Procedure for a Non-Profit Corporation to Start a Profit-Making Business — Amendment of the Articles and Commencement Report Within 2 Months

Procedure

1. 1. Check the basis in the articles of association

   Check whether the purpose business and business provisions of the articles of association contain a basis for a profit-making business. If there is none, apply to the competent authority for a permit for amendment of the articles of association after resolutions of the board of directors and the general meeting. Starting the business before the permit is granted becomes a problem in the authority's supervision.

2. 2. Review the connection with the purpose business

   A profit-making business must be a means of achieving the purpose. Pursuing profit alone, unrelated to the purpose business, may be a ground for revocation of the establishment permit. State clearly in the business plan how the profits will be used.

3. 3. Report of commencement of profit-making business to the tax office

   File a report of commencement of profit-making business with the competent tax office within 2 months from the date the profit-making business starts. If you supply taxable goods or services, also complete business registration.

4. 4. Separate accounting and reporting to the competent authority

   Manage the accounts of the proper purpose business and the accounts of the profit-making business separately. The details of the profit-making business also appear when you report business results and the settlement of accounts to the competent authority each year, so keep them separate from the start.

Required documents

• Articles of association (current) and draft amendment
• Minutes of the board of directors and the general meeting
• Profit-making business plan and revenue and expenditure budget
• Application to the competent authority for a permit for amendment of the articles of association
• Unique identification number certificate of the corporation or documents related to business registration

Fees

In most cases there is no fee for the application for a permit for amendment of the articles of association itself. Agency fees in the industry are around several hundred thousand won and vary depending on whether an amendment of the articles of association is needed and whether the minutes and business plan are newly drafted. We will inform you after consultation, based on the situation of the corporation.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Civil Act, Article 38
• Civil Act, Article 42
• Civil Act, Article 45
• Civil Act, Article 52
• Corporate Tax Act, Article 110
• Corporate Tax Act, Article 113

Checked against the statutes on 2026-09-30

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

• An amendment that changes the purpose in the articles of association also carries a registration deadline, so plan the schedule after the permit in advance.

Frequently asked questions