Business Permit Procedure for Entertainment Bars and Karaoke Bars — Type 1 and Type 2 Classification and Permit Requirements

Procedure

1. 1. Identify the business type

   A karaoke bar is a business that sells alcoholic beverages and where customers may sing. An entertainment bar is a business that may employ entertainment workers or install entertainment facilities such as a dance floor where customers may dance. The Food Sanitation Act does not divide entertainment bars further, but a venue with a dance floor separated from the seating, or with entertainment hosts and guest rooms of a certain scale, is treated as a luxury entertainment venue under the Local Tax Act if its area exceeds 100 m², and heavier acquisition and property taxes apply.

2. 2. Check the building use

   An entertainment bar must be in a building whose use is amusement facility, and a karaoke bar must be in a Class 2 neighborhood living facility or an amusement facility, depending on floor area. If the use does not match, a change of use is needed, and in some land-use zones the business cannot be located at all.

3. 3. Check the educational environment protection zone

   Setting up such a business is restricted in an educational environment protection zone, which is the area within 200 m of a school boundary, etc. It is prohibited in the absolute protection zone near the school entrance, and in the relative protection zone it must go through deliberation by the Educational Environment Protection Committee, so checking the location comes first.

4. 4. Fire safety facilities and sanitation education

   As a publicly used establishment, install the fire safety facilities and obtain a certificate of completion of safety facilities from the competent fire station. Also complete food sanitation education before starting business.

5. 5. Apply for the business permit

   Submit the permit application and facility materials to the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office, and the permit certificate is issued after an on-site check. Doing business before the permit is granted is punishable as operating without a permit.

Required documents

• Application for a food service business permit
• Certificate of completion of safety facilities
• Certificate of completion of food sanitation education
• Health examination result report
• Building register, lease contract
• Floor plan of the business premises

Fees

The permit application fee follows the local government's standard. In the industry, handling a permit is generally priced from several hundred thousand won to the 1,000,000 won range, and the fee varies greatly depending on whether a change of use or deliberation for the educational environment protection zone is needed. We review the materials for the candidate premises and advise you on the fee after a consultation.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Food Sanitation Act, Article 37
• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 21
• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 23
• Educational Environment Protection Act, Article 8
• Educational Environment Protection Act, Article 9
• Special Act on the Safety Control of Publicly Used Establishments, Article 9
• Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, attached Table 1
• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 22
• Enforcement Decree of the Local Tax Act, Article 28
• Local Tax Act, Article 111

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-05

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

• Before signing a lease, first check the building use and whether the premises fall within an educational environment protection zone.
• Doing business before the permit is granted is punishable as operating without a permit.

Frequently asked questions