How to Register an Internet Newspaper — City/Provincial Filing Documents and the 30% Original-Article Standard

Procedure

1. 1. Check the internet newspaper standards and disqualifications

   An internet newspaper meets the standards only if at least 30% of the articles posted each week are produced in-house and new articles are posted on a weekly basis. The publisher and editor must be Korean nationals, and minors, persons under adult or limited guardianship, bankrupts who have not been reinstated, and persons sentenced to a fine or heavier punishment for violating this Act within the last 2 years, among others, cannot serve. If the publishing entity is a corporation or organization, its representative director or representative becomes the publisher, and where there is a justifiable reason another director or officer may be named publisher by board resolution.

2. 2. Decide the title and registration details

   A name identical to an already registered newspaper, internet newspaper, magazine or news agency cannot be registered unless that business permits it, so check the title first. The application states the title, website address, main office and place of publication, publisher and editor, purpose and content of publication, and whether it is paid or free. Following the guidance on the form, write the purpose of publication clearly in about 40 characters.

3. 3. Submit the application and attachments

   Attach the basic certificates of the publisher and editor, the articles of incorporation for a corporation, the bylaws and proof of establishment for an organization, and a copy of the lease if an organization or individual leases the publishing office, to the Newspaper and Internet Newspaper Business Registration Application, and file it with the mayor or governor having jurisdiction over the main office. If the main office is in Incheon, Incheon Metropolitan City handles it, and the official checks the corporate register and the register of a self-owned building. The processing period is 20 days and there is no fee.

4. 4. Registration certificate and items to publish on the site

   Once registered, the mayor or governor issues a registration certificate, and the internet newspaper's registration number is prefixed with the Korean letter symbol 'a'. The site must clearly show the name, telephone number of the main office or place of publication, registration number, date of registration, title, publisher, editor, place of publication and date of publication. Designate a youth protection officer from among the executives or the head of the responsible department, display that person's name on the front page of the internet newspaper, and edit so that readers do not confuse articles with advertisements.

5. 5. Change registration and closure report

   When registered details change, file a change registration application with the original registration certificate and documents matching the change within 30 days of the change; the processing period is 5 days. If the publisher or editor becomes disqualified, a change registration must be filed within 1 month from that date. If you stop publishing, file a closure report with the registration certificate within 1 month of the closure.

Required documents

• Newspaper and Internet Newspaper Business Registration Application (Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Form No. 1)
• Basic certificates of the publisher and editor
• Articles of incorporation (if the publishing entity is a corporation)
• Bylaws of the organization and documents proving its establishment (if the publishing entity is an organization)
• Copy of the lease for the publishing office building (if the publishing entity is an organization or individual leasing the building)
• Letter of authorization (when filed by an agent)

Fees

Industry range of several hundred thousand won to several million won · We provide a quote after consultation, depending on the publishing entity (individual, corporation or organization), whether it is a new registration or a change registration, and the scope of reviewing corporate purposes in the articles and disqualifications. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 2
• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 6
• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 9
• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 9-2
• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 11
• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 13
• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 21
• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 22
• Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 39
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 2
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 4
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 5
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 6
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 7-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Article 9
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Annex 2
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers, Form No. 1

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-08

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

• Publishing an internet newspaper without registration or change registration is subject to a fine for negligence of up to 20,000,000 won, and the standard amount under the Enforcement Decree is 15,000,000 won.
• If it is confirmed that no new articles have been posted for 1 year or more, or that the main office or place of publication has been closed, the mayor or governor may cancel the registration ex officio 1 month after giving prior notice.

Frequently asked questions