The 30 days are counted from the day after receipt, and if the last day falls on a Saturday or public holiday, the period expires on the following day. National public officials file with the Appeals Commission of the Ministry of Personnel Management, while officials of local governments file with the local appeals commission or education appeals commission of the relevant city or province. An administrative lawsuit over these dispositions may be filed only after the Appeals Commission has reviewed and decided the case.
- How to Apply for a Change of Military Service Disposition If, after receiving a military service disposition, a person develops or suffers a worsening illness or mental or physical disability that makes it difficult to perform military service, they may apply to the head of the regional Military Manpower Office for a change of disposition under Article 65 of the Military Service Act and undergo a new physical examination. A person who has received an active-duty enlistment notice or a social service personnel call-up notice must submit the application by the day before the enlistment or call-up date. If treatment makes it difficult to enlist on the set date, a postponement may be requested under Article 61 of the Military Service Act at least 5 days before the enlistment date; postponements may total up to 2 years across all grounds and may not extend beyond age 30.
- How to Apply for Correction of the Respondent in an Administrative Appeal An administrative appeal is filed with the agency that made the disposition as the respondent; in an appeal for performance of duty it is the agency that received the application, and if the authority has passed to another agency, the succeeding agency is the respondent (Administrative Appeals Act, Article 17, Paragraph 1). Even if you name the wrong respondent, the commission may correct it on its own authority or on request, and once corrected, the appeal is deemed filed against the new respondent at the time it was filed against the former respondent. You may file an objection to a correction decision with the commission within 7 days from the date you receive the original decision. When several people file together, they may appoint up to 3 representatives from among the claimants, and an appointed representative who wishes to withdraw the claim must obtain the consent of the other claimants and prove it in writing.
- How to Object to an Individual Land Price Individual land prices are determined by the mayor, county head or district head as of January 1 each year and announced by May 31, and they serve as the standard value for local taxes such as property tax on land and for various land price calculations. If you disagree with an announced price, under Article 11 of the Act on the Public Announcement of Real Estate Values you must submit a written objection to the city, county or district within 30 days of the announcement, and the authority must review it and notify the result within 30 days after the objection period ends. Landowners and interested parties with an objection may apply, and there is no fee.
- Parents Reported for Infringing a Teacher's Educational Activities When a student's guardian is reported for an act against a teacher that counts as infringement of educational activities, the school principal notifies the regional Teacher Rights Protection Committee at the district office of education, and the committee deliberates on measures against the guardian. Under Article 26 of the Special Act on the Improvement of Teachers' Status and the Protection of Their Educational Activities, there are two measures for guardians: a written apology with a pledge not to repeat the act, and completion of special education or psychological treatment. The committee must give the guardian an opportunity to state an opinion before requesting a measure. The superintendent of the district office of education takes the measure within 14 days of receiving the request, and a guardian who objects files an administrative appeal under the Administrative Appeals Act within 90 days of learning of the disposition.
- Marine Officer License Revocation or Suspension of Duties for Drunk Navigation: How to Challenge It and the Deadlines The Maritime Traffic Safety Act prohibits operating the steering gear of a ship, or directing its operation, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.03% or more. If you are caught, a license disposition is imposed under Article 9, paragraph (3) of the Ship Personnel Act, separately from criminal punishment: a blood alcohol concentration of 0.03% or more but less than 0.08% results in suspension of duties for 6 months for a 1st violation (license revocation for a 2nd violation or where there is injury or loss of life), and 0.08% or more, or refusal of the test, results in license revocation. To challenge the disposition, file an administrative appeal within 90 days from the date you became aware of the disposition.
- Requirements for Resolution of School Violence Cases by the School Principal Resolution by the school principal is a system for closing minor school violence cases at the school without convening the School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee (Deliberation Committee). All four requirements in Article 13-2 of the Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures against Violence in Schools must be met, and the victim student and guardian must consent in writing. Once consent is given, it is difficult to demand a Deliberation Committee meeting for the same case, so check the facts before signing.
- Penalty Surcharge and Suspension of Operation for Overnight Parking of Trucks Parking a commercial truck for 1 hour or more between 0:00 and 4:00 in a place other than a permitted place is an overnight parking violation. The disposition is suspension of operation of the violating vehicle for 5 days or a penalty surcharge, and the surcharge is 200,000 won for general freight operators and 100,000 won for individual freight operators (50,000 won for individual operators when a truck with a maximum payload of 1.5 tons or less is parked outside a permitted place). If you receive a prior notice before the disposition, you can submit a written opinion within the deadline to dispute the facts or request a reduction.
- Scoring Standards for Measures against Aggressor Students in School Violence Cases Under a public notice of the Ministry of Education, the School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee gives 0 to 4 points for each of 5 factors (seriousness, persistence, intent, degree of remorse and degree of reconciliation) and decides the measure for the aggressor student by the total score. A total of 1 to 3 points falls under Measure No. 1, a written apology, and 16 to 20 points is the range for Measure No. 8, transfer to another school, or Measure No. 9, expulsion. The degrees of remorse and reconciliation are factors that can change with the attitude shown after the incident, so the early response affects the score.
- How to File an Administrative Appeal and Apply for a Stay of Execution Against a Departure Order A departure order is a disposition issued by the immigration office to, among others, a person who has grounds for deportation but intends to leave voluntarily, a person who has not followed a recommendation to depart, and a person whose permission has been revoked. An administrative appeal can be filed within 90 days from the date you become aware of the disposition, but filing alone does not stop the departure deadline, so apply for a stay of execution at the same time. If you do not leave by the set deadline, the case moves on to a deportation order.
- How to Collect Evidence as a Victim of School Violence A school violence report does not need perfect evidence from the start. The consistency and specificity of the child's statement, diaries and notes, friends' statements and psychological changes also serve as supporting materials. However, messenger and social media materials are hard to recover once the other party deletes them or closes the account, so the first step is to preserve them right away on the day you learn of the harm.
- How to Challenge a Long-Term Care Institution Business Suspension or Recovery If an on-site investigation by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) confirms improper claims or a violation of the staffing standards, a business suspension, an administrative fine and recovery of benefit costs can all be imposed at once. During a business suspension no benefit costs can be claimed at all, which leads directly to beneficiaries leaving and to problems with staff employment. The disposing authority and the appeal route differ for each disposition, so start by organizing the deadlines on the basis of each notice.
- How to File an Administrative Appeal against Business Suspension To challenge a business suspension disposition, file an administrative appeal within 90 days from the date you became aware of the disposition and within 180 days from the date of the disposition. If you need to keep operating before the ruling, apply for a stay of execution at the same time. The key to a reduction is circumstances showing that there was no intent, a record of immediate correction, and materials that show the damage to your livelihood in numbers.
- Disability Registration Refusal and Degree of Disability Disputes When you apply for disability registration, the National Pension Service reviews the degree of disability, and the result is 'severe disability', 'non-severe disability' or 'not applicable'. If you disagree with the result, you may file an objection within 90 days from the date you receive the notice, and you may also file an administrative appeal. Whether to apply again with a new medical certificate or to dispute the existing decision is decided after looking at the reason for refusal.
Prior opinions & explanations
- Using a Korean Passport After Acquiring Foreign Citizenship: How to Prepare an Explanatory Statement for an Immigration Offense Review When a Korean national voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality, Korean nationality is lost at the time the foreign nationality is acquired, and the Korean passport loses its effect at the same time. Entering or leaving Korea on that Korean passport afterwards means a foreigner entered or departed without a valid passport and visa, which leads to an offense review by the immigration office. Depending on the findings, the head of the immigration office notifies a fine, and the person who receives the notice must pay within 15 days. Submitting an explanatory statement on the circumstances during the review and completing the nationality loss report make it possible to move on to a stay application such as Overseas Korean (F-4).
- Writing a Hearing Opinion on a Farmland Disposal Obligation When the mayor, county head or district head finds that farmland is not used for the owner's own farming, a farmland disposal obligation notice requires the owner to dispose of the land within 1 year from the date the reason arose, and a hearing must be held before that notice (Farmland Act Articles 10 and 55). The hearing stage is the practical opportunity to show, with an opinion letter and evidence, a justifiable reason set out in the Enforcement Decree, such as illness, schooling or a lawful lease. If the land is not disposed of, a 6-month disposal order may follow, and after that a non-compliance charge of 25/100 of the higher of the appraised value and the individual officially assessed land price may be imposed every year.
- Preparing an Explanation for Regional Housing Association Member Ineligibility Under Article 21 of the Enforcement Decree of the Housing Act, a member of a regional housing association must, from the date of application for association establishment approval (in a speculation-overheated district, the date 1 year before that) until the date occupancy becomes possible, be the householder of a household in which no member including the householder owns a home, or the householder of a household in which only 1 member owns 1 home with an exclusive residential area of 85 square meters or less. Household members here include a spouse registered at a separate address and the members of that spouse's household, and holding pre-sale rights is also treated as owning a home. In addition, as of the date of application for establishment approval the person must have lived continuously in the same region for 6 months or more, and neither the person nor a separately registered spouse may be a member of another regional or workplace housing association. The head of the city, county or district searches member eligibility through the housing computer network at establishment approval (including change approval), project plan approval and use inspection, and if a member is found ineligible the project operator notifies the result and sets a period of at least 7 days from the notice to receive explanatory documents. There are exceptions under which a home is treated as not owned if it is disposed of within a set period, such as a home acquired by inheritance, bequest or marriage, so the core of the explanation is to match these exceptions and the ownership and residence dates with documents.
- Objecting to a Sewerage Cost-Sharing Charge Under Article 61, Paragraph 1 of the Sewerage Act, the public sewerage management authority may require the owner of a building (or the building owner-to-be during construction) to bear all or part of the cost of rebuilding public sewerage as a cost-sharing charge when new construction, extension or a change of use increases wastewater by 10㎥ or more per day (Enforcement Decree, Article 35, Paragraph 1). The calculation standards and collection methods are set by local government ordinance, and the wastewater volume is calculated under the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment notice on calculating wastewater generation and septic tank capacity by building use. Because the Act imposes the charge only when wastewater 'increases', if an existing building was demolished and a new one built but the charge was calculated on the full floor area, first check whether the existing building's wastewater volume was deducted. If you disagree with the charge, choose among an objection under the ordinance (in Incheon Metropolitan City, within 90 days of receiving notice of the disposition), an administrative appeal within 90 days of learning of the disposition, and a grievance petition to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.
- How to Submit a Written Opinion for Reduction of an Administrative Fine Under the Act on the Regulation of Violations of Public Order, a prior notice is given and an opportunity to submit an opinion is provided before an administrative fine is imposed. The administrative authority may reduce the amount depending on the circumstances of the violation, whether it has been corrected, the person's financial situation and other factors, so the opinion submission period after the prior notice is received is the practical window for contesting the fine. After imposition, an objection may be filed within 60 days.
- How to Respond to a School Discipline Committee A school discipline committee (student guidance committee, seondo wiwonhoe) is an in-school disciplinary procedure that deals with violations of school rules such as smoking, drinking, truancy and cheating. Unlike the School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee, which handles cases with a victim student, it covers rule violations with no victim. A suspension of attendance is treated as unexcused absence for that period and stays on the school record, so the written opinion submitted before the meeting affects the level of discipline.
- Administrative Fines for Real Estate Transaction Reports: Written Opinion and Reduction A real estate transaction must be reported within 30 days from the contract date, and an administrative fine is imposed if the report is late or differs from the facts. A rental business operator who transfers a house during the mandatory rental period without a justifiable reason is subject to an administrative fine of up to 30,000,000 won per rental house. Because the administrative agency sets the amount of an administrative fine at its discretion, what you submit at the written opinion stage before imposition greatly affects the result.
- How to Write a Written Opinion on Prior Notice of a Disposition for a Medical Advertising Violation When a medical advertising violation is found, an administrative disposition such as business suspension may be imposed separately from criminal punishment. Before the disposition, you are given an opportunity to submit an opinion under Article 27 of the Administrative Procedures Act. If you do not respond at this stage, the disposition is likely to be issued as the investigation materials stand. A written opinion is not a letter of remorse. It is organized as material that allows the administrative authority to judge whether to mitigate the disposition.
Petitions, redress & dispute mediation
- Filing a Grievance Petition with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission A grievance petition is a civil petition about an illegal, unfair or passive action of an administrative agency (including de facto acts and omissions) or an unreasonable administrative system that infringes a person's rights or causes inconvenience or burden (Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Management of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Article 2, Item 5). Anyone, including individuals, corporations and organizations and foreigners residing in Korea, may file it in writing with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) or a local Civil Grievance Commission. The petition states the petitioner's name and address, the purpose and reasons of the petition and the underlying facts, the name of the administrative agency concerned, and whether a lawsuit or other remedy procedure has been filed. The commission handles the petition within 60 days of receipt and may extend this by up to 60 days for unavoidable reasons such as the need for mediation. If the investigation finds considerable reason to believe that an action is illegal or unfair, it recommends correction; if the petitioner's claim has considerable merit, it expresses its opinion, and the agency receiving a recommendation must report the outcome within 30 days. For delays in handling a civil petition or demands for unnecessary documents, you can first file a grievance petition with that agency (handled within 7 days), and after filing the same petition again and going through an investigation by its audit department, you can file a grievance petition with the supervising agency.
- Floor Noise Dispute Mediation Application A resident of a multi-unit apartment who suffers floor noise can, under Article 20 of the Multi-Family Housing Management Act, notify the management entity and ask it to recommend that the noise stop, and if the noise continues, apply to the floor noise management committee for mediation. If the noise continues even after the management entity or the floor noise management committee acts, the resident can apply for mediation to the multi-family housing management dispute mediation committee or the environmental dispute mediation and damage relief committee. The central multi-family housing management dispute mediation committee must present a mediation proposal within 30 days from the start of the procedure, and environmental mediation must be completed within 9 months. Whichever committee is chosen, a dated record of complaints, recommendations and noise logs forms the basis of the application.
- Filing a State Compensation Application with a District Compensation Council If a public official, while performing official duties, intentionally or negligently violated the law and caused you damage, or if a defect in the installation or management of a public facility such as a road or river caused damage, you can apply for compensation from the State or a local government. The application is filed with the District Compensation Council having jurisdiction over the applicant's address or location or the place where the cause of damage occurred, and the District Council must make a compensation decision within 4 weeks. Filing an application is not a mandatory step before a lawsuit, so you may also go directly to court. If the application is dismissed or rejected, you can apply for reconsideration within 2 weeks from the date the original copy of the decision is served, and if payment is decided, compensation is paid only after you submit the consent and claim form.
- Gym, PT and Pilates Refund Refused When a gym, PT or Pilates membership is cancelled midway, the refund is calculated under Appended Table 3-2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Installation and Utilization of Sports Facilities Act if the business is a sports facility business such as a fitness center, or under the Act on Door-to-Door Sales, etc. and the Fair Trade Commission notice if it is a continuous transaction lasting one month or longer. If you cancel for your own reasons, you get back the fee minus the amount for the period or sessions used and a penalty of one-tenth of the fee; if the business cannot continue because of closure or suspension, you receive the remaining amount plus the penalty. If the business refuses a refund, leave your intention to cancel in writing through a refund request or certified mail, and apply for damage relief to the Korea Consumer Agency. If no agreement is reached within 30 days from the application, the Agency refers the case to the Consumer Dispute Mediation Commission, and a concluded mediation has the same effect as a judicial settlement.
- Insurance Mis-selling Complaint to the Financial Supervisory Service If you joined whole life, variable or CI insurance after being told it was like 'savings' or a 'pension', did not receive the terms and conditions and product description, or the agent signed on your behalf, you can dispute it as mis-selling. The Financial Consumer Protection Act sets out the suitability principle (Article 17), the duty to explain (Article 19) and the prohibition of unfair solicitation (Article 21), and a contract made in violation of these can be the subject of a termination request within 1 year from the date you learned of the violation and within 5 years from the contract date (Article 47). If the insurer does not accept, you apply to the Financial Supervisory Service for dispute mediation, and if no agreement is reached within 30 days, the Financial Dispute Mediation Committee prepares a mediation proposal within 60 days. The same rules apply to bancassurance insurance bought at a bank counter, and what decides the outcome of a complaint is a chronological account of the facts and the evidence supporting it.
- How to Apply for Lease Fraud Victim Determination A tenant harmed by lease fraud can apply to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for a lease fraud victim determination, and the application is submitted to the mayor or governor of the city or province. The Minister investigates the damage within 30 days from the application date and decides after deliberation by the Lease Fraud Victim Support Committee. If you object to the decision, you may file an objection within 30 days from the date the decision is served.
Start-up & business operations
- How to Report Overseas Direct Investment When a resident acquires 10% or more of the total issued shares or capital of a foreign corporation to participate in its management, it is overseas direct investment under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. Even below 10%, it counts as overseas direct investment if the investor dispatches an executive, signs a raw material or product sales contract of 1 year or more, a technology provision or joint R&D contract, or an overseas construction contract, and lending money with a repayment period of 1 year or more to a foreign corporation already invested in is also included. To make an overseas direct investment, the investor files the overseas direct investment report in Form 9-1 with a business plan and other documents to the head of a foreign exchange bank under Article 9-5 of the Foreign Exchange Transaction Regulation, and the report must be completed before payment such as remittance. When shares are transferred from another resident, or when the foreign subsidiary increases capital from retained earnings or capital surplus, a post-report within 3 months from the transaction date is allowed. After investing, a foreign securities (claims) acquisition report is filed within 6 months, and if total investment exceeds USD 3,000,000, an annual business performance report is filed within 5 months after the end of the fiscal year.
- How to Apply for Small Business Closure Support Small business owners who have closed or plan to close may apply for the closure support program (Hope Return Package) that the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service announce each year, based on Article 25 of the Framework Act on Small Business and Article 12 of the Act on the Protection of and Support for Micro Enterprises. One-stop closure support consists of business wind-down consulting, store demolition costs, legal advice, debt adjustment and similar items, and after closure it continues into re-employment training with a job transition allowance and restart support. Support rates, caps and application periods are set by each year's announcement, so check the application order and exclusions in that year's announcement before signing a demolition contract or filing a closure report.
- How to Register a Franchise Disclosure Document A franchisor that wants to recruit franchisees must register the disclosure document it will give to prospective franchisees in advance, and this duty applies equally to small franchisors with low sales. If the principal office is in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi or Busan, the application goes to that city or province; otherwise it goes to the Fair Trade Commission. A new registration is accepted only if the franchisor has operated a directly operated store under the same brand for at least 1 year. The registration certificate is issued within 30 days of the application, and after registration, changes and each fiscal year's financial information must be filed as amendments within the set deadlines.
- How to Report a Foreign Company's Liaison Office or Branch in Korea A foreign company that wants to set up a branch or liaison office in Korea files a report on the establishment of a domestic branch of a foreign company with the head of its designated foreign exchange bank under the Regulations on Foreign Exchange Transactions. A branch carries out profit-generating business in Korea, while a liaison office performs only non-business functions such as liaison work, market research and research and development. A branch registers at the location of its business office within 3 weeks of establishment and files a domestic place of business report with the tax office within 2 months of having a domestic place of business, while a liaison office receives a unique tax identification number from the tax office.
- How to File a Foreign Investment Report When a foreigner acquires shares of a Korean corporation worth 100,000,000 won or more and holds 10% or more of the voting shares, or dispatches or appoints an officer to the company, it is a foreign investment under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act. Before investing, the investor files a foreign investment report with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) or a foreign exchange bank, and after paying in the investment, registers the foreign-invested company within 60 days from that date. The registration certificate is used later for change registrations and as proof of investment when applying for the corporate investment (D-8) status of stay.
- How to Apply for the Regulatory Sandbox The regulatory sandbox is a system that allows a new product or service blocked by existing laws and regulations to be tested or put on the market under certain conditions. You apply to the ministry in charge of the field, such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources for industrial convergence and the Ministry of Science and ICT for information and communications convergence. It is divided into rapid regulatory confirmation, which asks whether a permit is required; the special exception for demonstration, for testing and verification; and the temporary permit, for market launch. In the industrial convergence field, the validity period of a special exception for demonstration is in principle 2 years or less and can be extended once.
Business confirmation certificates
- KCs Self-Safety Confirmation Report Anyone who manufactures or imports machinery listed in Article 77 of the Enforcement Decree of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, such as grinders, industrial robots, mixers and conveyors, must confirm that it meets the self-safety standards and report it to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency before shipping or importing. The Agency issues a self-safety confirmation report certificate within 15 days of receiving the report, and the reporter must place the self-safety confirmation mark on the product or packaging. Presses, cranes and other machinery subject to mandatory safety certification under Article 84 of the same Act follow a separate procedure, so the applicable category is checked first.
- KC Safety Certification and Safety Confirmation: Checking Coverage and Application Documents Under Annexes 3, 4 and 5 of the Enforcement Rule of the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act, electrical appliances and consumer products are divided into items subject to safety certification, safety confirmation and supplier's declaration of conformity, and manufacturers (including those who manufacture abroad and export to Korea) or importers must complete the relevant procedure for each model before shipment or customs clearance. Safety certification involves product testing and a factory audit by a safety certification body, safety confirmation involves testing by a safety confirmation testing body followed by a report, and supplier's declaration of conformity means the supplier tests and confirms conformity itself and, for electrical appliances, reports it to the Korea Product Safety Management Institute. Manufacturing or importing a product subject to safety certification without certification is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won, so check coverage first at the import or OEM contract stage.
- Applying for Materials, Parts and Equipment Specialized Company Confirmation A company whose main business is developing or manufacturing materials, parts or equipment may apply to the Minister of Trade and Industry for confirmation as a specialized company under Article 14 of the Special Act on Strengthening the Competitiveness of Materials, Parts and Equipment Industries and Stabilizing Supply Chains. Sales of materials, parts and equipment must account for at least 50% of total sales, and a company belonging to a business group subject to limitations on cross-shareholding must keep sales to its own affiliates below 50% of its materials, parts and equipment sales. The application form, with documents proving sales and financial statements, is submitted to the Korea Planning and Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology, and there is no fee. The certificate is valid for 3 years, and a confirmation obtained by false or other fraudulent means must be cancelled.
- How to Apply for the Electric Power Industry Infrastructure Fund Levy Exemption An enterprise that founded a small or medium enterprise to engage in manufacturing under the Korean Standard Industrial Classification is exempted for 7 years from the date it commenced business from the levy under Article 51(1) of the Electricity Business Act, which funds the Electric Power Industry Infrastructure Fund. The levy is currently 27/1,000 of the electricity bill. To receive the exemption, the enterprise files a levy exemption application, with startup confirmation documents and sales records for the previous 3 business years, with the city, county or district office having jurisdiction over its principal office. This exemption provision remains in force until August 2, 2027, and a claim to recover levies already paid expires by limitation after 5 years.
- Issuance of Startup Company and SME Confirmation Certificates Applicants for policy funds, guarantees, R&D projects or public tenders are often asked for a startup company confirmation certificate or an SME (small and medium enterprise) confirmation certificate. A startup company is an enterprise within 7 years from its business commencement date (for a corporation, the date of registration of incorporation), and the SME confirmation certificate is issued anew every year based on the settlement of accounts for the preceding year. Self-employed businesses such as restaurants are also eligible for a confirmation certificate as small enterprises or micro enterprises.
