Registering a Text Message Sending Business as a Special Value-Added Telecommunications Business and Transmission Qualification Certification — Paid-in Capital of 100,000,000 won and Re-registration of Existing Operators

Procedure

1. 1. Check whether the service is a special type of value-added telecommunications service

   Providing a service that sends text messages by connecting a text message sending system directly or indirectly to a carrier's facilities falls under the special type of value-added telecommunications service in Article 2, Subparagraph 14, Item (b) of the Telecommunications Business Act. A company that only uses another operator's messaging service to send notices to its own customers has a different business structure, so applicability is checked first by reviewing the service structure diagram and contractual relationships. Operators registered under the former rules review their registration certificate and previous certification records to confirm whether they must re-register.

2. 2. Prepare the registration requirements and technical measures plan

   The operator secures paid-in capital of at least 100,000,000 won, at least 1 dedicated employee other than the representative, a chief information security officer at executive or department-head level who is designated and publicly announced, and the telecommunications facilities and ancillary equipment needed to provide the service. The technical measures plan covers prevention of fraudulent subscription using another person's identity, caller number registration and management, blocking of text messages with falsely displayed numbers, keeping communication records for at least 1 year, inserting identification codes and preventing their forgery or alteration, and operating information security systems and vulnerability checks. A business plan and a user protection plan containing an internal personal information management plan and service terms are also prepared.

3. 3. Apply to the Korea Media and Communications Commission for transmission qualification certification

   When the application form is filed with the Korea Media and Communications Commission together with documents proving that the certification standards are met, a document review and an on-site review are conducted, and the on-site review checks the text message sending system at the business site. The result is notified within 30 days from receipt, which may be extended once by up to 30 days for unavoidable reasons, and requests for supplementation set a period of up to 10 days. The certificate is issued within 7 days after the review is completed, and an applicant who disagrees with the result may request a re-review once within 30 days of notification.

4. 4. Apply for registration as a special value-added telecommunications business operator

   The registration application is submitted to the Central Radio Management Office with the articles of incorporation (for corporations), documents proving the registration requirements, the business plan, the user protection plan and the transmission qualification certificate. If the documents are deficient, a request for supplementation within 10 days is issued, and once the requirements are confirmed, the registration certificate is issued within 30 days from the application date. The business must start within 1 year from the registration date.

5. 5. Regular inspections and change registration after registration

   The Ministry of Science and ICT inspects compliance with the registration requirements, and the Korea Media and Communications Commission inspects whether the certification standards are maintained, once a year, by visit, in writing, by phone, by email and other means. Since the transmission qualification certification may be revoked if the certification standards are no longer met, changes in dedicated staff and security measure records are managed continuously. If the trade name, name or address, the representative, the type of service provided, or the address of the website that sends text messages changes, a change registration application is filed.

Required documents

• Transmission qualification certification application (Form No. 1 of the Notice on Transmission Qualification Certification Standards, etc.)
• Special value-added telecommunications business operator registration application (Form No. 5 of the Ministry of Science and ICT Regulations on the Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act)
• Articles of incorporation (for corporations, including corporations to be established)
• Documents proving paid-in capital (for individuals, appraised value of business assets) of at least 100,000,000 won
• Employment documents for dedicated staff and materials on the designation and public announcement of the chief information security officer
• Technical measures implementation plan (fraudulent subscription prevention, caller number management, communication record retention, etc.)
• Business plan and user protection plan (including internal personal information management plan and service terms)
• Transmission qualification certificate issued by the Korea Media and Communications Commission (for the registration application)
• Letter of authorization (when filed by a representative)

Fees

Industry fees range from several hundred thousand won to around one million won. We provide a quote after consultation depending on whether it is a new registration or re-registration of an existing operator and whether the certification application is handled together. Government fees and the cost of building information security systems are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Telecommunications Business Act, Article 2
• Telecommunications Business Act, Article 22
• Telecommunications Business Act, Article 22-11
• Telecommunications Business Act, Article 95
• Telecommunications Business Act, Article 23
• Telecommunications Business Act, Addenda (Act No. 20792), Article 2
• Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 29
• Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 29-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 30-11
• Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 65
• Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 31
• Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Annex 3
• Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Addenda (Presidential Decree No. 36281), Article 4
• Notice on Transmission Qualification Certification Standards, etc., Article 3
• Notice on Transmission Qualification Certification Standards, etc., Article 4
• Notice on Transmission Qualification Certification Standards, etc., Article 5
• Ministry of Science and ICT Regulations on the Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 14

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-12

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Because the transmission qualification certificate is a registration requirement, the certification review (within 30 days of receipt, extendable) and registration processing (within 30 days of application) must be completed one after the other, so operators facing a re-registration deadline should apply for certification as early as possible.
• Even after registration, compliance with the registration requirements and certification standards is inspected once a year, so changes in dedicated staff, communication record retention and information security records must be managed continuously.

Frequently asked questions