How to Register a Franchise Disclosure Document — The 1-Year Directly Operated Store Rule and Annual Amendment Deadlines

Procedure

1. 1. Check the directly operated store requirement

   A new registration is accepted only if the franchisor has run a directly operated store with the same brand and business method as the franchise described in the disclosure document for at least 1 year. Periods during which an officer serving at the time of application ran the store are counted. The requirement does not apply if the franchisor holds a permit, license, report or registration under related laws, or has run the same type of business in Korea or abroad for at least 1 year.

2. 2. Identify the registering authority

   If the principal office is in Seoul, apply to the Mayor of Seoul; in Incheon, to the Mayor of Incheon; in Gyeonggi-do, to the Governor of Gyeonggi-do. Regions designated by the Fair Trade Commission (Busan under the current form) file with that mayor. All other regions apply to the Fair Trade Commission, and applications can also be filed online through the Franchise Information System.

3. 3. Prepare the disclosure document

   The disclosure document consists of a cover, a table of contents and the items in Annex 1 of the Enforcement Decree, and a separate document is made for each brand. It covers the franchisor's general status and financial information for the previous 3 fiscal years, numbers of franchised and directly operated stores and average sales, law violations, franchisee costs, business conditions and opening procedures, and training.

4. 4. File the new registration and supplement it

   Attach the disclosure document (paper and electronic file), financial statements, a list of directly operated and franchised stores, the franchise agreement form, proof of the number of employees and proof of directly operated store operation to the new registration application. The authority issues the certificate within 30 days of the application; if items are missing or untrue, it may request a change or supplement once, and the date of supplementing becomes the new application date.

5. 5. Amendment registration and amendment report

   Items such as the trade name, principal office and representative must be amended within 30 days of the change; numbers of franchised and directly operated stores within 30 days after each quarter ends; and financial information within 120 days after each fiscal year ends. The processing period for an amendment registration is 20 days, and minor items such as changes of officers other than the representative are reported within 30 days after the quarter ends.

Required documents

• Application for new registration of a disclosure document
• Disclosure document (paper and electronic file)
• Statements of financial position and income statements for the previous 3 fiscal years (or documents showing sales if not prepared)
• List of directly operated and franchised stores as of the end of the previous fiscal year
• Copy of the franchise agreement form
• Document showing the number of officers and employees as of the end of the previous fiscal year
• Document confirming the operation and operating period of the directly operated store
• Letter of authorization (when filed by an agent)

Fees

There is no fee for registering a disclosure document. Business reports and permits needed to open franchise outlets are quoted per business type after consultation.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 2
• Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 3
• Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 6-2
• Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 6-3
• Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 6-4
• Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 7
• Enforcement Decree of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 4
• Enforcement Decree of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 5-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 5-3
• Enforcement Decree of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Article 5-5
• Enforcement Decree of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, Annex 1-2

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-06

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

• In principle, a franchisor may not receive franchise fees or sign a franchise agreement until 14 days have passed since delivering the registered disclosure document and the nearby franchise store list.
• If the disclosure document or attachments contain false information, registration is refused, and if a registration made with false information is discovered, it is cancelled.

Frequently asked questions