- Requirements for the Root Company (Ppuri) Confirmation Certificate The root company confirmation certificate (ppuri company confirmation) is a certificate that a company using root technologies in 14 fields, from the 6 base processes of casting, molds, plastic working, heat treatment, surface treatment and welding to next-generation processes such as precision machining, additive manufacturing, robotics and sensors, receives from the Korea National Ppuri Industry Center. It is valid for 3 years and is used for a higher foreign worker employment quota, the expanded skilled worker (E-7-4) hiring quota, and preferential treatment for policy funds. The first question is whether the industry on the factory registration and the sales composition meet the requirements.
- How to Obtain Performance-Sharing Enterprise Confirmation Performance-sharing enterprise confirmation is a system that confirms small and medium enterprises sharing business performance with their workers, under Article 27-2 of the Special Act on Support for Human Resources of Small and Medium Enterprises. An enterprise that already shares performance is confirmed as a performance-sharing adopting enterprise, and one that has agreed to introduce it in the future is confirmed as a future performance-sharing enterprise; each confirmation is valid for 1 year. It is the starting point for bonus points in government support programs and for reviewing tax treatment related to business performance bonuses.
- Requirements for the Disabled-Owned Business Confirmation Certificate With a disabled-owned business confirmation certificate, a business can receive public procurement benefits such as negotiated contracts with public institutions and bonus points in competitive bidding. For a sole proprietor, the representative must be a registered person with a disability. For a corporation, a person with a disability must be registered as an executive officer with authority to represent the company, and if there are co-representatives, the representative with a disability must hold more voting shares than the representative without a disability. The on-site inspection checks actual management, to confirm that the business is not one that has merely borrowed the name of a person with a disability.
- Obtaining a Women-Owned Business Confirmation Certificate A women-owned business confirmation certificate is a document confirming, under the Act on Support for Female-Owned Businesses, that a business is actually owned and managed by a woman. The application is filed on the Public Purchasing Information Network (SMPP), and an on-site inspection follows the document review. The certificate is valid for 3 years and leads to bonus points in public institution bidding and a wider scope for negotiated contracts.
- Specialized Industrial Design Company Report A company that specializes in industrial design development, research, analysis and consulting can report as a specialized industrial design company to the Korea Institute of Design Promotion under Article 9 of the Industrial Design Promotion Act. Having 1 or more designers for each field is enough, so a 1-person company can also report. After reporting, the company receives a report confirmation certificate and can take part in design service contracts and support programs of the Government and public institutions.
Business certifications & designations
- Child Safety Education Institution Designation Operators of children's facilities must give their staff child safety education, including hands-on first aid practice, every year, and may entrust this education to a child safety education institution designated by the Minister of the Interior and Safety. An organization seeking designation must secure a full-time qualified instructor, a classroom with a floor area of at least 60 m² and training equipment, then submit the designation application with its articles of incorporation, business plan and proof of staff and facilities to the Minister. The processing period stated on the form is 1 month.
- Defense Industry Company Designation A company that wishes to produce defense materiel must meet the facility standards and security requirements and be designated a defense industry company by the Minister of Trade and Industry under Article 35 of the Defense Acquisition Program Act. If the military supply it intends to produce is not yet designated as defense materiel, it may request designation from the Minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration; a designation request is decided within 3 months and a company designation application within 6 months.
- Vocational Training Institution Certification Evaluation and Training Course Review Training institutions that want to take part in government-funded training programs, such as national key and strategic industry training, National Tomorrow Learning Card (vocational skills development account) training and employer-sponsored training, undergo an institution evaluation (commonly called certification evaluation) and a training course review. The legal basis is Articles 7-2 and 53 of the Lifelong Vocational Skills Development Act and the Ministry of Employment and Labor notice on the Quality of Vocational Skills Development Training, and the evaluation and review are carried out by Korea University of Technology and Education (KOREATECH) (Enforcement Decree of the same Act, Article 52(4)). New institutions receive a 'New (1 year)' grade, institutions holding a grade receive 'General (3 years)' or 'Insufficient', and the schedule and criteria follow the evaluation plan announced on HRD-Net each year.
- Youth-Friendly Strong SME (Youth Job Strong Company) Selection From the 2026 selection round, the Youth-Friendly Strong SME program is run under the name 'Youth Job Strong Company', jointly selected by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. It is not a system with its own selection article in a statute; the application eligibility, disqualification criteria and evaluation indicators are set each year in the application notice, so figures such as the minimum number of workers or the minimum credit rating must be checked against the notice for that year. The notice for the 2026 selection covered priority support enterprises under the Employment Insurance Act or small and medium enterprises under the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises whose employment insurance was established on or before December 31, 2022, accepted online applications from August 19 to September 15, 2025, and announced results at the end of December after a document review, an on-site inspection and deliberation by the selection committee.
- Preparing a KS Certification Application KS certification (Korean Industrial Standards product certification) is obtained under Article 15 of the Industrial Standardization Act by a person who manufactures a mining or manufactured product designated by the Minister of Trade and Industry, applying to a certification body for each factory or workplace. The certification examination is divided into a factory examination, which checks whether the technical production conditions of the factory meet the certification examination criteria, and a product examination, which checks whether the product conforms to the Korean Industrial Standards (KS); for new certification, the factory examination covers the factory operation records of the most recent 3 months, including prototype production records. Therefore, before applying, the company must have in-house standards based on KS, secure a qualified quality control manager, and build up at least 3 months of records of operating according to the in-house standards.
- 30-Day Deadline for the Report of Change of a Company-Affiliated Research Institute From February 1, 2026, company-affiliated research institutes and dedicated R&D departments are governed by the Act on Support for Research and Development of Company-Affiliated Research Institutes, Etc. When matters concerning the company and the research institute change, such as the name, location, research field or researchers, a report of change must be filed with the Korea Industrial Technology Association (KOITA) within 30 days from the date the cause arose. Failure to report for more than 1 year is a ground for revocation of recognition.
- Excellent Real Estate Service Provider Certification Requirements and Review Criteria The excellent real estate service provider certification is granted by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport under Article 15 of the Real Estate Service Industry Promotion Act. A business that has completed business registration may apply only if it provides a real estate service as its core service and also provides services in connection with other businesses. The review is carried out within 60 days from the date of receipt, and after certification a periodic inspection takes place every 2 years.
- How to Apply for Green Certification Green certification is a system based on the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth and has three types: green technology certification, green technology product confirmation and green specialized enterprise confirmation. Green technology product confirmation can be applied for when green technology certification has been obtained or is applied for at the same time, and green specialized enterprise confirmation is based on sales related to certified green technology. Before starting, decide whether the purpose of certification is to attract investment or to serve as evidence for bids and support programs.
- Baeknyeon Gage (Hundred-Year Store) Designation Application Baeknyeon Gage (Hundred-Year Store) is a program in which the Ministry of SMEs and Startups evaluates, designates and supports micro enterprise stores that have been in business for 30 years or more. A store taken over from parents and carried on can also apply if it meets the years-in-business requirement, but franchise stores and dealerships are not eligible. Before applying, first check whether the 30 years in business can be proven continuously with documents.
Public procurement
- How to Apply for G-PASS Company Designation G-PASS companies (promising companies for overseas procurement markets) are designated by the Administrator of the Public Procurement Service under Article 28 of the Public Procurement Service Act and the Service's Regulation on Designation, Management and Export Support of Promising Companies for Overseas Procurement Markets. Eligible applicants are small and medium-sized or mid-sized enterprises registered for competitive bidding on KONEPS (the national integrated e-procurement system), and they submit the new designation application and the applicant company documents according to the Public Procurement Service announcement. Under the current regulation, the first-stage review scores 60 quantitative points and 40 non-quantitative points, and an applicant passes when the reviewers' average is 60 points or more and the non-quantitative score is at least 60% of the maximum; the second-stage review is carried out by the Contract Review Council. The designation period is 5 years from the designation date, and from January 1, 2027, an amended regulation changing the review stages and the redesignation period takes effect.
- Performance Certification (EPC), Excellent Procurement Product Designation and Eco-Label Certification Three schemes open public-sector sales channels for technology products: Performance Certification (EPC) by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Excellent Procurement Product designation by the Public Procurement Service, and Eco-Label certification by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. EPC covers technology products developed by SMEs, such as products certified as New Excellent Technology (NET) or New Excellent Product (NEP), and is valid for 4 years; Excellent Procurement Product designation covers goods that implement a patent, utility model or design or hold a statutory certification, and lasts 3 years; Eco-Label certification covers products with improved environmental performance among the product categories announced by the Ministry, and is valid for 3 years. Testing, factory audits and deliberations are carried out by the respective specialized institutions and testing bodies, so the applicant starts by assembling a complete application and technical and quality evidence.
- Designation of Production Facilities for Products Made by Persons with Severe Disabilities Public institutions must give purchasing priority to products made by persons with severe disabilities and may buy them through private contracts. To qualify, a vocational rehabilitation facility for persons with disabilities, a welfare organization for persons with disabilities, or a rehabilitation training facility (a type of mental health rehabilitation facility) must meet the employment requirements for each product (at least 10 participating workers with disabilities, persons with disabilities making up at least 70% of all workers, at least 60% of them with severe disabilities, and at least 50% of total working hours by workers with disabilities) and be designated as a production facility by the Minister of Health and Welfare. The designation is valid for 3 years, and re-designation must be applied for at least 60 days before expiry.
- How to Register for Procurement on Nara Jangteo The Nara Jangteo Comprehensive Shopping Mall is not an open marketplace. Only goods under contract with the Public Procurement Service are listed there. Stage 1, bidding qualification registration, is finished in a few days, but Stage 2, item cataloging and the contract stage, takes longer. Many businesses think they are done once the company is registered, so check all the stages first.
- Requirements for Participating in Regionally Restricted Competitive Bidding When a local government announces a contract below a certain amount as a regionally restricted bid, only businesses whose head office on the corporate register (for an individual, the place of business stated in the business registration or a similar record) is in the metropolitan city or province (si/do) where the construction site or delivery location is situated may participate. A bidder must have its head office in that metropolitan city or province from 180 days before the bid notice date until the bid date, and the successful bidder until the contract date. Moving the head office just before the notice does not satisfy the requirement, so prepare in advance.
- Venture Nara Product Designation Application Procedure Venture Nara is an online product mall exclusively for venture and startup companies, operated by the Public Procurement Service. Goods and services that a venture company, startup company, youth company, social enterprise, social cooperative, self-support enterprise, village enterprise or standard workplace for persons with disabilities produces directly or has produced on consignment by a domestic manufacturer are eligible for designation. Designation is made through deliberation by the Public Procurement Service, by way of a recommending institution. It takes effect once product registration is completed, and the designation period is 6 years.
- Requirements for Adding a Specification to an MSS Innovative Product A small or medium enterprise whose product has been designated as an innovative product by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS innovative product) can, within the designation period, register a product that differs in appearance or non-core performance as a specification addition. The validity period of the added product is the same as that of the originally designated product. The application is not accepted if the item identification number is missing from the application form, so start with registration in the item catalog information system.
- Requirements for a Direct Production Confirmation Certificate Direct production confirmation is a system under Article 9 of the Act on Facilitation of Purchase of Small and Medium Enterprise-Manufactured Products and Support for Development of Their Markets. It confirms that a company actually produces the goods itself when it supplies public institutions with competing products among small and medium enterprises (SME competing products). Leased production facilities are also recognized unless the detailed standards for the item exclude leasing, and production personnel are verified through enrollment records for the 4 major social insurance schemes. The certificate is valid for 2 years from the date of issue.
Business reports & registrations
- How to Report a General Health Functional Food Sales Business To sell health functional foods anywhere other than a pharmacy, you must report a general health functional food sales business to the head of the city, county, or district with jurisdiction over each business place, under Article 6(2) of the Health Functional Foods Act. You must complete 2 hours of safety and hygiene training before reporting, and the authority must notify you of acceptance within 3 days. If you also sell medical devices such as blood pressure monitors or thermometers, you file a separate sales business report under Article 17 of the Medical Devices Act with the same city, county, or district, and if you sell online you also check the mail-order business report requirement.
- How to Report a Public Hygiene Business To run a bathhouse, barbershop, beauty, laundry, or building sanitation management business, you prepare the facilities and equipment for each business type and then report to the head of the city, county, or district with jurisdiction over the business place under Article 3 of the Public Health Control Act. You must complete 3 hours of hygiene training before reporting, and only persons licensed as barbers or beauticians may open a barbershop or beauty business. The beauty business is divided into general, skin care, nail, makeup, and comprehensive types, so the license scope and the reported type must match, and when you close the business you must file a closure report within 20 days.
- Animal Grooming Business Registration Requirements and Facility Standards A dog grooming salon may operate only after registering as an animal grooming business under Article 73 of the Animal Protection Act and attached Table 11 of the Enforcement Rule of the same Act (facility and personnel standards for registered businesses). Under the Building Act, the building must be in Class 1 neighborhood living facility use (where the total floor area of animal grooming salons and similar uses in the same building is under 300 m²) or Class 2 neighborhood living facility use, and the salon must have a reception room separated from the work room, CCTV, and disinfection and ventilation equipment. A 1-person shop can also register, and registration usually takes about 2 weeks.
- Building Sanitation Management Business Report To clean buildings and facilities on behalf of others to keep them clean and purify indoor air, you file a business report as a building sanitation management business under the Public Health Control Act with the mayor, county head or district head. You must meet the equipment standards and complete hygiene training (3 hours) before filing, and operating without a report is punishable by imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won.
- How to File a Mail-Order Business Report A business operator selling goods through an online shopping mall or an online marketplace (open market) must file a mail-order business report with the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office having jurisdiction over the location of its principal office. The operator is exempt from the report if the number of mail-order transactions in the previous year was fewer than 50 or the operator is a simplified taxpayer under the Value-Added Tax Act. If a reported matter such as the trade name, address or domain changes, a report of change is filed within 15 days from the date of the change.
- How to Register a Food Additive Manufacturing Business A food additive manufacturing business is a business of manufacturing or processing chemical synthetics such as sweeteners, colorants and bleaching agents, substances obtained from natural materials, mixed preparations of food additives, and substances for sterilizing and disinfecting apparatus and containers. Under the Food Sanitation Act it is a business registered with the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office, and the facility standards for the food manufacturing and processing business are applied to it. An item manufacturing report is filed for each product to be manufactured, and a self-quality inspection is conducted at least 1 time every 6 months.
- Hygiene Products Manufacturing Business Report: Procedure and Facility Standards Under the Cleansing and Hygiene Products Control Act, anyone who intends to manufacture, process or subdivide hygiene products for sale or for use in business must meet the facility standards set by Ordinance of the Prime Minister and file a business report for hygiene products manufacturing with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office. Even for the same hygiene products, an import business reports to the regional office of food and drug safety, so identify the business type first. After the report, the item manufacturing report for designated items, sanitation education and self-quality inspection follow.
- Hygiene Products Import Business Report To import and sell hygiene products such as detergents, disposable cups, spoons, chopsticks and straws, toilet paper and paper napkins, and disposable diapers and cotton swabs, a business report for a hygiene products import business comes first. The reporting agency is not the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office but the Regional Office of Food and Drug Safety, and the report is filed after an independent office and a sanitary storage warehouse are in place. Even for the same hygiene products, a manufacturing business reports to the city, county or district office, so start by identifying the business type.
- Dog Hotel and Daycare Animal Boarding Business Registration Dog hotels and dog daycares must be registered as an animal boarding business under the Animal Protection Act before they can operate. If the purpose includes showing animals, an animal exhibition business is registered, and if a pick-up service is offered, an animal transport business is registered, each separately by business type. A pet-friendly café additionally needs a separate business report as a rest restaurant (hyuge eumsikjeom) under the Food Sanitation Act.
Restaurant & bar business reports
- Requirements and Procedure for the Outdoor Business Report for Cafe and Restaurant Terraces To place tables on a terrace in front of a cafe or restaurant and operate there, you need an outdoor business report under the Food Sanitation Act. First check whether the outdoor space is directly connected to the indoor business premises, whether you have the right to use that land, and whether it is space that must be kept clear under the Building Act, the Road Act or the Parking Lot Act. If any of these three points is a problem, the report itself will not be accepted.
- Business Permit Procedure for Entertainment Bars and Karaoke Bars Unlike a general restaurant, a karaoke bar (danran jujeom) or an entertainment bar (yuheung jujeom) cannot open with a report alone and must obtain a business permit from the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office. Three conditions decide whether the permit is granted: the building use, the educational environment protection zone around schools, and the fire safety facilities required of publicly used establishments. Check these three before signing a lease.
- How to File a Restaurant Business Report To open a restaurant, the business report comes before business registration. If you plan to sell alcohol with meals, it is a general restaurant (ilban eumsikjeom). If you cook and sell food without alcohol, in forms such as beverages, light meals or fast food, it is a rest restaurant (hyuge eumsikjeom). Decide the business type, check that the building allows that type, then complete sanitation training and obtain health certificates before filing the report.
- How to File a Food Truck Business Report A food truck business is a rest restaurant, general restaurant or bakery business that uses a food vending vehicle, and it is subject to a business report in the same way as an ordinary restaurant. However, the vehicle must be a small or light truck for mobile food sales or a special-purpose type special motor vehicle, and the report can be filed only with a use contract document for a place prescribed by statute and ordinance, such as an urban park, a tourist site or a sports facility. Prepare in this order: securing the place of business, tuning approval and tuning inspection of the vehicle, sanitation education and health examination, and the business report.
- How to File a Contracted Meal Service Business Report To take charge of a group meal service facility of a school, hospital or industrial workplace under a contract and cook and serve food there, you must file a contracted meal service business (contract catering) report under the Food Sanitation Act. The report is filed with the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office having jurisdiction over the location of the place of business. You must have an independent office, refrigerated and frozen storage facilities and transport facilities, and complete the sanitation education for new business operators.
- Temporary Business Report for Pop-Up Stores and Events If food is cooked, sold or served at a pop-up store or at a temporary booth at a festival or event, a report under Article 37 of the Food Sanitation Act is required regardless of the operating period. A business operator who has already filed a business report for an instant sale manufacturing and processing business, a rest restaurant (hyuge eumsikjeom), a general restaurant or a bakery can run a temporary business for a period of up to 1 month at a place other than the reported business premises by submitting documents such as the business report certificate. If there is no prior report, a new business report must be filed. For events hosted, organized or sponsored by a local government, the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) may set the facility standards separately, so check with the competent sanitation department first. The report schedule should be set at the event planning stage so that it is ready by the opening day.
Food manufacturing & distribution businesses
- Organic Processed Food Certification Procedure To label a processed food made from organic farm products as organic, the business must apply for organic processed food certification to a certification body designated by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs under Article 20 of the Act on the Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and Fisheries and the Management of and Support for Organic Foods. The certification body notifies the audit schedule within 10 days of receiving the application and conducts a document review and an on-site audit, and the processing period on the application form is 50 days. The certification is valid for 1 year, so a business that wants to keep it applies for renewal no later than 2 months before the validity period ends.
- HACCP Certification Application Procedure and Documents HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is a standard that analyzes hazards from raw materials through manufacturing, processing and distribution, sets critical control points and manages them intensively. For food it is based on Article 48 of the Food Sanitation Act, and for livestock products on Article 9 of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act. Mandatory foods such as fish cakes, frozen processed seafood, breads, kimchi and ready-to-eat foods, and businesses such as meat processing, dairy processing, egg processing and meat packing must comply with the standard, while other businesses may apply voluntarily. The application, with an HACCP plan attached, is submitted to the Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services, and a certificate is issued after document review and an on-site inspection. Certification is valid for 3 years, and a renewal application must be filed at least 60 days before expiry to keep it.
- How to Register a Food Manufacturing and Processing Business To make food and supply it to other businesses or sell it online or through distribution channels, you must register a food manufacturing and processing business under the Food Sanitation Act with the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office where the place of business is located. It is a different type of business from the instant sale manufacturing and processing business, which sells directly to consumers at the shop. Registration is granted only when the partitioning and flow lines of the workplace meet the facility standards, and a product can be produced only after an item manufacturing report has been filed for it.
- Food Subdivision Business Report: Procedure and Facility Standards To divide bulk food into smaller portions, repackage it and sell it, you must file a food subdivision business report under the Food Sanitation Act. The facility standards for workplaces of the food manufacturing and processing business apply to the subdivision room, so unlike an ordinary shop a separate work space is required, and some items may not be subdivided. A business report certificate is issued when you report, and where the facilities need to be verified, the official in charge checks the site within 15 days after issuance.
- How to Report an Instant Sale Manufacturing and Processing Business An instant sale manufacturing and processing business makes food at its own premises and sells it directly to final consumers. It is reported to the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office. Online sales by parcel delivery and the like are allowed, but supplying supermarkets or distributors is not. If you are also thinking of supplying other businesses, designing the premises to the food manufacturing and processing business standards from the start avoids doing the construction work twice.
- Business Report Requirements for a Food Transportation Business A business that specializes in transporting foods prone to spoilage or deterioration, such as fish and shellfish and their processed products and lactic acid bacteria beverages (including sterilized lactic acid bacteria beverages), is subject to a food transportation business report under Article 21 of the Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act. To transport livestock products such as meat, separately consider a livestock product transportation business report under the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act. A food-only vehicle with a refrigerated or freezer cargo compartment, a garage and an office are required. If you carry other people's food for payment, a trucking transport business permit must also be considered separately.
- Business Report for a Distribution-Specialized Food Sales Business To have a food manufacturer produce food on consignment and sell it under your own trademark without operating your own factory, you must file a business report for a distribution-specialized food sales business under the Food Sanitation Act. Before reporting, you complete prior sanitation education and attach the certificate of completion to the business report form. The contract manufacturing agreement and a copy of the contract manufacturer's business registration certificate are not statutory attachments, but prepare them in advance in case you are asked to show them. Many people starting a meal kit, sauce or convenience food brand go through this procedure.
Livestock product processing & distribution
- Egg Collection and Sales Business Report An egg collection and sales business collects, processes or buys eggs and sells them as a specialized business, and it is a livestock product sales business report under Article 24 of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act and Article 21, Item 7(f) of its Enforcement Decree, not under the Food Sanitation Act. After preparing the business premises and completing 6 hours of new-operator hygiene training, you file a business report with the city, county or district where the premises are located, and the office notifies acceptance within 3 days. Eggs must in principle be graded and packed at an egg grading and packing plant, and repackaging packed eggs for sale is prohibited except for bulk packs of 300 or more eggs bought from another egg collection and sales operator or where the operator holds HACCP (safety management certified business) certification. A plain distribution business can therefore start with the report alone, while a business that plans to subdivide or repackage should schedule certification at the same time.
- Livestock Product Storage Business Permit Requirements and Procedure A livestock product storage business is a freezing and refrigeration business that stores livestock products frozen or chilled, and under Article 22 of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act it requires a permit for each workplace from the mayor of a special self-governing city, governor of a special self-governing province, or the mayor, county head or district head. The workplace must meet the facility standards in Annex 10 of the Enforcement Rule (a separate building or separation from facilities used for other purposes, partitioned pre-freezing, freezer and cold rooms, external thermometers, lighting of at least 75 lux, and so on), and a person who intends to operate the business must first complete 6 hours of hygiene training. Once the permit application (Form No. 16) is filed, the permitting authority must give notice of its decision within 8 days, and if neither a decision nor an extension of the processing period is notified within that period, the permit is deemed granted. Operating without a permit, or without a change permit for the freezer and cold rooms, is punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 100,000,000 won.
