How to Register a Private Qualification — Registration Application, Management and Operation Regulations, and the 3-Month Processing Period

Procedure

1. 1. Check whether the field is prohibited

   A private qualification cannot be created in a field related to acts prohibited by other statutes, a field directly connected to the life, health or safety of the people or to national defense, or a field contrary to good morals. Also check first whether the job duties overlap with a national qualification.

2. 2. Check the manager for grounds for disqualification

   A minor, a person under adult guardianship, a person declared bankrupt and not yet reinstated, a person for whom 3 years have not passed since being sentenced to imprisonment without labor or a heavier punishment for violating qualification-related statutes, and similar persons cannot become a private qualification manager. A corporation or organization also checks whether any of its executives is disqualified.

3. 3. Draft the management and operation regulations

   State the title, grades and job description of the qualification, and the examination standards, examination subjects, examination methods and eligibility to sit the examination (for an education-and-training type, the courses, training period, completion standards and assessment methods). The regulations must also include the status of personnel needed for the examination, the management and operation organization, and the method of verifying the identity of examinees.

4. 4. Submit the registration application

   Submit the private qualification registration application, attaching the management and operation regulations, an inventory of property including examination facilities and equipment, and documents on the rights to that property. If registration as a lifelong education facility or a private teaching institute (hagwon) is required in order to run a training course, also attach the document proving that registration.

5. 5. Issuance of the registration certificate and ongoing management

   The processing period is within 3 months, and the period of deliberation by the advisory committee that determines the competent ministry is not counted in this period. After registration, if registered details such as the title or the examination standards change, apply for registration of the change, and in advertisements indicate the type of qualification, the registration number and the manager.

Required documents

• Private qualification registration application
• Regulations on the management and operation of the private qualification
• Inventory of property including examination facilities and equipment, and documents proving the rights to the property
• Documents proving authorization, registration or report of a lifelong education facility, private teaching institute (hagwon), etc. (if required to run a training course)
• Business registration certificate (attach if you do not consent to verification through administrative information)
• Abstract of the representative's resident registration or the corporate register certificate (verified through administrative information)

Fees

Fees in the industry are around several hundred thousand won. We will advise you of the fee after a consultation, depending on the number of qualification titles and how far the management and operation regulations have been prepared.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 17
• Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 17-2
• Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 18
• Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 33
• Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 39
• Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 23
• Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 24
• Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 34
• Enforcement Rule of the Framework Act on Qualifications, Article 2

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-04

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

• Do not start advertising to recruit trainees or issuing certificates before you receive the registration certificate.

Frequently asked questions