- Meat Processing Business Permit Requirements and Item Manufacturing Report Making and selling meat products such as ham, sausages, bacon, dried and preserved meat and seasoned meat is a meat processing business, a type of livestock products processing business under the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, and a permit is required for each workplace. The workplace must be separated from facilities used for other purposes, with lighting of at least 220 lux and temperature control that keeps the processing room within 15°C, and the operator completes 6 hours of livestock products hygiene training before opening. The permit fee is 10,000 won (9,000 won online), and an item manufacturing report is filed for each product before production starts or within 7 days after it starts. Meat processing business operators must comply with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points standards), so it is safer to design the permit floor plan to HACCP standards from the start.
- Meat Packaging Business Permit To cut, package and distribute meat, you need a meat packaging business permit under the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act. The building must in principle be for factory use, and a residential building is not allowed. HACCP is being made mandatory in stages by sales volume and applies to all businesses from January 1, 2029, so it is advisable to match the permit drawings to the HACCP standards from the start.
Alcohol manufacturing & distribution
- How to Apply for a Liquor Sales Business License Under Article 5 of the Liquor License Act, anyone who buys and resells liquor must obtain a liquor sales business license from the head of the competent tax office for each type of sales business and for each store. The specific liquor wholesale business, which buys takju, yakju, cheongju, traditional liquor and similar products from manufacturers and wholesales them, requires a warehouse of 22㎡ or more, and shops whose main business is selling liquor, such as wine shops and bottle shops, obtain a specialty retail license within the liquor retail business. Places whose main business is something else, such as general restaurants or convenience stores, are deemed licensed once they file a report with the tax office, but places that sell liquor on its own need a formal license. The processing period on the application form is 40 days, and the fee is 50,000 won for specific liquor wholesale and 30,000 won for liquor retail. Selling liquor without a license is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won under Article 6 of the Punishment of Tax Offenses Act.
- How to Apply for Liquor Quality Certification Liquor quality certification is carried out under Article 22 of the Traditional Liquor Industry Promotion Act to improve liquor quality and protect consumers, and breweries holding a liquor manufacturing license apply for it product by product. Certification standards are published for 8 liquor types, namely takju (makgeolli), yakju, cheongju, fruit wine, distilled soju, general distilled spirits, liqueur and other liquors, and the review covers the manufacturing method, the manufacturing site (facilities and quality control) and product quality (physicochemical and sensory). The application is submitted to a quality certification body designated by the Director of the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service; the processing period on the form is 45 days and the certification is valid for 3 years from the date of certification. Displaying a quality certification mark on uncertified liquor is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won.
- How to Apply for a Traditional Liquor Manufacturing License To make liquor, you must meet the facility standards for each type of liquor at each manufacturing site and obtain a liquor manufacturing license from the head of the competent tax office under Article 3 of the Liquor License Act. Regional specialty liquor, made by agricultural business entities or producer organizations from agricultural products they grow themselves or that are produced in the city, county or district where the manufacturing site is located and adjacent ones, first requires a manufacturing license recommendation from the Mayor/Do Governor under Article 8 of the Traditional Liquor Industry Promotion Act, and a copy of that recommendation is attached to the license application. A regional specialty liquor manufacturing site is subject to facility standards different from those for general liquor (Enforcement Decree, Annex 1, item 3), such as a brewing room of 10 m2 or more for takju, yakju and cheongju.
- Liquor Import License and Imported Food Import-Sales Business Registration in Korea To import and sell alcoholic beverages, you need both a liquor import-export business license under the Liquor License Act (competent tax office) and an imported food import-sales business registration under the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control (regional Ministry of Food and Drug Safety office). The basic requirement for the liquor import-export license is a trade business code, and importing liquor other than ethyl alcohol also requires a warehouse of at least 22㎡. The business registration is filed after securing an independent office and a hygienic storage warehouse and completing 4 hours of hygiene training in advance.
General business permits
- Clan and Family Cemetery Permits and Individual Grave Reports Private cemeteries installed by anyone other than the State or a local government are divided under Article 14 of the Act on Funeral Services, etc. into individual graves, family cemeteries, clan cemeteries, and corporate cemeteries. An individual grave must be reported to the mayor, county governor, or district head within 30 days after installation, while family cemeteries and clan cemeteries require a permit before installation. The processing period on the forms is 7 days for an individual grave report and 10 days for a family or clan cemetery permit, and the maximum area is 30 ㎡ for an individual grave, 100 ㎡ for a family cemetery, and 1,000 ㎡ for a clan cemetery.
- Emigration Agency Business Registration Anyone who wishes to run, as a business, the recruitment or placement of emigrants, filing emigration reports on behalf of others, filing emigration entry visa applications on behalf of others, emigration consulting and guidance, or settlement support for emigrants must register an emigration agency business with the Commissioner of the Overseas Koreans Agency under Article 10 of the Emigration Act. Only corporations may register, and the registration requirements are paid-in capital (basic property for non-profit corporations) of 100,000,000 won or more and guarantee insurance with an insured amount of 300,000,000 won or more (Enforcement Decree of the same Act, Article 16). The processing period for the registration application is 20 days and there is no fee.
- Festival and Outdoor Event Permit Checklist An outdoor festival, performance or broadcast filming event is not covered by a single permit; separate reports and permits apply for safety, venue, structures, food and filming. Under Article 11, Paragraph 4 of the Performance Act and Article 9, Paragraph 3 of its Enforcement Decree, a performance outside a registered performance hall that is expected to draw 1,000 or more spectators requires a disaster response plan to be reported to the city, county or district jointly with the venue operator by 14 days before the performance starts. Under Article 66-11 of the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, a local festival expected to have 1,000 or more spectators at its peak, held on a mountain or water surface, or using fire, fireworks or flammable gas must submit a local festival safety management plan by 3 weeks before the opening day. A stage or tent in an urban park needs park occupancy permission, temporary buildings such as temporary entertainment venues and filming facilities need a construction report, food sales follow the temporary business procedure under the Food Sanitation Act, and drone filming may need flight approval depending on the airspace and flight method. The schedule should be worked backward from the procedure with the earliest deadline so that everything is ready by the opening day.
- Job Information Service Business Report A business that provides job openings and job seeker information through newspapers, magazines or computer communications such as the internet and apps is a job information service business under the Employment Security Act, and it must be reported to the competent regional employment and labor office before starting. The report form is filed with attachments such as a business plan including a revenue and expenditure budget; processing takes 7 days and there is no fee. Running the business without reporting is punishable by imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won. After reporting, you must follow compliance rules such as verifying the identity of employers, not posting openings below the minimum wage and displaying your report number, and directly matching employers with job seekers counts as job placement, which requires separate registration.
- Exclusion from Prohibited Facilities in Educational Environment Protection Zones The area within a straight-line distance of 200m from a school boundary or planned school site boundary is an educational environment protection zone; up to 50m from the school gate is the absolute protection zone and the rest is the relative protection zone. Article 9 of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments prohibits activities and facilities such as lodging, singing practice rooms, game provision businesses and karaoke bars in these zones, but in the relative protection zone, items 14 to 27 and 29 to 32 may be excluded after review. The application is filed with the superintendent of education or the delegated head of the district office of education, and the Local Educational Environment Protection Committee at the district office decides with the approval of at least 2/3 of members present. Without an exclusion decision, the relevant administrative agency must refuse the business permit or report, so the review comes before business preparation.
- Fee-Charging Job Placement Business Registration Anyone who wants to connect job seekers with employers for a fee must register a fee-charging job placement business under Article 19 of the Employment Security Act. If the worker will be employed in Korea, registration is made with the mayor, county head or district head having jurisdiction over the main office; if the worker will be employed abroad, with the Minister of Employment and Labor. The registration certificate is issued once the representative (2 or more officers for a corporation) holds a statutory qualification, an exclusive office of at least 10 square meters is secured, a job counselor is placed at each office, and guarantee insurance (10,000,000 won per domestic office) is in place.
- Measuring Instrument Manufacturing and Repair Business Registration and Import Business Report in Korea A business that manufactures or repairs measuring instruments registers under Article 7 of the Measures Act, and a business that imports measuring instruments files a report under Article 9. By law the authority is the Mayor/Do Governor, but the Enforcement Decree delegates it to the head of the si/gun/gu, so the district office where the business is located receives the filing. Registration requires inspection equipment for each instrument type and test room environment standards, and instruments subject to type approval need separate type approval before manufacture or import.
- Security Services Business Permit Requirements and Procedure Only a corporation may run a security services business. It must specify the security services it intends to provide and obtain a permit from the commissioner of the city or provincial police agency having jurisdiction over its principal office. The capital, security personnel, facility and equipment standards differ for facility security, escort security, personal protection, machine (electronic) security, special security, and crowd and traffic guidance security. From January 8, 2026, a training site is no longer part of the permit requirements.
Construction contractor registration
- Construction Business Registration Requirements and Documents To engage in the construction business, you must register by meeting the technical capability, capital and office standards for each business type. Minor construction work for which the estimated construction amount of 1 project is less than 50,000,000 won for general construction work or less than 15,000,000 won for specialized construction work can be carried out without registration. When applying, you also submit a confirmation of guaranteeable amount covering at least the capital standard.
- Electrical Construction Business Registration Requirements To run an electrical construction business, you register with the mayor or governor of the city or province having jurisdiction over the principal business office, and the application is submitted to the designated construction business association. The registration criteria are 3 or more electrical construction engineers (at least 1 being a professional engineer, master craftsman, engineer or industrial engineer), capital of 150,000,000 won or more and an office, and a guarantee capacity confirmation stating that an amount equal to or above the capital standard can be guaranteed is submitted together. Before 5 years have passed since registration, the registration criteria are reported when 3 years have passed.
- Information and Communications Construction Business Registration Requirements To run an information and communications construction business, you register with the mayor or governor of the city or province having jurisdiction over the principal business office. The registration criteria are capital (asset valuation for individuals) of 150,000,000 won or more, 3 or more technical-track information and communications engineers (1 at intermediate level or higher) and 1 or more skill-track engineers, and an office, and a confirmation of a deposit or contribution of 10% or more of the capital standard amount is submitted together. If the business office, representative or engineers change, a report of change is filed within 30 days.
- Engineering Business Operator Report Requirements To conduct engineering activities such as design, supervision, feasibility studies, testing and inspection as a business, you secure technical staff and an office and report to the Minister of Trade and Industry as an engineering business operator. An engineering business needs at least 3 technical engineering engineers per specialized field, including 1 special-grade engineer, and an engineering consulting business needs at least 1 special-grade engineer. Acceptance is notified within 30 days of the report.
Factory & facility permits
- Clan Natural Burial Ground and Tree Burial Forest Report Under Article 16(3) of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc., a clan (jongjung or munjung) must report a natural burial ground or tree burial forest to the competent mayor, county head or district head before creating it. Each clan may create only one site, the area must be 2,000㎡ or less, and individual markers are limited to 250㎠ or less. The processing period stated on the report form is 10 days, and creating a site without reporting can lead to an administrative fine and an order to relocate or modify it. It is important to prove the clan's decision through its bylaws or a general meeting resolution and to confirm first that the land is not in a restricted area.
- Reporting the Appointment of an Information and Communications Facility Maintenance Manager The owner or manager (managing entity) of information and communications facilities installed in a building classified by use under the Building Act with a total floor area of 5,000㎡ or more (excluding multi-unit housing and some school facilities) must appoint an information and communications facility maintenance manager or outsource maintenance work to an information and communications construction business operator. Existing buildings newly covered by the amendment of the Enforcement Decree on October 29, 2024 are deemed to have appointed a manager until July 18, 2025 for 30,000㎡ or more, July 18, 2026 for 10,000㎡ or more but less than 30,000㎡, and July 18, 2027 for 5,000㎡ or more but less than 10,000㎡, so the obligation applies from the following day. When a manager is appointed or dismissed, an appointment or dismissal report must be filed with the city, county or district within 30 days, and after a dismissal a new manager must be appointed within 30 days. The managing entity must conduct a performance inspection at least once a year and keep the inspection records for 5 years. Failing to appoint a maintenance manager or to prepare inspection records is subject to a fine of up to 3,000,000 won, and failing to file an appointment or dismissal report is subject to a fine of up to 1,000,000 won.
- Cleaning Up Remaining Permits After a Factory Relocation or Sale Even if you move a factory elsewhere or sell it, the factory registration, air and wastewater discharge facility permits or reports, hazardous material manufacturing facility permits and hazardous chemical business permits attached to the old factory are not cleared automatically; each law requires its own report. If the facilities are removed, you file closure or abolition reports; if another company takes over and keeps using them, a succession report is filed. To close air emission or prevention facilities you file a change report before closing, to close all wastewater discharge facilities you file a change report within 30 days of closing, and a hazardous material manufacturing facility must be reported within 14 days of abolishing its use. A company that succeeds to a hazardous material manufacturing facility or a hazardous chemical business must report within 30 days of succession. For factory registration, you apply for a change of registration within 2 months when registered items such as the company name, site area or industry change, and if manufacturing facilities are removed with no intention of continuing manufacturing, the mayor, county head or district head may cancel the registration.
- Logistics Warehouse Business Registration Requirements and Documents Storing cargo in a logistics warehouse for a fee at the request of cargo owners, or loading, unloading, sorting, packing or labeling it, is a logistics warehouse business. You must register if the total floor area of the storage facilities you use directly is 1,000㎡ or more, or if the total area of storage yards is 4,500㎡ or more, and the application must include a business operation plan that contains a fire safety management plan. Under the application form, the processing period is 14 days and the fee is 10,000 won, and warehouses inside the port area of a state-managed trade port such as Incheon Port or Gyeongin Port are registered with the Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries.
- Factory Registration Procedure and Required Documents Approval for factory establishment is a prior procedure obtained before a factory is built or installed, and factory registration is the procedure for registering a factory that has actually been installed. For a factory with a factory building area of 500 m² or more, the statutory process is approval for factory establishment followed by a completion report, after which the factory is registered; a smaller factory can also apply for registration and use it for policy funds, confirmation of direct production and similar purposes. There are many cases where registration turns out to be impossible after a building has been leased, so checking before the contract comes first.
- Approval for Installation of Manufacturing Facilities: Scope and Procedure To install manufacturing facilities and run a manufacturing business in a factory building with a factory building area of 500 m² or more that was built under approval for factory establishment without specifying the type of business, or whose factory registration was cancelled, you must obtain approval for installation of manufacturing facilities from the head of the city, county or district (si/gun/gu). Installing without approval is punishable by imprisonment for up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won. After installation is finished, a report of completion is filed, which leads to factory registration.
- How to Apply for an Industrial Complex Occupancy Contract To run a manufacturing or other business in an industrial complex, you must sign an occupancy contract with the management agency before purchasing, acquiring or leasing industrial land or a factory. If you submit an industrial complex occupancy contract application with a business plan, the management agency decides within 5 days whether to sign and issues an occupancy contract confirmation. When changing the company name, business type, site area or building area, a new change contract is signed.
- Signboard Permit and Report Criteria To put up outdoor advertisements such as signboards and banners in urban areas and similar places, you obtain a permit from or file a report with the mayor, county head or district head depending on the type and size. A wall signboard requires a permit if one side is 10m or longer, and a report if its area is 5㎡ or more or it is placed on the 4th floor or higher; rooftop signboards, pole signboards 4m or higher, and neon or LED signboards with exposed light sources require a permit. The result is notified within 10 days for a permit and 5 days for a report, or 20 days if deliberation is required.
Building administration
- Responding to a Restoration Order for an Illegal Farm Hut Under Article 54 of the Farmland Act, mayors, county governors and district heads regularly survey the ownership, use and conversion of farmland. If the survey finds that a farm hut exceeds 20㎡ in total floor area or is used as a residence, or otherwise falls outside the standards in Article 3-2 of the Enforcement Rule of the Farmland Act, the authority may treat it as unauthorized conversion and order restoration to the original state (Article 42). If restoration is not completed within the order period, an enforcement fine of 25% of the higher of the appraised value or the individual publicly announced land price may be imposed every year until the order is carried out. The farmland owner or the person who installed the hut should submit a statement of explanation at the prior notice stage and decide on a correction method: removal or downsizing, or conversion to a rural stay shelter through a temporary building report and farmland ledger registration.
- Amending Apartment Management Rules and Reporting Under Article 18 of the Multi-Family Housing Management Act, apartment management rules are the self-governing rules of a housing complex that residents set with reference to the standard management rules issued by the mayor or governor of the metropolitan city or province, and they also bind persons who succeed to a resident's status. To amend the rules, a draft stating the purpose of the amendment, the changes from the existing rules and the differences from the standard rules is posted on the complex website and on each building's notice board, and a summary of the draft is sent to each resident; the amendment is then proposed by resolution of the residents' representative council or in writing by at least one tenth of all residents and decided by approval of a majority of all residents. Approval may be given in writing or by electronic voting. Once the amendment is complete, the chair of the residents' representative council must report it to the competent city, county or district within 30 days of the amendment, and failure to report is subject to a fine for negligence of up to 3,000,000 won.
- Building Use Change Permit, Report and Building Indication Change Application To change the use of a building that has received use approval, first check which of the 9 facility groups the use moves to under Article 19 of the Building Act. A change to a higher facility group requires a permit from the mayor, county head or district head, a change to a lower group requires a report, and a change within the same group requires an application to change the entries in the building register. The registration authority for food manufacturing and processing businesses checks the building register through shared administrative information, so a business preparing for business registration or a factory use conversion should align the register use before registering. Under the forms, the processing period is 5 days for a use change report (20 days if consultation is needed) and 7 days for a building indication change application. Changing the use without a permit or report in an urban area is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 500,000,000 won.
- Converting a Residential Lodging Facility into an Officetel A residential lodging facility (saenghwal-sukbak-siseol) is a lodging facility under the Building Act, so using it as a home requires changing its use to an officetel or similar. Lodging facilities belong to the business facility group, while officetels are business facilities in the residential and office facility group, so converting a residential lodging facility into an officetel is a change to a lower facility group and is made by a use change report to the Mayor, county head or district head. The converted building must meet the officetel construction standards. For a residential lodging facility whose building permit was applied for on or before October 16, 2024, a corridor with rooms on both sides may be 1.5 meters or wider instead of 1.8 meters once the competent fire station chief recognizes its fire safety and the local building committee deliberates on it. If the building is used as a home without a change of use and a corrective order is not complied with, charges for compelling compliance are imposed.
- How to Report a Temporary Building and Extend Its Retention Period To build a temporary building on an urban or county planning facility or a planned site for one, a permit from the mayor, county head or district head is required under Article 20(1) of the Building Act. Uses listed in Article 15(5) of the Enforcement Decree, such as temporary buildings for construction work, container temporary offices, storage or lodging, and agricultural vinyl greenhouses of 100㎡ or more in residential, commercial or industrial areas, may start work after a construction report. The retention period for reported temporary buildings is within 3 years and can be extended by up to 3 years at a time as many times as the building ordinance allows, while those for construction work last until the work is completed. To extend, file at least 7 days before expiry for reported buildings and at least 14 days before expiry for permitted buildings.
- Special Measures Act for Legalizing Illegal Buildings The Act on Special Measures for the Arrangement of Specific Buildings will be in force for 18 months from December 17, 2026. It is not a system that legalizes every illegal building. It gives a time-limited opportunity for approval for use to buildings such as residential buildings of a certain size or smaller that were effectively completed as of December 31, 2023. Rather than whether an application can be filed, first judge whether the building can actually reach approval for use.
Environmental & waste permits
- Waste Treatment Report: Who Must File and What to Submit The waste treatment report under Article 46 of the Wastes Control Act lets a business collect, transport or recycle other people's waste by filing a report instead of obtaining a permit. Sites that collect and transport, or sort, compress, reduce or cut, waste paper, scrap metal, waste packaging and waste electric wire must file if they are 1,000㎡ or larger in a special or metropolitan city or 2,000㎡ or larger in a city or county, while collecting and transporting used clothing discharged as household waste, waste tires, waste electrical appliances and similar items requires a report regardless of site size. A business that only collects and transports needs at least one collection vehicle and a contact point or office, and submits the Form No. 56 report to the city or province with jurisdiction over the site at least 15 days before starting waste treatment. The city or province notifies acceptance within 20 days, and recycling listed in Annex 16 of the Enforcement Rule, such as composting or turning waste into feed, is reported in the same way.
- Waste Recycling Business Permit in Korea The intermediate recycling business that turns waste into intermediate processed waste, the final recycling business that recycles intermediate processed waste according to the recycling principles, and the comprehensive recycling business that does both require a waste disposal business permit under Article 25 of the Wastes Control Act. A recycling business may apply for the permit directly without the business plan suitability notice procedure, but disqualifications, location, facility standards and effects on the surrounding environment are still reviewed under the same criteria. Designated waste is permitted by the regional environmental office, and other waste by the city or province. After the permit, changes of waste to be recycled, location or capacity require a change permit, changes of trade name, representative or technical capability require a change report within 30 days, and a suitability confirmation must be obtained every 5 years. Operating without a permit or continuing to operate without a suitability confirmation is punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 50,000,000 won.
- Nature Conservation Project Agent Registration Requirements A nature conservation project agent is a business that carries out the design and construction, as well as the follow-up management and monitoring, of nature conservation projects such as nature restoration projects, ecosystem conservation charge refund projects and substitute nature creation projects on behalf of the project operator, and it must register under Article 50-2 of the Natural Environment Conservation Act. To register, you need the 5 technical staff listed in Annex 3 of the Enforcement Decree, an office for the work, and capital of at least 500,000,000 won for a corporation or at least 1,000,000,000 won for an individual. The application is filed with the Nature Restoration Support Center, and the processing period is 20 days for registration and 7 days for change registration. After registration, you must file a change registration within 60 days of any change in trade name, representative, location, technical staff or capital, and report your annual agency performance by the end of February of the following year.
- Private Sewage Treatment Facility Design and Construction Business Registration Standards To run a business designing and constructing private sewage treatment facilities such as septic tanks and sewage treatment facilities, you must register a private sewage treatment facility design and construction business with the mayor, county head or district head (including the Special Self-Governing City Mayor and Special Self-Governing Province Governor) having jurisdiction over your office, under Article 51 of the Sewerage Act. The registration standards are in Annex 4 of the Enforcement Decree, requiring an office and laboratory, laboratory equipment for 6 test items, drafting equipment or a CAD computer, and 4 technical staff: 1 in civil engineering or architecture, 1 in mechanical or electrical fields, and 2 in water quality or chemical engineering. The processing period is 10 days and the fee is 23,000 won. After registration, if the trade name, representative, technical staff, office location or laboratory location changes, you must file a change report within 30 days.
- Specific Construction Prior Report and Fugitive Dust Business Report There are 2 reports a construction site files with the city, county or district environment department before construction starts. The specific construction prior report under Article 22 of the Noise and Vibration Control Act applies to works using equipment in Annex 9 of the Enforcement Rule, such as excavators, breakers and pile drivers, for 5 days or more, including building works of 1,000㎡ or more in total floor area and demolition of 3,000㎡ or more. The fugitive dust business report under Article 43 of the Clean Air Conservation Act applies to works at or above the scale in Annex 13 of the Enforcement Rule, such as building construction of 1,000㎡ or more in total floor area and earthworks of 1,000㎡ or more. For contracted works, both reports are filed before construction starts by the party that first received the contract from the client, with the mayor, county head or district head having jurisdiction over the site.
- Environmental Consulting Company Registration Requirements A company doing work such as surveying and analyzing environmental regulations, advising on environmental permit procedures and diagnosing the environmental performance of business sites registers as an environmental consulting company with the metropolitan city mayor or provincial governor if it wants to receive support under the Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act. It must have at least 1 person who qualifies as senior personnel and at least 2 who qualify as general personnel. If its trade name, location, executive officers, technical personnel or business purpose changes, it must register the change within 60 days.
- Waste Collection and Transportation Business Permit Procedure To run a business collecting waste and transporting it to recycling or disposal sites, you submit a waste treatment business plan, receive a suitability notice, and then obtain a permit after securing facilities, equipment and technical capability. Designated waste is handled by the regional environmental office, and other waste by the city or province. A collection and transportation business must apply for the permit within 6 months from the date of the suitability notice.
- Measurement Agency Business Registration Procedure To measure air pollutants, indoor air, odor, water pollutants, noise and vibration, or light pollution at business sites on behalf of others, you secure technical capability, facilities and equipment and register a measurement agency business with the mayor or governor (or the mayor of a large city with a population of 500,000 or more). Before applying, you must first receive a proficiency test and on-site evaluation from the National Institute of Environmental Research and obtain a certificate of suitability.
- Permit Procedure for an Intermediate Waste Disposal Business An intermediate waste disposal business is a business of intermediate disposal of waste by methods such as incineration, mechanical disposal, and chemical or biological disposal. First submit a waste treatment business plan and receive a notice of suitability, then put in place the facilities, equipment and technical capability within the deadline and apply for the permit. Designated waste is handled by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (regional environmental offices), and other waste by the metropolitan city or province (si/do).
- Registration Requirements for a Measuring Device Management Agency Business A measuring device management agency business manages measuring devices on behalf of business sites that have installed automatic stack measuring devices or automatic water quality measuring devices. It is registered by meeting the facility, equipment and technical personnel standards set by Presidential Decree, under the Clean Air Conservation Act for the air field and the Water Environment Conservation Act for the water quality field. The field to be registered must be decided first before the personnel and equipment budget can be worked out.
- Business Waste Discharger Report, Report of Change, and Managing Electronic Manifests on Allbaro When business waste above a certain scale is generated at a factory, construction site, large business site or the like, a discharger report is filed with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office, and electronic manifests are managed through the Allbaro system of the Korea Environment Corporation. Designated waste such as waste oil and waste acid is subject not to a discharger report but to confirmation of a treatment plan. If the trade name, the location, or the treatment plan (treatment method) for each type of waste changes, a report of change is filed within 1 month from the date the cause arises.
Chemicals & household chemical products
- Chemical Import Report and Chemical Confirmation Statement Anyone who intends to import a chemical substance or a mixture containing chemical substances must, under Article 9 of the Chemicals Control Act, confirm whether its components are existing or new chemical substances, acute human hazardous, chronic human hazardous or ecological hazardous substances, permitted, restricted or prohibited substances, or accident preparedness substances, and submit a chemical confirmation statement to the Korea Environment Corporation. If any component is a human or environmental hazardous substance, an import report must be filed with the river basin (regional) environmental office under Article 20 of the same Act (processing time 2 days), and the material safety data sheet (MSDS) under Article 110 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act must be submitted to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency before import. The three procedures go to different agencies on different forms, so it is important to organize the component data once.
- Safety-Confirmation Household Chemical Products Approval and Reporting Anyone who manufactures or imports a safety-confirmation household chemical product must complete the procedure before release under Article 10 of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act. If a safety standard has been published for the item, the product must be confirmed as conforming by a designated testing and inspection institution and reported within 30 days from the date the result is notified; the confirmation is valid for 3 years. If no safety standard has been published, approval from the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment must be obtained by submitting data on contained substances, hazards and exposure; the application is received by the National Institute of Chemical Safety, which notifies the result within 90 days. The procedure applies to companies that manufacture in Korea directly or through contract manufacturing and to importers of foreign products.
- Hazardous Chemical Business Permit and Business Report: Procedure and Documents Businesses that manufacture, sell, store, transport or use hazardous chemicals must obtain a business permit or file a business report with the regional (river basin) environmental office for each workplace, according to the business categories in Article 27 of the Chemicals Control Act. Installing and operating a facility that handles hazardous chemicals at or above the lower threshold quantity, or transporting more than 1 ton at a time, requires a business permit; handling at or above the lowest threshold quantity but below the lower threshold quantity requires a business report; and selling without any handling facility requires a sales business report under Article 29-3. Nicotine and its salts are designated as acute human-hazardous substances when a mixture contains 1% or more, so businesses that import or sell e-cigarette liquid with 1% or more nicotine also go through this procedure. The processing period for a business permit is 15 days and the fee is 30,000 won.
Healthcare, medicines & medical devices
- Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Business Permit Application Procedure and Documents Anyone who intends to manufacture pharmaceuticals as a business must, under Article 31(1) of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, equip the facilities required by the Decree on Facility Standards for Manufacturers and Importers of Pharmaceuticals, Etc. and obtain a manufacturing business permit from the Regional Office of Food and Drug Safety with jurisdiction over the manufacturing site. The application is Form No. 1 of the Rules on Safety of Pharmaceuticals, Etc., the processing time is 25 days, and the applicant's medical certificate and qualification documents for the pharmacist or herbal pharmacist manufacturing manager for each site must be attached. Separately from the manufacturing permit, each pharmaceutical to be sold requires an item permit or item report.
- Advanced Regenerative Medicine Institution Designation: Documents and Standards Under Article 10 of the Act on the Safety of and Support for Advanced Regenerative Medicine and Advanced Biological Products, a medical institution that wants to conduct advanced regenerative medicine clinical research or advanced regenerative medicine treatment must be designated as an advanced regenerative medicine institution by the Minister of Health and Welfare. All medical institutions except midwifery clinics are eligible, and they must have a storage room for human cells, a records room, a testing room and a procedure room, as well as a lead investigator, investigator, human cell manager and information manager. The processing period for the designation application is 20 days, and even after designation each research plan or treatment plan must be separately reviewed by the review committee before it can be carried out. Performing advanced regenerative medicine without designation is punishable by up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 50,000,000 won.
- Tissue Bank Establishment Permit and Renewal Documents To collect, process, import, store or distribute human tissue such as bone, cartilage, skin, amniotic membrane and heart valves for transplantation, a tissue bank establishment permit is required under Article 13 of the Act on the Safety and Management of Human Tissue, and the application is filed with the Regional Office of Food and Drug Safety with jurisdiction over the location. Those eligible are medical institutions, non-profit corporations whose main purpose is tissue-related business, tissue processors and tissue importers, and tissue processors and tissue importers may not perform tissue donation or collection. The permit is valid for 3 years, and to keep operating you must apply for renewal at least 60 days before the expiry date. Establishing a tissue bank without a permit is punishable by up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 50,000,000 won.
- Pharmaceutical Wholesaler Permit Requirements and Documents Under Article 45 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, anyone other than a pharmacy operator who wants to sell pharmaceuticals or acquire them for sale must obtain a pharmaceutical wholesaler permit. The permit is issued by the mayor, county head or district head with jurisdiction over the business office, and the applicant must have a business office and a warehouse (165㎡ or more in general, 66㎡ or more if handling only imported drugs, reagents and raw-material drugs) and capital or equity of 500,000,000 won or more (200,000,000 won or more if handling only imported drugs, safe household drugs, reagents, raw-material drugs, herbal medicines, etc.). The wholesale business must be managed by a pharmacist, but a wholesaler that outsources storage and delivery to another qualified wholesaler may operate without its own warehouse and business manager. The processing period on the application form is 7 days, and the permit is issued after a facility inspection.
- Medical Device Advertising Pre-Review: Scope and Procedure Under Article 25 of the Medical Devices Act, anyone who wants to advertise a medical device through designated media must first be reviewed by a self-regulatory review body that has reported to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Covered media are television and radio, general daily and weekly newspapers, internet newspapers and magazines, banners, posters, leaflets and transit advertising, electronic display boards, internet media operated by mail-order sellers such as online stores, and social media with an average of 100,000 or more daily users. The review is valid for 3 years from the date of approval, and to continue advertising you must apply again 6 months before expiry. If you disagree with the result, you may request a re-review within 30 days of notice, and you may file an objection with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety within 30 days of notice of the re-review result.
- Registration as a Medical Institution Attracting Foreign Patients: Procedure and Requirements A medical institution that intends to attract foreign patients must register with the Mayor or Governor of its metropolitan city or province (the Si/Do Governor) under Article 6 of the Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients (the Medical Overseas Expansion Act). Attracting foreign patients or advertising in a foreign language without registration is subject to criminal punishment. The key requirements are a specialist for each medical department and medical malpractice liability insurance that covers foreign patients, and the registration is valid for 3 years.
- Quasi-Drug Product Report for Mouth Fresheners (Gargle, Oral Spray) Preparations for internal use and mouth rinses used to prevent bad breath and other unpleasant sensations fall under mouth fresheners (gujung cheongnyangje), a type of quasi-drug. To manufacture a quasi-drug, you must have the facilities and file a manufacturing business report with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and for each product either obtain a product permit or file a product report. Products that conform to the standard manufacturing criteria or an official compendium go by report, and other products go through a permit and a safety and efficacy review.
- Designation as an Excellent Medical Tourism Attraction Institution: Requirements and Application Each year the Ministry of Justice designates medical institutions and attraction business operators that attract many foreign patients and have few cases of illegal stay as excellent medical tourism attraction institutions. Once designated, an institution can apply for medical tourism visas as electronic visas and the invitation procedure becomes easier, for example through omission of financial ability documents. Registration as a foreign patient attraction institution with the metropolitan mayor or provincial governor comes first, and the designation plan is usually announced by public notice in July.
- How to File a Medical Device Sales Business Report and Obtain an Import Business Permit To sell or lease medical devices, file a sales business report or a leasing business report for each place of business with the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office (public health center) for the location of the place of business. To import or manufacture medical devices, you must separately obtain an import business permit or a manufacturing business permit from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, together with a permit, certification or report for each product. For a sales business report, notice of whether it is accepted is given within 3 days from the date of receipt.
- How to File a Clinic Establishment Report To open a clinic, dental clinic, Korean medicine clinic or midwifery clinic, you file a medical institution establishment report with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office (public health center). A hospital, dental hospital, Korean medicine hospital, long-term care hospital, mental hospital or general hospital must obtain an establishment permit from the metropolitan city mayor or provincial governor (Mayor/Do Governor). Only persons specified in the Medical Service Act, such as medical professionals, medical corporations and non-profit corporations, may establish a medical institution. If the place of establishment is moved, or the name, the medical departments or the number of medical professionals changes, a report of change is filed or a permit for change is obtained.
- Pharmacy Establishment Registration: Procedure and Required Documents A pharmacy can open only after a pharmacist or oriental medicine pharmacist registers its establishment with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office (public health center) under Article 20 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. The review centers on the building use, the structure of the dispensing room and drug storage, and the relationship with medical institutions. For a mixed store that also sells health functional foods, cosmetics and other goods, first decide how the pharmacy area will be partitioned.
Cosmetics manufacturing & sales
- How to Obtain Functional Cosmetics Review or File a Report To sell a product while claiming a function listed in Article 2 of the Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, such as whitening, wrinkle improvement, UV protection, hair dyeing or bleaching, relief of hair loss symptoms, or relief of acne-prone skin, the product must be reviewed or reported item by item under Article 4 of the Cosmetics Act. The applicant is a cosmetics manufacturer, a responsible cosmetics seller, or a research institution, and the documents are submitted to the President of the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation. If the product is the same in key respects as an item announced by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety or an item already reviewed, a report on an item exempt from review is filed; other products are reviewed on the basis of a review request with safety and efficacy data attached, and the processing period on the form is 60 days.
- How to Register a Cosmetics Responsible Seller Business To distribute and sell cosmetics made by a contracted manufacturer, or to import and sell foreign cosmetics, you must register a cosmetics responsible seller business with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety under Article 3 of the Cosmetics Act. There are no separate facility standards, but you must appoint a responsible sales manager and have quality control and safety control standards in place. Selling without registration may be subject to criminal punishment.
- How to Register a Cosmetics Manufacturing Business To make cosmetics yourself or fill them into containers, you must register a cosmetics manufacturing business with the Regional Office of Food and Drug Safety having jurisdiction over the location, separately from business registration. Even if you do not make the contents and only do filling and primary packaging, it falls within the scope of the manufacturing business. It is safest to check the building use and the partitioning of the work spaces before the lease contract and interior work.
Veterinary medicines & devices
- Veterinary Quasi-Drug Manufacturing Business Report Quasi-drugs intended solely for animals fall under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs rather than the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety under Article 85 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, and anyone who wants to manufacture them as a business files a veterinary quasi-drug manufacturing business report with the Commissioner of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (the Director of the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service for products used only for aquatic animals). The manufacturing business report must be filed together with a product approval application or product report for at least one product. Products such as oral fresheners, cleansers and deodorants for pets, animal disinfectants, pest control agents and vitamin preparations generally require product approval, while textile and rubber products used to treat or prevent animal diseases require a product report. A manufacturing manager must be appointed for each manufacturing site, and the required qualifications depend on the type of product.
- Veterinary Medical Device Import Business License and Import Approval Under Article 46 of the Medical Devices Act, medical devices intended for animal use only fall under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and under Article 2-2(2) of the Enforcement Rule on the Handling of Veterinary Drugs, etc. the Commissioner of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency handles their manufacture, import and sale. To bring in and sell foreign products, you must obtain an import business license and, for each item, either an import approval or an import notification depending on the device class; the import business license application must be filed together with an import approval application or import notification for at least 1 item. Processing periods are 10 days for the import business license, 10 to 80 days for an item import approval (by class and scope of review) and 10 days for an import notification, and fees are 30,000 won for the import business license and 10,000 won per item.
Agricultural inputs & animal feed
- Fertilizer Import Business Report Anyone who intends to import fertilizer as a business for sale or free distribution must report the manufacturing materials, guaranteed components and other details for each fertilizer type to the mayor, county governor or district head with jurisdiction over the place of business under Article 12 of the Fertilizer Control Act. Fertilizer production requires registration, but fertilizer import requires a report, and the local office must notify whether the report is accepted within 7 days of receipt. The report certificate is issued only if the imported fertilizer meets the official standards and the guaranteed and harmful component criteria.
- How to Apply for Agricultural Machinery Inspection Manufacturers and importers of agricultural machinery must have the machines listed in Annex 4 of the Enforcement Rule of the Agricultural Mechanization Promotion Act, such as agricultural tractors, combines and rice transplanters, inspected by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs before selling them, and imported used agricultural machinery is included. The inspection application, with the specification and performance description, exterior drawing and operating manual attached, is submitted to the Foundation of Agri. Tech. Commercialization and Transfer together with the product for inspection, and the processing period is 45 days for a comprehensive inspection, 30 days for a safety inspection and 20 days for a change inspection. Machines made or imported for research and development or export are exempt, and selling or distributing a machine that has not been inspected or was found nonconforming is subject to an administrative fine of up to 10,000,000 won.
- Feed Manufacturing Business Registration and Feed Ingredient Registration To manufacture single feed, formula feed or supplementary feed for sale or supply, you register a feed manufacturing business with the mayor or governor of the city or province where the manufacturing facility is located. The city or province inspects the facility and issues a registration certificate if it meets the standards, and the type, ingredients and ingredient amounts of each feed must be separately registered before it can be sold.
Financial business registration
- Credit Business Change Registration Within 15 Days When a registered credit business starts online operations through a new loan app or website, the first thing to check is not a new registration but whether its registered particulars change. Article 3(3) of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users lists the specific content and method of the credit business and the phone number and website address used in advertising as registered particulars, so when they change, a change registration must be filed with the city or provincial governor or the Financial Services Commission where the business is currently registered within 15 days from the date the reason arises (Article 5(1)). Failing to do so is subject to an administrative fine of up to 50,000,000 won. If the app runs a bulletin board that provides borrowers' personal information or other lenders' contact details, it falls under a lending brokerage system and requires registration with the Financial Services Commission, and depending on the service, a value-added telecommunications business report under the Telecommunications Business Act and a location-based service business report under the Location Information Act must also be checked. App store descriptions and online ads must include the mandatory disclosures such as the registration number, interest rates and warning statements.
- Start-up Planner (Accelerator) Registration Requirements A start-up planner (accelerator) is a corporation whose main business is selecting, providing professional incubation to and investing in early-stage start-ups that have not passed 3 years since commencing business, and it registers with the Minister of SMEs and Startups under Article 24 of the Act on the Promotion of Venture Investment. Applications are received and the requirements are checked by the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development. The registration requirements are capital of at least 100,000,000 won for a company under the Commercial Act, and at least 50,000,000 won of property contributed or invested in the business for non-profit corporations and cooperatives; in addition, the applicant must have at least 2 full-time professionals, an office to be used as incubation space for early-stage start-ups, a system to prevent conflicts of interest and a business plan, and its officers must not fall under any grounds for disqualification. The institute decides whether the requirements are met within 30 days from receiving the application, and after registration the start-up planner has an investment obligation and must file change registrations within 14 days.
- Investment Advisory and Discretionary Investment Business Registration Under Article 18 of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, an investment advisory business (advising on the value of financial investment products or on investment decisions) and a discretionary investment business (managing investors' assets under delegated investment decisions) may operate only after registering with the Financial Services Commission. The applicant must be a stock company under the Commercial Act (or a designated financial institution), and the minimum equity capital per registration unit is 100,000,000 won or 250,000,000 won for investment advisory business and 500,000,000 won or 1,500,000,000 won for discretionary investment business. An investment advisory business needs at least 1 full-time officer or employee who is an investment solicitation and advisory professional, and a discretionary investment business needs at least 2 full-time officers or employees who are investment management professionals; executive and major shareholder requirements and a conflict-of-interest prevention system are also required. The Financial Services Commission decides on registration within 2 months of receiving the application, and supplementation periods and similar periods are not counted.
- How to Submit the Money Lending Business Status Survey Report Under Article 12(9) of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users and Article 7-2 of its Enforcement Decree, registered money lenders and loan brokers prepare a report as of June 30 and December 31 each year and submit it by the end of the following month (July 31 and January 31 of the next year) to the competent Mayor/Do Governor or other competent authority. The Mayor/Do Governor surveys these items as of the same reference dates and submits the results to the Minister of the Interior and Safety and the Financial Services Commission (Article 16 of the Act), so this is commonly called the money lending business status survey report. There is no provision excluding businesses with no activity, so a business with no activity also submits the report stating zero activity and the status of its business office. Failing to submit, or submitting with false or missing entries, is subject to a fine for negligence of up to 50,000,000 won and is a ground for business suspension.
- Tourism Promotion and Development Fund Loan Application The Tourism Promotion and Development Fund is managed by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and may be lent for building or renovating hotels and other tourist facilities, securing tourist transportation, building tourism infrastructure, and building convenience facilities in tourist destinations, tourist complexes and special tourist zones. The Enforcement Decree also lists revitalizing the operation of tourism businesses as a lending and subsidy project, so both facility funds and operating funds are offered. Lending is handled by the Korea Development Bank and financial institutions that on-lend the fund, and interest rates and loan periods are set after review by the Fund Management Committee, so the loan guidelines announced each year must be checked. If a registration, permit, designation or business plan approval under the Tourism Promotion Act is revoked, the borrower loses eligibility and the loan may be recovered.
- Individual Investment Association Registration An individual investment association is formed by individuals and others mainly for venture investment and distribution of its returns, and is registered under Article 12 of the Venture Investment Promotion Act. It needs total contributions of at least 100,000,000 won, units of at least 1,000,000 won, no more than 49 members and a term of at least 5 years, and the managing partner must contribute at least 3% of the total. A formation plan is submitted in advance, a formation meeting is held, and the registration application is filed within 14 days of that meeting. The registration authority is delegated to the Regional Offices of SMEs and Startups, and receipt and review are entrusted to the Korea Angel Investment Association.
- Quasi-Investment Advisory Business Report in Korea Anyone who, without registering as an investment advisory business, receives fees for giving non-individualized investment advice to many people through publications, communications or broadcasts must file a quasi-investment advisory business report with the Financial Services Commission under Article 101 of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. The Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service receives and accepts reports under delegated authority, and training by the Korea Financial Investment Association must be completed within 1 year before filing. The report is valid for 5 years from acceptance, and under the 2024 amendment, advice is treated as an investment advisory business if paying customers can exchange opinions online.
- Online Investment-Linked Finance (P2P Lending) Registration Requirements and Documents Online investment-linked finance, which uses an online platform to lend investors' funds to specific borrowers as linked loans and gives investors the right to receive principal and interest, may only be operated after registering with the Financial Services Commission. The applicant must be a stock company under the Commercial Act and must hold equity capital of 500,000,000 won (linked loan volume under 30,000,000,000 won), 1,000,000,000 won (30,000,000,000 won or more but under 100,000,000,000 won) or 3,000,000,000 won (100,000,000,000 won or more). The Financial Services Commission decides on registration within 2 months of receiving the application, and time spent on supplementation is not counted in this period.
- How to Register a Lending Business with the Financial Services Commission Anyone who purchases and collects loan claims as a business, or runs online loan brokerage that provides borrower information or lender contact details through an internet bulletin board, must register with the Financial Services Commission even with a single business office, and the applicant must be a corporation. Required equity is at least 500,000,000 won for loan claim purchase and collection and 100,000,000 won for online loan brokerage, and online loan brokers must also have IT facilities and at least 1 IT specialist. Registration is valid for 3 years, and changes to registered details must be filed within 15 days.
- How to Register as a Money Changer in Korea Anyone who wants to buy and sell foreign currency or buy traveler's checks issued abroad as a business must register the money-changing business in advance under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. The application goes to the head of the customs office with jurisdiction over the business premises, and a registration certificate is issued once you have suitable premises and computer equipment for reporting. Foreign nationals can also apply, but they must first confirm that their status of stay allows business activity in Korea.
- How to Apply for an SME Policy Fund Loan Small and medium enterprise (SME) policy fund loans are administered under the loan plan publicly announced each year by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME). Applications for 2026 are accepted online on the KOSME website from January 5 until the annual budget is used up, and whether a loan is granted and its amount are decided after a policy priority evaluation and a corporate evaluation. Before applying, you must check the grounds on which loans are restricted, such as tax arrears, suspension or closure of business, and exceeding the debt ratio.
- Money Lending Business Registration Requirements and Documents To run a money lending or loan brokerage business, you register with the mayor or governor of the city or province having jurisdiction over the business office, and if you set up offices in two or more cities or provinces or engage in purchasing and collecting loan claims or online loan brokerage, you register with the Financial Services Commission. For city or province registration, the equity capital requirement is 30,000,000 won for loan brokerage, and for money lending 100,000,000 won for individuals and 300,000,000 won for corporations; training before registration and a fixed place of business usable for 6 months or more are also required. The registration is valid for 3 years.
Telecommunications & digital businesses
- Conformity Assessment for Broadcasting and Communications Equipment Anyone who intends to manufacture, sell, or import broadcasting and communications equipment, or equipment that causes or is affected by electromagnetic interference, must complete the applicable conformity assessment under Article 58-2 of the Radio Waves Act: conformity certification, conformity registration, or self-declaration of conformity. Both certification and registration require testing by a designated testing laboratory before the application is filed with the President of the National Radio Research Agency. Under the public notice, certification is processed within 5 days and registration is processed immediately. Selling equipment that has not been assessed, or manufacturing or importing it for sale, is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won.
- Registering a Text Message Sending Business as a Special Value-Added Telecommunications Business and Transmission Qualification Certification A business that connects a text message sending system directly or indirectly to the telecommunications facilities of a telecommunications business operator and sends text messages provides a special type of value-added telecommunications service under the Telecommunications Business Act, so it must register rather than file an ordinary value-added telecommunications business report. The operator first obtains transmission qualification certification from the Korea Media and Communications Commission, then registers with the Ministry of Science and ICT (received and processed by the Central Radio Management Office) with the certificate attached, and the registration certificate is issued within 30 days from the application date. The registration requirements are paid-in capital (for individuals, the appraised value of business assets) of at least 100,000,000 won, at least 1 dedicated employee other than the representative, designation and public announcement of a chief information security officer at executive or department-head level, and a technical measures plan covering caller number management and keeping communication records for at least 1 year. Existing operators that registered under the former rules and held voluntary transmission qualification certification but did not re-register within the grace period must meet the strengthened requirements and register within 6 months after the amended Enforcement Decree took effect on April 28, 2026. Operating the business without registration is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 150,000,000 won.
- Software Business Operator Report and General Status Management Certificate What is commonly called a software business operator report is, under Article 58 of the current Software Promotion Act and Article 17 of its Enforcement Rule, an application for management of the general status of a software business operator. The application uses Form No. 25 of the Enforcement Rule, and under a Ministry of Science and ICT guideline the Korea Software Industry Association receives applications and issues certificates as the business performance management institution. Processing takes 7 days, the fee is 50,000 won for a new application and 30,000 won for a change, and the general status management certificate itself is issued free of charge. The certificate shows sales (including software sales), the number of regular employees and software engineers, business fields and the lower limit amount for participation in public software project bids, based on the closing year, and project performance to be used for public contracts is registered through a separate performance management application.
- Value-Added Telecommunications Business Report and Location-Based Service Business Report Operating an app or web platform that mediates communications between users as a business generally falls under the value-added telecommunications business of the Telecommunications Business Act, which is reported to the Minister of Science and ICT and handled by the Central Radio Management Office. A business providing value-added telecommunications services over the internet with capital of 100,000,000 won or less is deemed to have reported, but once its capital exceeds 100,000,000 won it must file within 1 month. A business providing services that use users' personal location information must separately file a location-based service business report with the Korea Media and Communications Commission under the Location Information Act. Small business owners and one-person creative enterprises may start first and file a simplified report within 1 month of starting.
Tourism & leisure businesses
- Designation and Renewal of a Travel Agency Exclusively for Chinese Group Tourists Travel agencies exclusively attracting Chinese group tourists used to be managed under an administrative guideline of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and are now designated by the Minister under Article 12-3 of the Tourism Promotion Act and Article 21-2 of its Enforcement Rule. Only travel business operators registered as a general travel agency may apply. The designation is valid for 2 years, and an agency that wishes to continue must apply for renewal no later than 90 days before the validity period ends. New designations follow a public notice on the Ministry website setting the application period and method, and the evaluation scores and number of designations follow that year's notice.
- Tourist Convenience Facility Business Designation Procedure A tourist convenience facility business is a tourism business under Article 3(1)7 of the Tourism Promotion Act and covers the types listed in Article 2(1)6 of its Enforcement Decree, including tourist restaurants, tourist pensions, tourist photography, tourist circulation buses, tourist duty-free shops and tourism support services. Under Article 6 of the Act, a person who intends to operate such a business must obtain a designation rather than a registration or permit, and must meet the designation standards in Annex 2 of the Enforcement Rule, such as facilities suitable for tourists and foreign-language guidance services. Tourist restaurants, tourist photography and passenger terminal facility businesses apply to the regional tourism association, while tourist pensions, tourist entertainment restaurants, tourist circulation buses, tourist duty-free shops, tourism support services and others apply to the mayor of a special self-governing city, governor of a special self-governing province, or the mayor, county head or district head, using the designation application form (Form No. 21). The designation application fee is 20,000 won, and a tourist convenience facility business designation certificate is issued if the standards are met. A person who is not a tourism business operator and posts a tourism sign or uses a trade name that may be mistaken for a tourism business is subject to an administrative fine of up to 1,000,000 won.
- Opening a Claw Machine Shop: Youth Game Arcade Registration A business that installs claw machines (crane games) for customers to play is a youth game arcade business under the Game Industry Promotion Act, and under Article 26(2) of that Act it must meet the facility standards and register with the city, county or district office where the business is located. The same applies to unstaffed shops, and operating without registration is punishable by imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20,000,000 won. The application form lists a processing period of 3 days, but the educational environment protection zone around schools and the building's use can block registration altogether, so check the location before signing a lease. Prizes are limited to toys, stationery and similar goods with a consumer retail price of 10,000 won or less, and may only be dispensed through the prize-dispensing device reviewed during rating classification.
- Campground Business Registration Standards and Documents Under the Tourism Promotion Act, a campground is a campground business, one of the tourist facility businesses, so it must be registered with the Mayor of a Special Self-Governing City, the Governor of a Special Self-Governing Province, or the head of the city, county or district before operating; it is divided into general campground business and auto campground business. Under Annex 1 of the Enforcement Decree, a general campground needs at least 15㎡ of camping space per tent and an auto campground at least 50㎡ per vehicle, and the total floor area of buildings on the campground must be less than 10% of the entire campground area. After registration, the operator must take out liability insurance or mutual aid before starting the business and must observe the safety and hygiene standards in Annex 7 of the Enforcement Rule. Operating a campground business without registration is punishable by imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20,000,000 won.
- How to Report a Gym or PT Studio as a Sports Facility Business Reportable sports facility businesses such as gyms and PT studios (fitness center business), golf practice ranges (golf practice range business), martial arts studios and billiard halls must first install facilities that meet the facility standards and then report to the mayor, county governor or district head under Article 20 of the Installation and Utilization of Sports Facilities Act. The office must notify acceptance within 7 days for a new report and 5 days for a change report, and if it does not notify within that time, the report is deemed accepted on the following day. A fitness center business must have at least 1 sports instructor if the exercise area is 300㎡ or less and at least 2 if it exceeds 300㎡. Operating without a report is punishable by imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won.
- Opening a Kids Cafe in Korea A kids cafe that lets customers use play equipment runs a theme park business under the Tourism Promotion Act. An amendment in February 2024 renamed the amusement facility business to the theme park business, so the former Other Amusement Facility Business is now called the Other Theme Park Business. If all play facilities are outside the safety inspection list, the operator files an Other Theme Park Business report with the city, county or district office; if even one ride requires a safety inspection, a General Theme Park Business permit is needed instead. Preparing and selling drinks or snacks requires a separate Rest Restaurant business report under the Food Sanitation Act. A kids cafe is also a multi-use business, so fire safety facility standards apply as well.
- Tourist Farm Business Plan Approval and Operator Report A tourist farm is a rural tourism and recreation business under the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act that uses rural natural resources and farming or fishing infrastructure to offer farming experience facilities, local specialty sales, sports, rest and lodging facilities, food and services. Only farmers and fishers, the Korea Rural Community Corporation, agricultural, forestry and fisheries cooperatives and agricultural or fishery corporations may develop one, and the business plan must be approved by the mayor, county head or district head. The site must be smaller than 100,000㎡, and the farming experience facilities must cover at least 2,000㎡ and at least 20% of the approved development area. Once the facilities are ready, the operator must file a rural tourism and recreation site business report with an operation plan before opening.
- International Conference Planning Business Registration Requirements and Documents A business that is entrusted with the planning, preparation and running of international conferences (including seminars, discussion forums, exhibitions and corporate meetings) is an international conference planning business under the Tourism Promotion Act and must register as a tourism business with the city, county or district office that has jurisdiction over its office. The registration standards are capital of 50,000,000 won or more (for an individual, the appraised value of assets used for the business) and an office the applicant owns or has the right to use. The fee for a new registration is 30,000 won, and a change registration must be filed within 30 days when the trade name, representative or office location changes. Some public agencies list this registration as a qualification in event service tenders, so after receiving the certificate the business should also prepare its Public Procurement Service bidding qualification registration.
- Travel Business Registration with a Foreign Representative To register a travel business whose representative is a foreign national (for a corporation, the representative and the officers), grounds for disqualification cannot be looked up by resident registration number as they are for Korean nationals. Documents proving that none of the grounds for disqualification under the Tourism Promotion Act apply must therefore be obtained in the home country and submitted. The documents must carry an apostille if the country is a party to the Apostille Convention, or consular legalization by the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Korea in that country if it is not. Preparing the home-country documents takes the longest, so start by checking the issuing route for each country.
- How to File a Registration of Change from Domestic Travel Business to General Travel Business A company that runs a domestic travel business or a domestic and overseas travel business and wants to also handle travel for foreigners (inbound) must file a registration of change of tourism business to become a general travel business. There is no need to set up a new company, but the registration standards for general travel business are reviewed in the same way as for a first registration. The capital increase, the revision of the business purposes in the articles of incorporation and the increase of the guarantee insurance must be finished before the application.
Accommodation registration & reporting
- Youth Hostel (Youth Training Facility) Installation and Operation Permit and Registration A youth hostel is a facility with lodging and stay facilities suited to youth, plus ancillary and convenience facilities, that provides lodging and meals and supports traveling youth; it is a youth training facility under Article 10 of the Youth Activity Promotion Act. An individual, corporation or organization that wants to install and operate a youth hostel must obtain a permit from the Special Self-Governing City Mayor, Special Self-Governing Province Governor, or city, county or district head under Article 11(3) of the Act, and must register again before operating under Article 13. The permit requirements are compliance with the facility, safety and operating standards, the ability to raise the necessary funds, and ownership of or the right to use the real estate; a permit application is processed within 45 days of receipt and a registration application within 18 days according to the form. During operation, a qualified operating representative and youth instructors must be appointed and insurance covering damages to participants and users must be taken out. Installing and operating a training facility without a permit is punishable by imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20,000,000 won, and operating without registration is subject to an administrative fine of up to 3,000,000 won.
- How to Report a Rural Homestay Business Under Article 86 of the Rural Community Improvement Act, a resident of a rural or semi-rural area who wants to provide guests with lodging, cooking facilities and breakfast in the house where they live must file a rural homestay business report with the mayor, county governor or district head. The applicant must have lived in that city, county or district continuously for 6 months or more, the house must be a detached house (including a multi-household house) that the applicant lives in and owns directly, and the total floor area must be under 230㎡. The mayor, county governor or district head must notify the applicant of acceptance within 10 days of receiving the report, and there is no fee. Even if the business uses the word "pension" in its name, a business reported under these requirements is legally a rural homestay.
- Foreign Tourist Urban Homestay Business Registration A resident of an urban area who wants to provide lodging and meals to foreign tourists in the home where they live must register a foreign tourist urban homestay business, a tourist-use facility business under the Tourism Promotion Act, with the mayor, county head or district head. Only detached houses, multi-household houses, apartments, row houses and multiplex houses qualify, and the registration standards are a total floor area under 230㎡, a foreign language guidance system, a fire extinguisher and per-room detectors, and rate tables posted at the premises and on online booking pages. The registration fee is 20,000 won.
- Tourist Accommodation Business Plan Approval and Registration Hotel businesses such as family hotels, hostels and small hotels are tourist accommodation businesses under the Tourism Promotion Act, so before registering the tourism business you must prepare a business plan and obtain approval from the Special Self-Governing City Mayor, Special Self-Governing Province Governor, or the head of the city, county or district. After building the facilities as approved, you apply for registration, and the registration certificate is issued after review by the tourist accommodation business registration review committee. The registration standard for a family hotel is at least 30 guest rooms with at least 19㎡ per room, and for a small hotel at least 20 but fewer than 30 guest rooms.
- How to Register a Hanok Experience Business To equip a hanok with lodging facilities or traditional culture facilities such as traditional games and crafts and let tourists use them, you register a hanok experience business, a type of tourist-use facility business under the Tourism Promotion Act, with the mayor, county head or district head. The building must be a hanok that meets the hanok building standards, the lodging space must be under 230㎡ in total floor area, and the registration standards include a fire extinguisher, a single-station smoke detector in each guest room, and rates posted at the front desk and on online booking pages. The new registration fee is 30,000 won plus 700 won per guest room.
- Hotel Grade Determination Application Deadlines Operators registered as a tourist hotel, floating tourist hotel, traditional Korean hotel, family hotel, small hotel or medical tourism hotel business must apply to the grade determination agency for the grade they want. Grades range from 5-star to 1-star, and the agency decides within 90 days from the application date. The determined grade is valid for 3 years.
- General Lodging Business Report Procedure A general lodging business can operate only after a business report is filed with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office under the Public Health Control Act. Before reporting, first check whether the use in the building register is a lodging facility, whether the site falls within an educational environment protection zone, and whether fire-fighting equipment is installed in each guest room. If the report covers part of a condominium building, documents proving the right to use the business facilities, a liability insurance policy for the common areas and similar documents are submitted together.
Culture & content businesses
- Performance Venue Registration Procedure and Documents A facility installed and operated to be provided for performances for 90 days or more a year or for 30 consecutive days or more is a performance venue under the Public Performance Act, and anyone who wants to operate one must meet the facility standards and register with the city, county or district where it is located (Public Performance Act, Article 9; Enforcement Decree, Article 1-2). The facility standards are stage facilities (including lighting and sound) and soundproofing facilities, and before registration the venue must pass a safety inspection by a designated stage facility safety diagnosis agency, whose result is attached to the application. The processing period for the registration application is 7 days; the disaster response plan for the current year is reported together with the registration application, and after that the plan for the following year is reported by December 31 every year.
- Video Production Business Report in Korea: Who Must Report and What to File A business that produces videos to distribute to, or provide for viewing by, an unspecified number of people must report a video production business to the mayor, county head or district head under Article 57 of the Promotion of the Motion Pictures and Video Products Act. You file the report form with a copy of the business premises lease (if leased) and a list of production facilities and equipment, and you receive a Video Production Business Report Certificate. Production intended only for viewing through information and communications networks, and commemorative videos of ceremonies or religious rites that are not distributed to the public, among others, do not need to be reported. Small and medium enterprises that want to supply video production services to public institutions can have the advance on-site survey waived and be recognized as meeting the standards for direct production confirmation if they hold this report certificate. Operating without reporting is punishable by a fine of up to 10,000,000 won, and failing to file a change report within 30 days after a change of representative, location, production items or trade name is subject to an administrative fine of up to 10,000,000 won.
- How to Register an Internet Newspaper To publish an internet newspaper, you must register its title, publisher and editor, place of publication, purpose and content of publication, website address and other details with the mayor or governor of the metropolitan city or province where the main office is located under Article 9 of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, and you must file a change registration within 30 days of any change to the registered details. To qualify as an internet newspaper, at least 30% of the articles posted each week must be produced in-house, and new articles must be posted on a weekly basis. The processing period for the registration application is 20 days with no fee, and publishing without registration is subject to a fine for negligence of up to 20,000,000 won. After registration, you designate a youth protection officer and display that person's name on the front page, and publish the mandatory items such as the registration number, publisher and editor.
- How to Report an Art Service Business Under Article 18 of the Art Promotion Act, from July 26, 2026 anyone who wants to run a gallery business, art auction business, art advisory business, art rental and sales business, art appraisal business or art exhibition business must file an art service business report with the mayor of a special self-governing city, the governor of a special self-governing province, or the mayor, county governor or district head where the main place of business is located. Online businesses that provide services through information and communications networks are included, and only businesses whose operation involves the state, a local government or a public institution are excluded. The report uses Form No. 1 of the Enforcement Rule, processing takes 3 days, and the fee is the amount set by the local ordinance; once accepted, you receive a report certificate and post it at the place of business or on your website. Operating without reporting leads to fines from 2,000,000 won for a first violation up to 5,000,000 won, and you may be ordered to suspend or close the business.
- Private Museum and Private Art Gallery Registration Procedure Private museums and private art galleries established and operated by corporations, organizations or individuals may register with the mayor or provincial governor, or the mayor of a large city with a population of 500,000 or more, under Article 16 of the Museum and Art Gallery Support Act; Incheon is a metropolitan city, so the city's registration department handles it. You apply for registration before opening, and you are notified of the review result within 40 days from the application date. If you are newly securing a site or building, you may first obtain establishment plan approval (Article 18), and development activity permits, road occupancy permits, farmland conversion permits and other matters consulted during approval are deemed granted. Registration is divided into Class 1 and Class 2 according to the scale of materials, curators and facilities, and there is no application fee.
- How to Apply for Copyright Registration in Korea Copyright arises when a work is created, but registering it with the Korea Copyright Commission creates a presumption of authorship and of the dates of creation and publication, and anyone who infringes a registered right is presumed negligent. The author or an heir files a copyright registration application and statement with a copy of the work, and the processing period stated on the form is 7 days. If the creation date is registered more than 1 year after creation, the work is not presumed to have been created on that date, so registering right after completion is advantageous. A transfer of economic rights or the establishment of an exclusive publication right or publishing right must be registered separately as a change of rights before it can be asserted against third parties.
- Popular Culture and Arts Planning Business Registration Requirements and Documents A business that provides or arranges the acting, singing, performing or other services of popular culture artists, and trains, coaches or counsels them for that purpose, must register as a popular culture and arts planning business under Article 26 of the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. An individual applicant, or at least 1 officer of a corporation, must have 2 or more years of experience in this business or have completed a designated training course, and the business must have an office. Registration authority is delegated to mayors and governors of metropolitan cities and provinces, the processing period on the application is 15 days, and the fee is 25,000 won. Operating without registration is punishable by up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 20,000,000 won.
- How to Report a Publishing Company To run a publishing company, you report in advance the company's name and location and the operator's (for a corporation, the representative's) name and address to the mayor, county head or district head having jurisdiction over the company's location. Once reported, a report certificate is issued, and if a reported matter changes, a report of change is filed within 20 days from the date of the change. One-person publishers go through the same procedure.
- Game Production and Game Distribution Business Registration A business that plans and reproduces game products is a game production business, and a business that imports games or supplies them while managing the copyright is a game distribution business; both register with the city, county or district office where the business is located. After registration, important changes such as the representative, location or production items require change registration within 30 days, and game products to be distributed must receive a rating classification before production or distribution.
- How to Report a Copyright Agency and Brokerage Business A business that concludes or brokers license agreements on behalf of copyright holders (such as webtoon, music, font and publishing agencies) reports a copyright agency and brokerage business to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. You submit business rules containing the agency and brokerage contract terms and the work license contract terms with the report, and after reporting you submit the previous year's business performance by March 31 every year.
Education institutions & qualification registration
- School Record Correction Request in Korea Schools close the school life record by the last day of the school year, and after that, corrections to previously entered data are prohibited in principle. However, under Article 19 of the Guidelines on Preparing and Managing School Life Records, a correction can be made when there is objective supporting evidence and the school's Academic Performance Management Committee has reviewed it. The student or a guardian may request a correction from the school under Article 36 of the Personal Information Protection Act, and Article 43 of its Enforcement Decree requires the school to give notice of the action taken within 10 days of receiving the request. The request should match each item and wording to be corrected with the reason it is inaccurate and the supporting evidence, so the committee can use it as a basis for its decision.
- Applying for Foreign School and Foreign Kindergarten Establishment Approval A foreign school is a miscellaneous school established to educate the children of foreigners and others, based on Article 60-2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and a foreign kindergarten is based on Article 16 of the Early Childhood Education Act. Like private schools and private kindergartens, both need establishment approval from the city or provincial superintendent of education, and the establishment standards, curriculum and admission qualifications are set by the Presidential Decree, the Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of Foreign Schools and Foreign Kindergartens. A foreign school may be established by a foreigner, a non-profit foreign corporation, or a school foundation under the Private School Act, while a foreign kindergarten may be established only by a foreigner or a non-profit foreign corporation. The approval application is filed after the school building's use approval and at least 6 months (4 months for kindergartens) before the planned opening date, and the superintendent notifies the decision at least 3 months before the planned opening date. Using a school name or recruiting students to operate a de facto school without approval is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won.
- How to Report a Lifelong Education Facility To provide video or internet lectures for a fee to 10 or more unspecified learners through a course of 30 hours or more, you must report a distance lifelong education facility to the superintendent of education under Article 33(2) of the Lifelong Education Act. Workplace-affiliated, civic group-affiliated, media-affiliated, and knowledge/human resource development lifelong education facilities are also reported to the superintendent of education using the same Lifelong Education Facility Report, with a 10-day processing period and no fee. A reported facility must have at least 1 lifelong educator, and a change report is filed when the name, location, curriculum, tuition, facilities and equipment, or lifelong educator changes. A distance university-type facility whose graduates are recognized as having the same academic background or degree as junior college or university graduates requires authorization from the Minister of Education rather than a report.
- Administrative Fine Items in Hagwon (Private Teaching Institute) Inspections The superintendent of education may require a private teaching institute (hagwon) to report on its facilities and equipment, tuition fees and teaching content, or have public officials enter the institute and inspect its books and documents. Failure to take out insurance, failure to post the registration certificate, instructor information or tuition fees, failure to verify foreign instructors, and failure to issue receipts are subject to an administrative fine of up to 3,000,000 won. Overcharging tuition fees or operating without registration of changes can lead to suspension of teaching or even cancellation of registration.
- How to Register an Alternative Education Institution Facilities, corporations or organizations providing alternative education without school authorization under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act register with the city or provincial superintendent of education under the Act on Alternative Education Institutions. Once you have facilities such as school buildings (including a sports field) and a site, and documents such as school rules, a curriculum operation plan and a staffing plan, the superintendent decides within 1 month from the application date (extendable once by 1 month) after review by the registration and operation committee.
- How to Register a Private Qualification Any corporation, organization or individual can create a private qualification, but to operate one, you must register it with the competent ministry for the field under the Framework Act on Qualifications. Registration work is handled on an entrusted basis by the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (Private Qualification Information Service), and the processing period is within 3 months. Operating a qualification without registration is subject to imprisonment with labor for not more than 3 years or a fine not exceeding 30,000,000 won.
- Reading Room Registration Standards for Study Cafes A study cafe usually starts as a space rental business or a rest restaurant (cafe-type food service business), but if it assigns fixed seats and operates the whole space exclusively for study, it may be judged to be a reading room (dokseosil) in substance. A reading room must be registered with the district office of education under the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons (the Private Teaching Institutes Act). The signboard and the way of operation determine which statute applies, so decide the operating model before starting the business.
- Hagwon Establishment, Expansion and Relocation Registration When you open, enlarge or move a private teaching institute (hagwon), you must complete registration or registration of change with the competent district office of education. Registration is granted only when the building use, classroom area and fire safety standards are all met. Check these standards before signing the lease and starting interior construction, so that you do not pay twice.
Work, investment & study visas
- How to Apply for a Certificate of Visa Issuance Confirmation A certificate of visa issuance confirmation is a system in which the Minister of Justice confirms in advance whether a visa will be issued, before the foreigner applies at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad (Immigration Control Act, Article 9(1)). The person who wishes to invite the foreigner may apply on the foreigner's behalf (Article 9(2)), filing the application form and the documents required for the sojourn status with the immigration office that has jurisdiction over the inviter's address (Enforcement Rules, Article 17(2)). Once issued, the inviter is notified of a visa issuance confirmation number, and the foreigner enters that number when applying for the visa at the mission. Applying with false documents, or brokering such an application, is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won, so the facts in every document must match.
- Inviting Technical Trainees (D-3) Companies that have made direct investment abroad, that export technology, or that export plants may invite production staff of their overseas subsidiaries or partner foreign companies to Korea under D-3 (Technical Training) (Immigration Act, Article 19-2; Enforcement Decree, Article 24-2). The head of the inviting company applies for a visa issuance certificate to the immigration office with jurisdiction over the company's address. Training is in principle limited to 6 months from entry and cannot exceed 2 years even if extended. The number of trainees is capped at 8% of the company's regular Korean employees, up to 200 people.
- E-6 Arts and Entertainment and C-4 Short-term Employment Visa Procedure A foreigner who wants to perform, entertain, or work as an advertising or fashion model for profit enters with C-4 (Short-term Employment) status if the activity lasts 90 days or less, and with E-6 (Arts and Entertainment) status if it lasts longer than 90 days. For E-6, the inviter in Korea applies for a Certificate of Visa Eligibility at the immigration office with jurisdiction over the inviter's address, and the foreigner then obtains the visa at a Korean diplomatic mission using the issued confirmation number. For a performance under the Public Performance Act, the inviter must first obtain a foreign performance recommendation from the Korea Media Rating Board, with a processing period of 10 days on the form. A Certificate of Visa Eligibility can be used for only one visa issuance within 3 months, so preparation is planned backwards from the performance or shooting schedule.
- E-7-M (K-CORE) Trained Professional Technical Worker Visa Requirements E-7-M (K-CORE) is an employment visa in the Specific Activities (E-7) family, granted when an international student who has graduated, or is due to graduate, from a trained professional technical department designated by the Ministry of Justice takes a job at a regional manufacturer. According to Ministry of Justice Public Notice No. 2025-379, the pilot runs from January 2026 to December 31, 2027, and as of March 2026, 16 departments at 16 junior colleges have been designated. The issuance requirements are graduation (or expected graduation) from a designated department, completion of Level 4 or higher of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (TOPIK Level 5 is also accepted), and an employment contract with a major-related company with a starting annual salary of 26,000,000 won or more for 1 year or longer; a person staying in Korea with Student (D-2) status or similar applies for a change of status of sojourn at the competent immigration office.
- APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Application The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is issued to Korean nationals so they can enter participating APEC member economies without a visa, and it is shown together with the passport on entry. Under the Ministry of Justice directive, the Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, the Chief of the Incheon Airport Immigration Office issues the card, and since the amendment of April 21, 2025 a mobile card is issued in principle and a physical card is applied for separately. Eligible applicants are people who need to travel frequently to member economies for business, for example 4 or more visits in the last 2 years, such as executives and import-export or overseas investment staff of companies with annual exports or imports of USD 100,000 or more or overseas direct investment of USD 100,000 or more. The number of cards per company depends on headcount, starting from 2 or fewer for companies with fewer than 20 employees, and the card is issued after domestic review and approval by each member economy. The card is valid for 5 years, but if the passport submitted with the application has less than 5 years left, the card expires with the passport.
- Digital Nomad Visa (F-1-D) Income Requirements and Application Documents The digital nomad (workation) visa F-1-D is a status of stay that allows foreigners who belong to an overseas company and work remotely to stay in Korea. It is in full operation from June 30, 2026, and the income requirement differs by age and region of stay. It is granted 1 year at a time for a maximum stay of 3 years, and employment in Korea is not allowed.
- D-7 Intra-Company Transfer Visa Requirements and Documents D-7 (Intra-Company Transfer) is the status of stay for executives, managers and specialists who have worked for 1 year or more at the head office of a foreign company and are dispatched as essential specialists to its affiliate, subsidiary, branch, liaison office or similar office in Korea (those eligible for corporate investor D-8 status are excluded). Routine clerical staff and skilled manual workers are not eligible. The documents to prepare and the work that can be done differ depending on whether the establishment in Korea is a branch or a liaison office, so first match the transferee's actual duties with the form of establishment.
- D-6 Religious Visa Invitation: Procedure and Documents The Religious Affairs (D-6) status of stay is granted to a person dispatched by a foreign religious organization or social welfare organization to carry out religious or social welfare activities at a Korean religious organization or similar body. The review looks at objective evidence that the person is a member of the clergy and at whether the inviting organization can actually provide living expenses and accommodation. The maximum period of stay granted at one time is 2 years.
- How to Apply for Refugee Recognition A foreigner in the Republic of Korea can apply to the Minister of Justice for refugee recognition by submitting a refugee recognition application to an immigration office. An acknowledgment of receipt is issued immediately, and after an interview and fact-finding by a refugee examiner, a decision is made within 6 months from the date of receipt, which may be extended by up to 6 months. If you receive a non-recognition decision, you may file an objection within 30 days from the date of notification.
- D-9 Trade Management Visa: Issuance and Extension Requirements and Required Documents D-9 (Trade Management) is the status of stay granted when a foreign national establishes a company or registers a business in Korea and directly manages a profit-making business such as trade. Business registration and an actual place of business that matches the registered address are the basic premises. The trade type requires a trade business identification number, and the company management and profit-making business types require documents proving the introduction of business funds. In the extension review, actual export and import results and business operation results are examined rather than the amount of capital.
- D-8 Corporate Investment Visa Extension of Stay A holder of a D-8 corporate investment visa must obtain permission for extension before the period of stay ends. The review looks at whether the company is actually doing business (business results), whether the invested capital is maintained (whether there is capital impairment), and whether the representative's personal income meets the standard. Insufficient results do not lead to immediate denial, but the extension period is often short, so it is better to check the financial position first, before expiry.
Study, training, teaching & research stays
- E-2 (Conversation Instructor) Visa Issuance for Native-Speaker Instructors and Report or Permission for Change of Workplace between Academies The E-2 (Foreign Language Instructor) visa is the status of stay for native-speaker instructors who teach foreign-language conversation at private academies (hagwon), schools and similar institutions. For English conversation instructors, the basic requirements are nationality of one of 7 countries — the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa — and a bachelor's degree or higher from that country. When moving to another academy, first check, before starting the new job, whether the change is subject to a report or to permission.
- E-3 Research Visa Requirements and Invitation Documents The E-3 research visa is a status of stay granted to a foreign national who is invited by a public institution or private organization in Korea and engages at a research institute in research in the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, or arts and physical education, or in research and development of advanced industrial technology. University professors are classified separately under E-1. The basic route is for the inviting organization to apply for a Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance, and the review considers the degree, the research experience and whether the inviting organization genuinely conducts research.
- D-4 Language Training Visa Requirements and Documents Within the D-4 (General Training) status, D-4-1 is granted to trainees learning Korean at university-affiliated language institutes and similar institutions, and D-4-7 to foreign language trainees. The language institute's Certificate of Admission (standard admission letter), proof of the highest level of education and proof of financial ability are the core of the review. After entry, the attendance rate decides whether the period of stay is extended.
- D-2 International Student Part-Time Work Permit Employment is prohibited in principle for D-2 international students; part-time work is a system that allows it as an exception. After deciding on the workplace, the student must obtain a recommendation from the school department in charge of international exchange and then a permit for activities outside the status of stay from the immigration office before starting work. If the student works before the permit, both the student and the employer are subject to punishment.
Permanent residence, overseas Koreans & family stay
- How to Fill Out the Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation When applying for foreigner registration or permission for extension of the period of stay, you must submit documents proving your place of stay, and after a move you report the change of place of stay within 15 days from the date of moving in, attaching proof such as a lease agreement or sales contract. If you live in a family member's or acquaintance's home, a company dormitory or an accommodation facility without a contract in your own name, you prove your place of stay with a Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation written by the person providing the accommodation. The confirmation states the personal details of the foreigner and the provider, their relationship, the ownership type, the residence type and the starting date, and is signed by the provider, together with the provider's proof of ownership or lease and a copy of the provider's ID. If the address on the confirmation differs from the address in Korea on the application, or the starting date or signature is blank, the place of stay is not proven and you may be asked to supplement the documents.
- Re-entry Permit Exemption Period A registered foreigner who leaves Korea within the period of stay and wishes to return must in principle obtain a re-entry permit, but the permit is exempted for those covered by Article 44-2 of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act. Permanent residents (F-5) must return within 2 years from the date of departure, and holders of statuses from Diplomacy (A-1) to Accompanying (F-3) and from Marriage Migrant (F-6) to Miscellaneous (G-1) within 1 year from the date of departure, or within the remaining period of stay if it is shorter than 1 year. Persons prohibited from entry and persons falling under any item of Article 10 of the Enforcement Rule are excluded from the exemption. If you plan to stay abroad longer than the exemption period, obtain a single (30,000 won) or multiple (50,000 won) re-entry permit before departure.
- F-4 (Overseas Korean) Restriction for Men Without Completed Military Service Under Article 5(2)1 of the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans, a man who renounced or lost Korean nationality without completing or being exempted from military service cannot be granted F-4 (Overseas Korean) status. However, if the Minister of Justice finds it necessary, the status may be granted from January 1 of the year he turns 41, so until December 31 of the year he turns 40 it is not granted on this ground. This rule applies to people who renounced or lost nationality on or after May 1, 2018, while those who did so earlier fall under the former provision based on intent to evade military service and age 38. Men who completed active duty, full-time reserve, supplementary or alternative service, were placed in wartime labor service, or received an exemption disposition are not subject to this restriction.
- Public Project Investment Immigration F-2 (Residence) and F-5 (Permanent Residence) Requirements Public project investment immigration is a system that grants Residence (F-2) or Permanent Residence (F-5) status to foreigners who invest in investment targets set by the Ministry of Justice notice "Standards on Investment Targets, Investment Amounts, etc. for the Public Project Investment Immigration System" (effective June 29, 2023). Under general investment immigration, investing 1,500,000,000 won or more grants Residence (F-2) under Annex 1-2, Item 24(cha) of the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, and holding the investment for 5 years allows a change to Permanent Residence (F-5) under Annex 1-3, Item 14. For high-value investment, depositing 3,000,000,000 won or more in the Korea Development Bank principal-guaranteed, interest-free type and pledging to hold it for 5 years makes you eligible for permanent residence under Annex 1-3, Item 16, and applications while staying in Korea are filed with the competent immigration office.
- Changing from D-10 to F-2-7 or F-5 as a Doctoral Degree Holder A doctoral degree holder in Korea on D-10 (job seeking) status can consider obtaining a change of status permit to F-2-7 (residence, points-based) or F-5 (permanent residence). F-2-7 is based on Annex 1-2, item 24(ja) of the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act (age, education, income and other criteria set by Ministry of Justice public notice), and doctoral permanent residence is based on Annex 1-3, item 7 (a foreign doctorate requires employment by a Korean company or similar at the time of applying; a domestic doctorate requires completion of a regular graduate school program in Korea). Permanent residence additionally requires good conduct, the ability to support oneself, and basic knowledge (Immigration Act, Article 10-3), so the type of degree and current employment and income records should be checked first before deciding which route to take and when to apply.
- F-1-5 Requirements for Inviting a Marriage Immigrant's Parents F-1-5 is a status of stay under which a marriage immigrant who is pregnant or raising a minor child in need of care invites a parent or sibling from the home country. The invitation can be made until the end of September of the year in which the child turns 9 (for single-parent and multi-child families, the year in which the child turns 12), and in principle 1 person is invited, but both parents of the marriage immigrant can be invited together. It is not a simple family visit; the need for childcare must be shown concretely.
- F-2-7 Points-Based Residence Visa Requirements F-2-7 is a residence status of stay granted to professionals who score above a set level on points for education, income, Korean language ability, age and other items. The threshold is 80 points or more out of a total of 170. Once it is granted, the holder is not tied to a particular company and is free to change jobs or start a business, and a spouse and children may accompany the holder. Before applying, first calculate your points using the detailed code of your current status of stay and your Certificate of Income (sodeuk geumaek jeungmyeongwon).
- Permanent Residence for Marriage Migrants (F-5-2): Application Requirements and Documents A foreign national who married a Korean national and has stayed in Korea for 2 years or more under marriage migrant (F-6) status can apply to change to permanent residence (F-5-2) status. The review looks at four things: period of stay, ability to maintain a livelihood (income), basic knowledge and good conduct. Where proof of income is weak, as with freelancers, the self-employed or cash wages, check the composition of income before applying.
- F-3 Dependent Family Visa Invitation Requirements and Documents F-3 (Dependent Family) is the status of stay granted to the spouse and minor children (children without a spouse) of a person who holds a D-1 or D-2 status, a status from D-4 through E-7, or an F-2, F-4 or H-2 status. However, a person who received F-2 status as the spouse or child of another F-2 holder (Residence, item ta) cannot be an inviter. The review covers not only the family relationship but also the inviter's income, employment, housing and remaining period of stay. The required income level rises with the number of household members, so first decide how many family members to invite and when.
- How to Apply for Foreigner Registration and Extension of Stay A foreigner who intends to stay for more than 90 days from the date of entry completes foreigner registration within those 90 days at the immigration office having jurisdiction over the place of stay. After registration, if the name, nationality or passport information changes, a report of change is filed within 15 days, and after a move, a report of change of place of stay is filed within 15 days from the date of moving in. To stay beyond the period of stay, you must obtain permission for extension before the period ends, and in practice applications are usually accepted from 4 months before expiry.
- High-Value Investor Permanent Residence (F-5-5) Requirements A foreign investor who has invested USD 500,000 or more under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act and employs 5 or more nationals of the Republic of Korea can apply for permanent residence (F-5-5) status. For this type, the Minister of Justice may relax or waive the requirements of ability to maintain a livelihood and basic knowledge (Korean language and social integration). First confirm that the investment amount is measured in US dollars, not in won, and that the employment must be actual, regular employment.
- How to Write a C-3 Short-Term Visit Invitation Letter C-3 Short-Term Visit is the status of stay for foreigners who stay for not more than 90 days for business activities such as market research, consultations and contracts, or for tourism, visiting relatives, attending events and the like. Activities for profit are not allowed. The inviter in Korea prepares an invitation letter, a letter of guarantee and evidence of relationship and finances, so that the foreigner can submit them together when applying for a visa at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad.
- F-5-10 Permanent Residence Requirements F-5-10 is a permanent residence status applied for by foreign nationals who hold a degree such as a bachelor's degree or higher in a high-tech field, a bachelor's degree or higher in science or engineering from a Korean university, or a master's degree or higher from a Korean graduate school, and who have worked for a Korean company for a certain period. The basic requirements are continuous stay in Korea for 3 years or more, work in the related field for 3 years or more, full-time regular employment for 1 year or more at the time of application, and the applicant's own wages at or above the previous year's per capita GNI. Whether the requirements are met depends on how the periods are calculated, so a date-by-date calculation table is prepared first.
Foreign employment & nationality
- Korean Nationality for a Foreign Child Born Out of Wedlock A foreign child acknowledged by a Korean father or mother acquires Korean nationality at the time of reporting to the Minister of Justice if the child is a minor under the Korean Civil Act and that parent was a Korean national at the time of birth (Nationality Act, Article 3). The acknowledgment is first reported to the city, town or township office, and the nationality acquisition report is filed with the immigration office for a fee of 20,000 won per person. If the child is under 15, the legal representative files on the child's behalf, and the foreign nationality must be renounced within 1 year from acquisition.
- Nationality Choice Report Deadline and Procedure for Dual Nationals by Birth A dual national who holds Korean nationality and a foreign nationality through birth or otherwise must choose one nationality before turning 22 if the person became a dual national before turning 20, or within 2 years from that time if the person became a dual national after turning 20 (Nationality Act, Article 12(1)). A person who chooses Korean nationality within this period may renounce the foreign nationality, or make a pledge not to exercise foreign nationality while having an address in Korea and file a nationality choice report. The pledge and the nationality choice report are filed with an immigration office, and a person who chooses the foreign nationality files a report of renunciation of Korean nationality through the Korean diplomatic mission with jurisdiction over the overseas address.
- How Foreigners Obtain a Real Estate Registration Number A person holding foreign nationality who inherits or buys real estate in Korea needs a real estate registration number instead of a resident registration number to be recorded as the right holder in the register (Real Estate Registration Act, Article 48(2)). A foreigner who has not completed alien registration submits an application for assignment of a registration number to the immigration office with jurisdiction over the place of stay, and if there is no place of stay in Korea, the place of stay is deemed to be the location of the Supreme Court and the application goes to the office with jurisdiction there. Only one number is assigned per foreigner, the application fee is 1,000 won, and the number must be obtained before registration.
- General and Special Naturalization Requirements and Application Documents Under Article 5 of the Nationality Act, general naturalization is for an adult foreigner who has had a domicile in the Republic of Korea for 5 or more consecutive years and holds permanent resident (F-5) status. A person whose father or mother is a Korean national, among others, should consider special naturalization (Article 7), which has no residence period requirement. The review often takes 1 year or longer, so organize your stay, tax and health insurance records before you apply.
- How to Report a Foreign Employee's Resignation An employer who has hired a foreigner must report within 15 days when the foreigner leaves the job, is dismissed or dies, when the foreigner's whereabouts become unknown, or when important terms of the employment contract are changed. For workers covered by the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, such as E-9 and H-2, filing a report of employment change with the employment center is deemed to be the immigration report. For workers not covered by that Act, such as E-7 and F-4, the employer reports directly to the immigration office.
- Staying in Korea After Divorce or Separation on a Marriage Migrant (F-6) Visa Marriage migrant status (F-6-1) is a status of stay based on the position of spouse of a Korean national, so the basis disappears on divorce. If you are raising a child born of the marriage with a Korean national, consider F-6-2, and if the marriage broke down because of the death or disappearance of the spouse or for reasons not attributable to you, consider F-6-3. You must first align the expiry date of your period of stay with the timing for gathering the supporting materials.
- How to Apply for Permission for Reinstatement of Nationality A person who lost Korean nationality by acquiring a foreign nationality can reacquire Korean nationality by obtaining permission for reinstatement of nationality from the Minister of Justice under Article 9 of the Nationality Act. Nationality is acquired when the person takes the oath of allegiance and receives the certificate of reinstatement of nationality after permission is granted, and in principle the foreign nationality must be renounced within 1 year. However, a person who lived abroad, entered Korea after reaching age 65 for the purpose of residing permanently and obtained permission for reinstatement of nationality can keep both nationalities by making a pledge not to exercise foreign nationality.
Non-profit corporations
- Industrial Technology Research Association Establishment Authorization An industrial technology research association is a corporation formed to carry out industrial technology research and development and the introduction and dissemination of advanced technology cooperatively, and it requires at least 3 promoters who are qualified to be members (Industrial Technology Research Association Support Act, Article 7). Within 30 days after the inaugural general meeting, the promoters submit an application for establishment authorization to the Minister of Science and ICT together with the articles of association and an R&D plan, and the Minister must notify the decision within 50 days from receipt (Article 8 of the same Act). The name must contain the words 'research association'.
- Donation Solicitation Registration: Who Must Register and What to File Under Article 4 of the Act on Collection and Use of Donations and Promotion of Donation Culture, an individual, corporation or organization that plans to solicit donations of 10,000,000 won or more must prepare a solicitation and use plan and register it with the registration authority before soliciting. If the amount exceeds 1,000,000,000 won or the purpose falls under Article 1-2, Item 4 of the Enforcement Decree, the authority is the Minister of the Interior and Safety; otherwise it is the mayor or governor of the special/metropolitan city or province having jurisdiction over the fundraising organizer's address (the principal office for corporations and organizations), so an organization based in Incheon registers with Incheon Metropolitan City. The solicitation period must be 1 year or less; a completion report is due within 30 days after the solicitation ends, and a solicitation and use statement report within 60 days after the funds have been used. Money collected from members, such as membership dues or contributions from believers, is excluded from donations, so first check whether registration applies.
- Public Interest Corporation Designation in Korea Nonprofit corporations under the Civil Act, social cooperatives and similar bodies do not become donation-eligible organizations merely by obtaining establishment permission. They must be recommended by the Commissioner of the National Tax Service (including the head of the tax office with jurisdiction over the principal office) and designated and publicly notified by the Minister of Finance and Economy. Designation is made each quarter, and the recommendation application is due by the 10th day of the month two months before the last month of the quarter. Once designated, the designation period runs for 3 years from January 1 of the year of designation, or 6 years if re-designated within 2 years after the previous period ends.
- Nonprofit Corporation Officer Change, Dissolution and Liquidation Procedure When a director of an incorporated association or an incorporated foundation takes office, leaves office or is reappointed, the corporation passes a resolution of the general meeting or the board of directors, registers the change within 3 weeks from the date of the change, and reports the change of officers to the competent authority. The deadline for the registration of change is short, so preparation must start right after the resolution. When the corporation is dissolved, the liquidator must register the dissolution and file a report of dissolution with the competent authority within 3 weeks of taking office, and when liquidation is finished, the registration of completion of liquidation and the report must also be made within 3 weeks for the corporation's affairs to be settled.
- Establishment Permit Procedure for a Sports Corporation A non-profit corporation in the sports field becomes a corporation only when it obtains an establishment permit from the competent authority and then completes registration of incorporation. The processing period is stated as within 20 days, but if supplementation is requested on jurisdiction and scope of activity, consistency between the articles of association and the business plan, or the minutes and officer documents, the process is delayed by that much. If you are also considering affiliation with a sports council, align the articles of association from the start.
- Permit Procedure for Amending a Medical Corporation's Articles of Incorporation and Disposing of Basic Property For a medical corporation, the establishment permit is not the end: it remains under the supervision of the metropolitan city mayor or provincial governor (Mayor/Do Governor) after establishment. To dispose of property or amend the articles of incorporation, it must pass a board of directors resolution and first obtain a permit from the Mayor/Do Governor. Requirements such as the number of executives and the proportion of relatives must also be met at all times, so check them each time a director is replaced.
- How to Incorporate a Church Churches and religious organizations often operate without a corporation, but they can incorporate as an incorporated association or an incorporated foundation for property management or external activities. Having real estate does not automatically mean that an incorporated foundation is the right choice; the structure is chosen according to the membership organization, the decision-making method and the composition of property. Designing the corporate structure comes before the articles of incorporation.
- Establishing a Funeral Foundation To operate a corporate cemetery, charnel facility (columbarium) or natural burial ground as a corporation, you establish an incorporated foundation under the Act on Funeral Services, etc. After the establishment permit, a corporate cemetery or natural burial ground needs a separate facility installation permit, and a charnel facility needs a separate installation report. The applicable standards and local ordinances differ by facility type and size. If the site is one where the facility cannot be built, establishing the foundation is of no use, so the site assessment comes first.
- Procedure for a Non-Profit Corporation to Start a Profit-Making Business A non-profit corporation may also carry on a profit-making business to the extent necessary to achieve the purpose of its establishment. The key is that profits are not distributed to members but are used for the purpose business. If the articles of association have no basis for a profit-making business, first obtain a permit for amendment of the articles of association from the competent authority, and once the business starts, file a report of commencement of profit-making business with the tax office within 2 months.
- Incorporated Association Establishment Procedure and Timeline An incorporated association is subject to a permit system, so it is created only with an incorporation permit from the competent authority that oversees its purpose business. The flow is: forming the group of promoters, the inaugural general meeting, preparing documents, applying for the permit, registration of incorporation, and the unique identification number certificate. The permit often comes with conditions that carry deadlines, so plan the post-permit schedule in advance.
Associations & cooperatives
- How to File a Cooperative Establishment Report A general cooperative is established when 5 or more persons qualified to be members become promoters, draft the articles of association, obtain a resolution of the inaugural general meeting and file an establishment report with the Mayor or Governor of the Metropolitan City or Province where the principal office is located. The Mayor or Governor notifies whether the report is accepted within 20 days of receipt and, once accepted, issues a report confirmation certificate. After receiving the certificate, the promoters hand over the affairs to the chairperson, the chairperson collects the members' contributions, and the cooperative comes into existence only when its establishment registration is completed within 14 days after the contributions are fully paid.
- Political Support Association Registration Documents Persons eligible to designate a support association under Article 6 of the Political Funds Act, such as National Assembly members, local council members, and candidates and preliminary candidates in presidential, National Assembly, local council and local government head elections, may each have one support association. The representative of the association must apply for registration with the competent election commission within 14 days of the designation date, attaching the designation letter, and the commission issues a registration certificate within 7 days of receipt. Donations may only be collected after registration, so the articles, formation minutes, accountant and bank account documents should be prepared before designation.
- Registering a Franchisee Association with the Fair Trade Commission Under Article 14-2 of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, franchisees may form a franchisee association and request consultation with the franchisor on trade terms such as changes to the franchise agreement. The Act as amended on December 30, 2025 takes effect on December 31, 2026 and allows an association to register with the Fair Trade Commission if it consists only of franchisees who have a franchise agreement with a specific franchisor and use the same business mark, and if it has at least the membership ratio or number of members prescribed by Presidential Decree (Article 14-3). When a registered franchisee association requests consultation, the franchisor must follow the standards and procedures, such as the number of meetings and topics, prescribed by Presidential Decree. The registration must state the name and purpose, the location of the principal office, member qualifications and the member list, the representative and officers, and the meeting and decision-making methods, and a change registration must be filed within the set period when important particulars change. The membership ratio or number, the change registration period and the application form are set by the amended Enforcement Decree, so the promulgated Enforcement Decree must be checked before applying.
- Sports Club Registration Requirements and Documents Under the Sports Club Act, a sports club is a corporation or organization registered for its members' regular sports activities and operated to promote sports in the local community. To register, it must have articles of association, an annual operation plan, a representative and a representative body of members, and must constantly maintain at least 10 members per sport who pay dues regularly and take part in activities. The registration application is received and reviewed by the city, county or district sports council (or the city, county or district sports council for the disabled for disability sports clubs), and the Mayor of a Special Self-Governing City, the Governor of a Special Self-Governing Province, or the head of the city, county or district decides on registration within 14 days from the application date. A designated sports club is separately designated by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism from among registered sports clubs, and using that name without designation is subject to a fine of up to 1,000,000 won.
- Procedure for Authorization to Establish a Social Cooperative A general cooperative is a for-profit corporation established by reporting to the head of the metropolitan city or province (Mayor/Do Governor), while a social cooperative is a non-profit corporation that obtains authorization from the central administrative agency competent for its main business. The main business must match a social purpose set by law and account for at least 40% of the total volume of business. The competent ministry is required to give notice of whether authorization is granted within 60 days from the date it receives the application, but the process can take several months if supplementation is requested or the processing period is extended.
- Approval as an Organization Deemed a Corporation and Issuance of a Unique Identification Number Certificate Even an association or group that has not been registered as a corporation can become an organization deemed a corporation with the approval of the head of the competent tax office, if it has articles of association, has appointed a representative, manages its property independently and does not distribute profits to its members. A unique identification number is assigned at the same time as approval and can be used to open a bank account in the organization's name, to sign contracts and to apply for subsidies. The tax office gives notice of whether approval is granted within 10 days from the date of application.
- Clan Association (Jongjung) Unique Identification Number Certificate: Application and Required Documents A clan association (jongjung, also called munjung) does not have to be a corporation to receive a unique identification number from the tax office, which allows it to manage real estate in the clan's name, open accounts and file tax returns. However, a social gathering of people who share the same surname is not recognized as a clan association. The key to issuance is showing with documents that the group is a kinship organization centered on a common ancestor and that the clan property actually exists.
- Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Organization Registration: Requirements and Application Documents Registration under the Assistance for Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Organizations Act is required to receive support such as eligibility for public-interest project subsidy calls and reduced postal rates. A unique identification number certificate alone does not give this status. The basic requirements are 100 or more regular members and a record of public-interest activities over at least the most recent 1 year, and the processing period is within 20 days, including an on-site inspection.
- Forming a Condominium Building Management Body, Appointing a Manager and Obtaining a Unique Identification Number Certificate In a condominium building such as a commercial building, an officetel or a knowledge industry center, a management body is established without any separate procedure once a sectional ownership relationship is formed, and all sectional owners become its members. If there are 10 or more sectional owners, a manager must be appointed. For the resolution appointing the manager to be valid, the procedure for convening the management body meeting must be followed properly, and the minutes of that meeting are used to obtain a unique identification number certificate (goyu beonhojeung) from the tax office.
Agricultural & fishery corporations
- Applying for Young Farmer Settlement Support Young farmer settlement support is a program under Article 8 of the Act on the Fostering and Support of Successors in Agriculture and Fisheries and Young Farmers and Fishers that pays a farming settlement grant for living and farming needs, on condition of farming for a set period, to people selected as youth start-up successor farm managers. To be selected you must be a young farmer under 40, if you already run a farm your total farming period must be 3 years or less, and the feasibility and growth potential of your farming plan for full-time farming must be recognized. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announces by December 31 each year the selection plan for the next year, including the number to be selected, selection requirements and the application period, and applicants submit the selection application, business plan and documents proving the requirements to the city, county or district during that period (online through the Agriculture Business Information System). Details such as the monthly grant amount, the support period and income and asset criteria are set each year in the program implementation guidelines. If the grant is used for other purposes or the farming obligations are not met, the grant may be recovered.
- Forestry Successor Selection: Requirements and Documents Under Article 2, subparagraph 4 of the Forestry and Mountain Villages Development Promotion Act, a forestry successor is a person with the will and ability to engage in forestry who meets the requirements of Article 3 of the Enforcement Rule of the same Act. Among people under 55 who manage or intend to manage forestry under a forest management plan, this covers children of individual exemplary forest managers, owners of 3 hectares or more of forest, and lessees of 10 hectares or more of national or public forest; regardless of age, it also covers people who produce or intend to produce forest products above the standards set by the Korea Forest Service. You submit an application for forestry successor selection to the Mayor, county head or district head where the forest or cultivation site is located, and receive a forestry successor certificate once the requirements are confirmed. Selected forestry successors may receive priority support for subsidies and loans for forestry management, and the Comprehensive Forestry Project Fund requires a separate business application and review.
- Farming Association Corporation Establishment Procedure A farming association corporation is a corporation in which 5 or more farmers contribute jointly and run a cooperative business. There is no limit on the total amount of contributions, and if the requirements are met there are tax benefits such as a corporate tax reduction on income from crop cultivation and carry-over taxation of capital gains tax on farmland contributed in kind. If the number of members falls below 5, new members must be added within 1 year, so start by planning the membership.
- Establishing a Fishery Association Corporation or Fishery Company Corporation Fishery association corporations (yeongeo johap beobin) and fishery company corporations (eoeop hoesa beobin) are both fisheries corporations based on the Act on Fostering and Supporting Agricultural and Fisheries Business Entities. A fishery association corporation is established by 5 or more fishers for joint production and sales. A fishery company corporation can accept investment from non-fishers and outside capital and carry on management, processing and distribution as an enterprise. Decide the business plan first, then choose the corporate form.
- Establishing an Agricultural Company Corporation An agricultural company corporation is a company based on the Act on Fostering and Supporting Agricultural and Fisheries Business Entities. A farmer must take part as an investor, and the business purposes must relate to agriculture. It is incorporated like an ordinary stock company, but these requirements must be shown in the articles of incorporation, the shareholder register and the minutes. Policy funds and tax reductions are available only after agricultural business entity registration is completed following incorporation.
Land, buildings & compensation
- Relocation Housing Site Eligibility for Relocation Measures A person who loses the basis of their livelihood by providing a residential building for a public works project is eligible for relocation measures such as a relocation housing site, or for relocation settlement money. The person must be an owner who has lived in the building continuously from the date of the public notice under the relevant laws until the contract date or expropriation adjudication date, and owners of buildings constructed without permit or report, as well as tenants, are excluded in principle. Compensation in land is available to persons who have owned land continuously from 1 year before the public notice and transferred land at least as large as the minimum lot division area. An exclusion decision by a public project operator is treated as a disposition and can be contested through an objection or an administrative appeal.
- How to Apply for an Activity Permit in a Development Restriction Zone In a development restriction zone, constructing or changing the use of buildings, installing structures, altering the form and quality of land, felling bamboo and trees, dividing land, and piling up goods are prohibited in principle, and only the facilities and activities set by Article 12 of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones and Annex 1 of its Enforcement Decree may be carried out with a permit from the mayor, county governor, or district head. Activities listed in Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree, such as small extensions of houses and neighborhood living facilities, are carried out by report, and minor activities in Annex 4 of the Enforcement Rule require neither a permit nor a report. Land alteration, land division, piling up of goods, and similar activities are applied for with the Activity Permit Application under Form No. 1, whose processing period on the form is 15 days, while buildings and structures are applied for with the permit application under the building laws.
- How to Apply for a Land Transaction Contract Permit In a land transaction permit zone, a contract that transfers or creates ownership or superficies over land above the threshold area for consideration requires a permit from the mayor, county head or district head, applied for jointly by the seller and buyer under Article 11 of the Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions. The application states the contract details, the land use plan and the acquisition fund procurement plan, and the permitting authority must grant or refuse the permit within 15 days from receipt of the application. A land transaction contract concluded without a permit has no effect, and it is punishable by imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 30% of the land price based on the individual officially assessed land price. Land acquired with a permit must be used for the permitted purpose for 2 to 5 years depending on the purpose, and if this is not kept, a fact-finding survey conducted at least once a year leads to an order to perform and a charge for compelling compliance of up to 10% of the acquisition price imposed every year.
- How to Register the Transfer of a Mining Right A mining right (exploration right or extraction right) is a real right under Article 10 of the Mining Industry Act, and a transfer by sale or gift takes effect only when registered in the mining register under Articles 38 and 39 of the same Act. Registration in the mining register replaces registration in the real estate register, and the registration work is handled by the head of the Mining Registration Office under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. For a sale, the seller (registration obligor) and buyer (registration right holder) apply together with a deed of sale; for inheritance, the heir may apply alone; the processing period on the form is 2 days. Because a mining right holder's rights and obligations transfer together with the mining right, the buyer also takes over the status of obligations such as the deadline for applying for mining plan approval.
- How to Apply for an Ancestor Land Search and Required Documents An ancestor land search is carried out as an application to use cadastral computer data under Article 76 of the Act on the Establishment and Management of Spatial Data. Applicants for cadastral computer data must in principle obtain a prior review from the relevant central administrative agency, but when a landowner has died and the heir applies for data on the deceased's land, the review may be skipped. Nationwide data can be requested not only from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport or a Mayor/Do Governor but also from the cadastral authority, the city, county or district office, so you can file at a nearby city hall or district office. The processing period stated on the application form is 7 days, and because the result shows what is recorded in the cadastral records, current ownership must be checked again with a certified copy of the real estate register.
- Requirements and Procedure for Proposing an Urban Management Plan Under Article 26 of the National Land Planning and Utilization Act, residents (including interested parties) may propose to the plan-drafting authority the drafting of an urban or county management plan for the installation and improvement of infrastructure, the designation of district unit planning zones and the establishment or amendment of district unit plans, certain use districts such as industrial and distribution development promotion districts, and urban or county planning facility multi-purpose complex zones. A proposal requires the consent of landowners covering at least two-thirds of the target land area (district unit plans and use districts) or at least four-fifths (infrastructure and multi-purpose complex zones), excluding state and public land. The mayor, county governor or other authority receiving the proposal must notify whether it will be reflected in the plan within 45 days from the proposal date, and may extend this once by 30 days for unavoidable reasons. The proposal must attach the urban or county management plan documents and a plan explanation, and the costs of drafting and deciding the plan may be borne in whole or in part by the proposer by agreement.
- How to Object to a Cadastral Resurvey Boundary Decision or Adjustment Payment In a cadastral resurvey project, once the Boundary Decision Committee decides a boundary, the cadastral authority notifies landowners and interested parties. Anyone who disagrees files a boundary decision objection with supporting evidence at the cadastral authority within 60 days of receiving the notice. If the boundary confirmation increases or decreases the land area and an adjustment payment is set, an objection may be filed within 60 days of receiving the payment notice or collection notice. Where the adjustment payment was calculated from appraisal values, two appraisal firms that did not take part in the original calculation re-appraise it, and the cadastral authority notifies the result in writing within 45 days of receiving the objection, after review and resolution by the city, county or district cadastral resurvey committee. Neither objection carries a filing fee.
- Applying for a Cultural Heritage Alteration Permit To build structures or facilities, plant or remove trees, or dig or cut land within a state-designated cultural heritage, its protective structures or protection zone, or to carry out building, changes in land form and quality, or excavation 50 meters or deeper that may affect the landscape or preservation of a cultural heritage within a historic and cultural environment preservation area, you must obtain permission from the Administrator of the Korea Heritage Service under Article 35 of the Act on the Conservation and Utilization of Cultural Heritage. The application goes through the competent mayor, county governor or district head, the processing period is 30 days (excluding the Cultural Heritage Committee deliberation period and similar periods), and there is no fee. City- or province-designated cultural heritage is permitted by the mayor or governor of the city or province under procedures set by ordinance pursuant to Article 74 of the same Act, and altering the current state without permission is punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 50,000,000 won.
- Submitting the Development Cost Calculation Statement for Development Charges If you have received authorization of completion or the like for a project subject to development charges, you must submit the development cost calculation statement to the mayor, county governor or district head within 40 days from the end point of imposition. The construction costs, design costs, charges already paid and other items entered in the statement are deducted from the development gains to the extent they are recognized, so they directly affect the size of the charge. Within 30 days after receiving the preliminary notice of the charge, you may request a pre-notice review (a review before the payment notice is issued).
- Standards for Land Compensation and Loss Compensation in Public Works Projects When land, a building or a business site is included in a public works project such as a road, housing site or power generation facility, compensation for loss is paid under the Act on Acquisition of and Compensation for Land for Public Works Projects (the Land Compensation Act). Land is appraised on the basis of the officially assessed price of reference land, and business, farming and leave-of-absence losses are examined separately against the requirements for each item. The compensation amount can be corrected at three stages, each with a fixed deadline: inspection of the land and goods protocols (the project operator's written records of the land and the objects on it), consultation, and adjudication.
- Challenging an Indemnity for Unauthorized Occupancy of State or Public Land Under the State Property Act and the Public Property and Commodity Management Act, a person who occupies state or public land without a permit or a lease contract is charged an indemnity at the level of 120% of the usage fee (lease fee). If you have received a disposition imposing an indemnity, first check whether you actually occupied the land exclusively, whether prior notice and an opportunity to submit a written opinion were given before the disposition, and whether it includes a period for which the 5-year extinctive prescription (limitation period) has run. The usual way to challenge it is to file an administrative appeal within 90 days from the date you became aware of the disposition.
Farmland & forest land administration
- Farmland Preservation Charge Refund Procedure and Refund Interest If, after paying the farmland preservation charge, the farmland conversion permit is revoked, the converted area is reduced due to a business plan change, or the permit is not granted despite payment, a refund is available under Article 38(5) of the Farmland Act. When a refund ground arises, the authority that made the levy decision must without delay determine the refund and refund interest and notify the payer and the Korea Rural Community Corporation, and the payer actually receives the money only by submitting a claim with that decision notice to the Korea Rural Community Corporation. The decision notice form states that if the refund is not claimed within 5 years from receipt of the notice, it reverts to the Farmland Management Fund. This mainly applies to individuals and corporations who gave up a project after trying to convert farmland for a country house, warehouse or factory site.
- Mountainous District Conversion Permit and Earth and Stone Extraction Permit Procedure To use mountainous land for another purpose such as a building site, warehouse or factory, a mountainous district conversion permit is required under Article 14 of the Mountainous Districts Management Act, and for uses set by law such as housing for farmers, foresters and fishers or warehouses for agricultural, forestry and fishery products, a conversion report is filed with the mayor, county head or district head under Article 15. The permitting authority is the mayor, county head or district head, the Mayor/Do Governor, or the Minister of the Korea Forest Service depending on the area and whether the land is a reserved mountainous district, and the applicant pays the replacement forest resources creation cost in advance and deposits the restoration cost before receiving the permit certificate. Extracting earth and stone from mountainous land requires an earth and stone extraction permit under Article 25 from the Mayor/Do Governor for an extraction area of 100,000㎡ or more, or from the mayor, county head or district head for less. Converting mountainous land or extracting earth and stone without a permit is punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 50,000,000 won for reserved mountainous districts, and imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won for other mountainous districts.
- How to Apply for an Entrusted Lease Through the Farmland Bank Farmland may only be owned by a person who uses it for their own farm management, and it cannot be leased except in the cases set out in Article 23 of the Farmland Act. Farmland an individual has owned for at least 3 years, the part of inherited farmland exceeding 10,000㎡ held by an heir who does not farm, and the part exceeding 10,000㎡ held by a person who left farming after farming for at least 8 years can be entrusted to the Korea Rural Community Corporation (Farmland Bank) for lease, and the owner may keep the farmland for as long as it is leased under the entrustment. The lease trust period is at least 5 years, the trust commission is up to 12% of the total rent, and farmland in residential, commercial or industrial areas and farmland with a conversion permit are excluded. Leaving farmland idle without a justifiable reason or leasing it in a way that is not allowed creates a disposal obligation to dispose of it within 1 year, and failing to comply with a disposal order results in a charge for compelling compliance of 25% of the higher of the appraised value or the individual officially assessed land price, imposed every year. The amended Farmland Act promulgated on June 16, 2026 provides that inherited farmland and farmland of persons who left farming may only be leased through entrustment to the Korea Rural Community Corporation and others if the owner does not farm it directly; this part takes effect on June 17, 2028, and persons who owned such farmland before then follow the former rules.
- How to Install a Rural Stay Shelter A rural stay shelter is a temporary building installed on farmland by a farmer, or a person who intends to engage in weekend or hands-on farming, for direct use as temporary lodging for farm work. It must have a total floor area of 33㎡ or less, the parcel must be at least twice the combined area of the shelter and any parking space, deck and similar facilities, and the farmland must adjoin a road usable by fire trucks. After filing a temporary building report with the mayor, county head or district head, the owner applies within 60 days for a change to the farmland register.
- How to Get a Farmland Acquisition Qualification Certificate To acquire farmland by sale, gift or auction, you must obtain a Farmland Acquisition Qualification Certificate from the head of the city, district, eup or myeon where the land is located. You submit a Farm Management Plan for farming purposes, or a Weekend and Hobby Farming Plan for weekend farming, and a decision is made within 7 days of application (4 days where no plan is required, 14 days where Farmland Committee review applies). Once you actually start farming, you should also prepare agricultural business entity registration to receive loans and subsidies.
Roads, rivers & public waters
- River and Small River Occupancy Permits To occupy land, install structures, or excavate or fill land within a river zone, you need a river occupancy permit from the river management authority under Article 33 of the River Act; for small rivers designated by a mayor, county head or district head, you need a permit from that authority under Article 14 of the Small River Maintenance Act. Depending on the purpose, national rivers are handled by a river basin or regional environmental office or by the metropolitan/provincial government, and local rivers by the metropolitan/provincial government, with processing times such as 10 days for land occupancy and 20 days for new structures. If a permit is refused, an administrative appeal can be filed within 90 days of learning of the decision.
- Public Waters Occupancy and Use Permit Application Under Article 8 of the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act, anyone who installs artificial structures such as wharves, bridges or buildings, dredges or excavates, extracts soil or sand, or draws in or discharges water in public waters, meaning the sea, the foreshore and state-owned rivers, lakes, ditches and similar waters, must obtain an occupancy and use permit from the public waters management authority. Rivers governed by the River Act or the Small River Maintenance Act, waters within agricultural production infrastructure, and waters that are port facilities or fishing port facilities are handled under those laws instead (Article 3). The port areas of state-managed ports and the exclusive economic zone are permitted by the regional oceans and fisheries office, the port areas of locally managed ports by the city or province, and other public waters by the city, county or district. The application uses Annexed Form No. 4 of the Enforcement Rule, there is no application fee, and the processing period is 14 days where an implementation plan approval is required and 7 days where an implementation plan report is required (excluding consultation and opinion-gathering periods). Permit periods are up to 30 years for solid artificial structures, 15 years for other artificial structures and 5 years for dredging, extraction and similar uses, and occupancy and use fees are paid every year.
- Building Access to Landlocked Land with a Ditch Occupancy Permit If the route from landlocked land to a road must cross a ditch (a drain or channel), the type of permit and where to apply depend on who owns the ditch and which law governs it. For ditches that are agricultural production infrastructure, such as irrigation and drainage channels, under Article 23 of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act a use application is submitted to the Korea Rural Community Corporation when it manages the facility, and a use permit from the mayor, county head or district head is obtained when another manager such as a city or county manages it. Both use Annexed Form No. 17 of the Enforcement Rule, and the processing period is 30 days (excluding site inspection and supplementation periods). For state-owned ditches that are not agricultural production infrastructure, an occupancy and use permit under Article 8 of the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act is applied for at the city, county or district, and within river or small river areas an occupancy permit under the River Act or the Small River Maintenance Act is obtained. Ditches owned by local governments are subject to use permits for administrative property under the Public Property and Commodity Management Act. The use period of agricultural production infrastructure for access roads is up to 10 years (Article 31(5) of the Enforcement Decree).
- Road Works Permit for Non-Road Authorities: Procedure and Documents When an individual or company that is not the road management authority directly carries out construction that newly builds, widens, improves or repairs a road, such as widening an access road junction or improving a sidewalk while building or developing land, it must first obtain a road works permit from the road management authority under Road Act Article 36. You submit the road works permit application with a business plan and design documents. The statutory processing period is 15 days, and the fee is 1/1,000 of the construction cost (excluding land and compensation costs) or the amount set by local ordinance. Report the start of works within 5 days of commencement, and after completion obtain a completion inspection by attaching the completion report, design documents and cost settlement statement. Placing facilities on a road and using it requires an occupancy permit under Article 61, while construction that changes the road itself requires a works permit under Article 36.
Civil petitions & documents
- Checking an Entry Ban After Deportation or Overstay A foreigner with a deportation or overstay record who wants to come back to Korea should first confirm whether an entry restriction (entry ban) by the Ministry of Justice remains. Article 11(1)6 of the Immigration Act makes a person who left Korea after a deportation order and for whom 5 years have not passed subject to an entry ban, and other grounds are decided by the Minister of Justice under the other items of the same paragraph. Because it is information about the person, an agent with a letter of authorization can confirm it through an information disclosure request or a personal information access request, and the public agency decides within 10 days of receiving the request, extendable by up to 10 days if unavoidable. If disclosure is refused, or no decision is made within 20 days, an objection can be filed within 30 days.
- How to Request a Written Commitment from an Agency If the law allows a party to apply for a disposition, you may ask the agency for a commitment that it will or will not make that disposition in the future, and the commitment must be made in writing (Administrative Procedures Act, Article 40-2). If, after the commitment, the law or circumstances change so that it cannot be carried out, or the commitment itself is unlawful, the agency is not bound by it and must notify the party of that fact without delay. For a report that is completed simply by notifying the agency, the obligation is fulfilled when a report meeting the entry, attachment and formal requirements reaches the receiving office; if requirements are missing, the agency requests a supplement within a set period and, if no supplement is made within that period, returns the report stating its reasons. A report that a statute expressly says requires acceptance takes effect only when the agency accepts it.
- Writing an Apartment Defect Review or Dispute Mediation Application If the developer of an apartment or other multi-unit housing does not repair a defect or disputes that it is a defect, residents or the residents' representative council can apply to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Defect Review and Dispute Mediation Committee for a defect review or dispute mediation (Multi-Family Housing Management Act Article 39). Defect reviews and dispute mediation are in principle completed within 60 days (90 days for common areas) of the application, and if a party does not respond within 30 days of receiving a mediation proposal, it is deemed accepted and the mediation record has the same effect as a judicial settlement (same Act Articles 44 and 45). Before applying, confirm that a repair request was made within the warranty period and organize the history of negotiations.
- How to Draft a Service Contract or Outsourcing Contract A service contract is a contract to provide certain work or services and receive payment, and an outsourcing contract (business entrustment contract) is a contract to entrust part or all of a business task to an outside party. The actual transaction structure matters more than the title, and disputes arise when the scope of work and the inspection standards are vague. Standard forms found on the internet often do not fit the transaction structure, so they are difficult to use as they are.
- Obtaining a Debtor's Resident Registration Abstract with a Certificate of Interested-Party Facts As a rule, only the person and members of their household may obtain a resident registration abstract, but Article 29, Paragraph 2, Subparagraph 6 of the Resident Registration Act allows a person with a legitimate interest, such as a creditor-debtor relationship, to apply for another person's abstract. Claims between individuals and corporations are limited to cases where the benefit of time has been lost or the repayment date has arrived, and debts of 500,000 won or less between individuals are excluded (Enforcement Decree, Annex 2, Item 4). The application is submitted either with claim documents such as a contract bearing the signatures or seals of both parties and the repayment date plus the returned certified letter, or with a certificate of interested-party facts prepared by an administrative agent or similar professional plus the returned certified letter. The certificate must be the original with an issue number written in the evidence section of the application form (Enforcement Rule of the Resident Registration Act, Form No. 11), and the applicant must submit the application in person at a community service center or similar office.
- Drafting Publishing Contracts for Web Novel and Webtoon Writers Most contracts that web novel and webtoon writers sign with publishers, production companies and platforms either establish a right to publish and transmit the work exclusively (an exclusive publication right or publication right) or grant permission to use it. Under the Copyright Act, unless otherwise agreed, an exclusive publication right lasts 3 years from the date of first publication (5 years when established for making a visual work), and even when all economic rights are transferred, the right to create derivative works is presumed not to be included unless otherwise agreed. Because the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism prepares and distributes standard contracts for publishing and cartoons, compare the draft contract you received with the standard contract clause by clause, organize the wording to change into a revision proposal, and then sign.
- How to Write Content-Certified Mail and Its Effect Content-certified mail is special mail by which the post office certifies when, by whom and with what content a document was sent. It has no power to compel the other party by itself, but it serves as the basis for a demand notice (choego) that temporarily stops extinctive prescription (the limitation period), and it becomes evidence in the procedures that follow. What you write and how you write it determines its effect.
- How to File an Objection to a Non-Disclosure Decision on an Information Disclosure Request A public institution decides whether to disclose within 10 days from the date it receives an information disclosure request, and may extend this by up to 10 days when unavoidable. If you receive a decision of non-disclosure or partial disclosure, or no decision is made even after 20 days have passed since the request, you can file an objection in writing with that institution within 30 days from the date you received the notice or from the date the 20 days passed. It is also possible to file an administrative appeal directly without going through an objection.
- How to Draft a Premium (Gwonrigeum) Contract A premium (gwonrigeum) is the price paid for intangible assets such as business know-how, the customer base and the value of the commercial area, and for facilities. The contract must list the facility, business and location premiums separately and specify the list of items transferred and the time of handover. This reduces disputes such as non-payment, unauthorized removal of facilities and obstruction by the lessor. Before the contract, start by checking the certified copy of the property register and the building register.
Fact finding & certification
- Fact Confirmation Certificate Issued by an Administrative Agent A fact confirmation certificate is a document in which an administrative agent certifies in writing a fact confirmed as part of the work under the Licensed Administrative Agent Act. It is used when you need to show an administrative agency, a financial institution or a counterparty to a transaction that a certain fact or promise existed. It does not have conclusive effect like notarization, and the recipient judges it by the credibility of its content, so it is important to have the supporting materials together with it.
- How to Obtain a Real Estate Market Price Confirmation Certificate A real estate market price confirmation certificate is a document that sets out the market price of a specific property as of a fixed date, based on research into its officially announced price, actual transaction prices and nearby transaction cases. It is used to decide whether to renounce an inheritance, to review a gift between family members, and as material submitted to courts and administrative agencies. For the document to be useful, first decide where it will be submitted and which date it is based on.
- How to Prepare a Recording Transcript A recording transcript is a document certifying facts that puts a recorded conversation into writing, and preparing it falls under the work of preparing documents certifying facts under Article 2 of the Licensed Administrative Agent Act. Submitting only the audio file can raise problems of listening burden, differences in interpretation and suspicion of tampering, so it is common to submit a written transcript together with it. A transcript may be submitted in administrative appeals, school violence deliberations, and civil, criminal or family cases.
Welfare, veterans & labour
- Senior Center (Gyeongrodang) Installation Report A senior center (gyeongrodang) is an elderly leisure welfare facility under Article 36 of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, and a village, senior group or corporation other than the State or a local government must file an installation report with the mayor, county head or district head. The center needs a capacity of at least 20 members (at least 10 on islands and in eup/myeon areas), a living room or lounge of at least 20㎡, a toilet and electrical facilities, and the report on Form No. 19 is processed within 7 days. Installing or operating a center without reporting can lead to imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won, so the report should be completed together with the operating rules.
- Long-Term Care Institution Transfer Procedure The Long-Term Care Insurance Act has no provision that transfers a long-term care institution designation to a transferee, so when an institution is acquired the transferor files a closure report and the transferee must obtain a new designation. The transferor's closure report is due 30 days before the planned closure date, and the transferee's application goes through designation review by the city, county or district, so both schedules are aligned to avoid gaps in beneficiaries' services. On the other hand, the effects of administrative sanctions imposed on the transferor pass to the transferee for 3 years from the sanction date, so the sanction history should be checked before the acquisition.
- Daycare Center Establishment Approval: Standards and Documents To establish and operate a private, home, corporation/organization, cooperative or workplace daycare center (any daycare center other than a national or public one), you need approval from the city mayor, county head or district head under Article 13 of the Infant Care Act, and changes to important approved matters also require change approval. Under Annex 1 of the Enforcement Rule of the Infant Care Act, the facility must provide at least 4.29㎡ per child and childcare rooms at least 2.64㎡ per child, and childcare rooms are in principle on the ground floor. Cities, counties and districts set childcare plans that include daycare supply and demand plans and must consider local childcare demand when granting approval, so approval may be difficult in areas with sufficient supply. Using the name of a daycare center or effectively operating one without approval is punishable by imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won.
- Setting Up a Welfare Equipment Provider A welfare equipment provider is an in-home long-term care institution that sells and rents welfare equipment to long-term care beneficiaries. Since 2019, it must be designated as a long-term care institution by the head of the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) and must score at or above the standard in the designation review. Preparation usually takes 1 to 3 months, and the medical device sales (rental) business report must be completed first.
- Procedure for Setting Up a Nursing Home (Senior Care Facility) A nursing home (senior care facility) must first file a report of establishment of a medical welfare facility for senior citizens under Articles 34 and 35 of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, and then obtain designation as a long-term care institution under Article 31 of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act before it can admit residents eligible for benefits. The registered building use must be a facility for senior citizens and children (noyuja siseol), and a facility with a capacity of 10 or more must meet the standard of 23.6 m² of total floor area per resident. It usually takes 2 to 3 months from the report of establishment to designation.
- Long-Term Care Institution Designation Review and Renewal of Designation To provide in-home care benefits or facility care benefits, you must have the facilities and personnel and be designated as a long-term care institution by the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office. The si/gun/gu office forms a designation review committee and reviews the history of providing benefits, the history of administrative dispositions, the operation plan and local demand, and the designation is valid for 6 years from the date of designation. To continue operating, apply for renewal no later than 90 days before the validity period ends.
- Procedure for Establishing a Home-Visit Care Center (In-Home Welfare Center for Senior Citizens) A home-visit care center is an in-home welfare facility for senior citizens under the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act. It provides home-visit care, home-visit bathing, home-visit nursing, day and night care, short-term care and other services to senior citizens living at home. An office and business registration alone are not enough to operate. You must file a report of establishment with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office and then pass the designation review as a long-term care institution before you can provide services to long-term care beneficiaries.
- Application for Designation as a Disability Activity Support Agency A disability activity support agency is designated through an open call by the local government. In principle, those eligible to apply are non-profit corporations and organizations, social welfare corporations and public institutions; a for-profit entity can be designated only where there is no non-profit agency in the area, and only if it is a social enterprise. After document review and on-site inspection, agencies scoring 80 points or more are designated in order of score.
- Home-Visit Care Center Closure Procedure To close a long-term care institution such as a home-visit care center, a report must be filed with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office at least 30 days before the planned closure date. This period exists so that beneficiaries can move to another institution without interruption of services, so a late report can lead to issues with the duty to protect beneficiaries. The transfer of beneficiaries, the claim for the final month's benefit costs, staff matters and the transfer of records must be planned together.
- Registration as a Person of Distinguished Service to the State or a Person Eligible for Veteran's Compensation: Application Procedure and Documents An application for registration as a person of distinguished service to the State is filed with the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and proceeds in two stages: a review of whether the requirements are met, followed by a physical examination to determine the disability rating. The requirements differ: cases directly related to the performance of duties fall under persons of distinguished service to the State, and other cases fall under persons eligible for veteran's compensation. The outcome depends largely on how well the records show the causal relationship between official duty and the injury or disease.
- Community Child Center Establishment Report A community child center is a child welfare facility under Article 52 of the Child Welfare Act, and a party other than the State or a local government that wants to establish one files a report with the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) (Article 50). Whether the report succeeds depends on the floor area of the facility and the qualifications of the head of the facility. Check the floor area and the building use before signing a lease, and check whether the work experience of the head of the facility will be recognized before hiring.
Vehicle registration, repair & dealing
- Car Ownership Transfer for Foreigners in Korea: Alien Registration Card, Personal Signature Confirmation, and the 15-Day Deadline Foreigners living in Korea can buy and sell cars through the same transfer registration process as Korean nationals, and a buyer must apply for transfer registration within 15 days of the purchase. With an alien registration card or, for overseas Koreans with foreign nationality, a domestic residence report card, the registration office confirms the principal place of use through the alien registration fact certificate or similar records. A foreign seller must either register a seal at the place of stay to obtain a seal certificate for selling a car, or visit in person to obtain a personal signature confirmation. The buyer pays the acquisition tax directly.
- Use Report for Imported and Deregistered Motorcycles A two-wheeled motor vehicle with a maximum speed of 25 km/h or more must be reported for use to the mayor, county head or district head of its principal place of use under Article 48 of the Motor Vehicle Management Act before it receives a number and number plate and can be ridden. An imported motorcycle needs an import declaration certificate, emission and noise certification or confirmation of exemption, and, where required, a two-wheeled vehicle measurement confirmation, while a motorcycle whose use was discontinued is reported again with a use discontinuation certificate. A large two-wheeled vehicle over 260cc (electric models over 15 kW maximum output) that is reported again after discontinuation must pass a two-wheeled vehicle use inspection before the use report. Riding without a use report is subject to a fine of up to 3,000,000 won.
- Complete Guide to Vehicle Ownership Transfer: Procedure and Required Documents When a used car is bought or sold, transfer registration must be completed within 15 days from the date of sale. If the deadline passes, automobile tax, administrative fines and liability for accidents remain with the previous registered owner. First check the documents the seller and the buyer must each prepare, and the order for handling a vehicle with a mortgage or lease.
- Manufacturer Registration and Self-Certification for Direct Vehicle Imports A person who intends to manufacture, assemble or import motor vehicles must certify on their own that the vehicle type conforms to the motor vehicle safety standards (self-certification), and before doing so must register the manufacturing, testing and inspection facilities and related matters with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Once the registration application is received, the manufacturer registration number and the registration certificate are issued within 15 days. An importer that does not meet the self-certification capability requirements self-certifies after undergoing a technical review and a safety inspection by the performance testing agent.
- Motor Vehicle Maintenance Business Registration Procedure and Requirements To carry on motor vehicle inspection and maintenance as a business, you must register a motor vehicle maintenance business with the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office having jurisdiction over the place of business under Article 53 of the Motor Vehicle Management Act. The maintenance business is divided into four types, namely comprehensive, small motor vehicle comprehensive, specialized and specialized engine maintenance, and each type has a different scope of work and different area, equipment and personnel standards. Registration is blocked in most cases by the use category and area of the building, so check these first before signing a lease.
- Documents for Vehicle Transfer Registration in the Name of a Religious Organization Religious organizations such as churches, temples and mission societies are often unincorporated associations, so they register a motor vehicle by identifying the organization with its certificate of unique identification number (goyu beonhojeung). In addition to the basic transfer registration documents, the organization's bylaws, minutes of the meeting that decided to acquire the vehicle, proof of the representative, and a letter of authorization bearing the organization's official seal are needed. Transfer registration must be completed within 15 days for a sale and within 20 days for a gift.
- Registration Requirements for a Motor Vehicle Trading Business (Used Car Dealership) To open a dealership that buys and sells used cars, you must register a motor vehicle trading business, one of the motor vehicle management businesses under the Motor Vehicle Management Act, with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office. Most requirements, such as the display facility area, building use and road frontage, are determined by the site, so the most important thing is to check whether registration is possible before signing a lease.
- Vehicle Deregistration Procedure If you scrap or export a vehicle, you must deregister it within 1 month from the date the cause arises, and for export deregistration you must separately report whether the export was carried out within 1 year from the date of deregistration. If you do not deregister, motor vehicle tax and administrative fines for not carrying compulsory insurance continue to be charged. If the vehicle cannot be found, you deregister it after obtaining recognition of loss.
Transport business licences
- How to Register with Customs Freight forwarders who intend to handle bonded cargo, and express carriers whose business is delivering commercial documents or samples by international vessels, aircraft or border-crossing vehicles, must register with the Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service or the head of a customs office as prescribed by Presidential Decree (Customs Act, Article 222(1)(ii) and (vi)). To register, a person must not fall under the disqualifications in Article 175, must hold the licenses, permits or registrations required by related laws, must have no unpaid customs duties or national taxes, and 2 years must have passed since any cancellation of registration (Article 223). Registration is valid for 3 years, renewal must be applied for 1 month before expiry, and changes must be reported without delay. This guide covers preparing the application and organizing and submitting the documents.
- How to Register a Hearse Business in Korea: Special Passenger Transport Business Registration Standards and Garage Area To carry funeral participants and bodies for a fee with a hearse, you must register a special passenger transport business with the Mayor or Do Governor under the Passenger Transport Service Act. The business area is the whole country with no fixed route, and the minimum registration standard is one vehicle, although a city or province ordinance may adjust it. First meet the garage area per vehicle and garage location standards, then file the registration application (Form No. 9) with the competent authority for the main office (in areas where the authority is delegated by ordinance, the city, county, or district office).
- Private Taxi License Transfer Approval and Inheritance Report To hand a private taxi license over to another person, approval for the transfer must be obtained from the competent authority under Article 14(2) of the Passenger Transport Service Act, and if the license holder dies and an heir wants to continue the business, an inheritance report must be filed within 90 days of the date of death under Article 15. The transferor can only transfer after 5 years have passed since the license was granted (with exceptions for illness, inability to use a substitute driver, emigration and age 61 or older), and the transferee must meet licensing standards such as driving experience and an accident-free record as of the date of the approval application. Since February 10, 2026, the competent authority may ask the Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency for the transferor's driving and criminal records to review an approval.
- International Freight Forwarding Business Registration Requirements A business that, at the request of others and in its own name and on its own account, uses other parties' logistics facilities and equipment to arrange the logistics of import and export cargo (forwarding) is an international freight forwarding business under the Framework Act on Logistics Policy and must register with the Mayor or Do Governor having jurisdiction over its main office. A corporation needs capital of at least 300,000,000 won and an individual needs assessed assets of at least 600,000,000 won, and unless an exemption applies, guarantee insurance of at least 100,000,000 won is required. The registration fee is 20,000 won per case, and after registration a report on the registration standards must be filed every 3 years.
- Trucking Transport Business Permit and Transfer To transport cargo for pay, you need a trucking transport business permit and a commercial vehicle (yellow license plate). However, the Supply Standards for Trucking Transport Business, a public notice of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, prohibits new permits in principle and makes an exception only for certain vehicle types such as parcel delivery trucks. Most operators therefore start by taking over an existing operator's business through a report of transfer and acquisition. At the takeover, the freight transport qualification certificate, the garage and the grounds for disqualification are checked. After that, the duties continue: the report of transport records, the report on the permit standards every 5 years, and reports of change.
- Car Rental Business Registration Requirements To rent out motor vehicles for pay, you must register a car rental business with the competent local government under the Passenger Transport Service Act. The core of registration is three physical requirements: the number of vehicles held, the garage and the office. You must first decide whether the business will operate nationwide or as a locally limited business within one city or county (si/gun), because this determines the required number of vehicles and the garage area.
- Commercial Truck Replacement and Business Transfer Procedure Truck replacement (daepyecha), in which a commercial truck is replaced with a new vehicle, must be completed within 15 days from the date the report of vehicle retirement is accepted. The period is extended up to 6 months only where there is an unavoidable reason set by public notice, such as a delay in delivery of a new vehicle. The order is acceptance of the report by the association, registration at the vehicle registration office, and notification of the result to the association. If you take the steps in the wrong order, you will go back and forth between several agencies and there will be a gap in operation, so check the vehicle type and tonnage requirements and the garage first.
- Passenger Transport Business License and Registration Procedure A bus, taxi or chartered bus business that carries people for payment must obtain a license or register under the Passenger Transport Service Act. A business with fixed routes and timetables, such as a route bus, and a business that operates to meet group demand, such as a chartered bus, differ in procedure and competent authority. Depending on the business type, new entry may be restricted by supply and demand adjustment or total volume control, so check this first.
Construction machinery administration
- Requirements for Registering a Construction Machinery Rental Business To run a business renting out construction machinery such as excavators, forklifts, dump trucks and cranes, register a construction machinery rental business with the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office for the location of the office. A business with 4 or fewer units is an individual construction machinery rental business and one with 5 or more units is a general construction machinery rental business. In either case you must own, or secure the right to use, a storage yard (jugijang) with an area matching the number of units held. Whether registration is possible is mostly decided by the storage yard land, so check the lot number before signing a land contract.
- Type Report and Same-Type Import Report for Imported Construction Machinery To manufacture or import construction machinery, you must obtain type approval from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for that type, or file a type report for the machine categories specified in the Enforcement Decree. When you bring in machinery of the same type as one already approved or reported, you file a same-type import report. The Korea Transportation Safety Authority or an inspection agent receives the filing, and for a report, notice of whether it is accepted is given within 10 days from the date of receipt.
- Construction Machinery Transfer Registration and Change of Registered Details Construction machinery such as excavators, forklifts, dump trucks, loaders and cranes is registered with the registration office under Article 3 of the Construction Machinery Management Act. If the owner changes, or the trade name, head office, representative or principal place of use changes, a report of change in registered details must be filed within 30 days (6 months for inheritance) from the date of the change. A transfer of title by sale (commonly called transfer registration) is handled as a report of change with a transfer certificate attached. The filing is refused if even a single digit of the chassis number on the transfer certificate differs, so first check that the documents match.
Daily administration
- Inheritance Administrative Procedures: Order and Deadlines When a family member dies, the death report, property inquiry, vehicle transfer registration and business succession report follow with different deadlines. The death report is filed by a cohabiting relative within 1 month of learning of the death, and heirs apply for the Safe Inheritance one-stop service within 1 year from the last day of the month in which the death occurred. A vehicle in the deceased's name must be transferred within 6 months from the last day of the month in which the inheritance commenced, and heirs report succession to the business status of a restaurant or similar business within 1 month. Because the starting point differs by procedure, first prepare a deadline table based on the date of death.
- Permit to Relocate an Unclaimed Grave A grave installed without the landowner's consent may be relocated under Article 27 of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. with a permit from the city, county or district office that has jurisdiction over the grave. If the relatives are known, notify them in writing with a period of at least 3 months; if they are unknown, publish the same notice at least 2 times, with the second notice published after 40 days have passed since the first. If the relatives are still unknown after the notice period ends, submit a grave relocation permit application (processing period 3 days), cremate the remains once the permit is granted, enshrine the remains for 5 years before final disposal, and report this to the city, county or district office. Digging up a grave without a permit is punishable by imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won.
- Restricting Access to a Domestic Violence Victim's Resident Registration Records Under Article 29(6) of the Resident Registration Act, a domestic violence victim whose registered address differs from that of the domestic violence offender may apply to restrict inspection of, and issuance of certified copies and abstracts from, the resident registration records of the victim, household members and lineal ascendants and descendants. Restricted persons are designated from among the family members listed in Article 29(2)5 of the same Act, and the victim personally submits the application with one supporting document, such as a counseling confirmation, a shelter admission confirmation or a court decision, at an eup or myeon office or a dong community service center. It is processed immediately, there is no fee, and because the law sets no restriction period, the restriction stays in place until a lifting application is filed.
- How to Claim Compensation from the School Safety Mutual Aid Association Under the Act on the Prevention of and Compensation for Accidents at School, accidents that occur during educational activities, on the way to or from school, or on field trips can be compensated by the School Safety Mutual Aid Association (hakgyo anjeon gongjehoe). The parent or guardian files the claim through the School Safety Accident Compensation Support System. The right to receive mutual aid benefits lapses by prescription if it is not exercised for 3 years, so it is safest to claim within 3 years from the date of the accident. The claim can be made together with a claim under private indemnity medical insurance.
- Natural Disaster Private Property Damage Report If your home, farmland or facilities are damaged by a natural disaster such as a typhoon, heavy rain or heavy snow, you must file a damage report within 10 days from the date the disaster ended in order to be considered for support. You can report at the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office, at the eup, myeon or dong community service center, or online through National Safety 24 (Gungmin Anjeon 24). Photos taken before restoration are the most important evidence.