Sports Club Registration Requirements and Documents — 10 Members per Sport, 14-Day Processing, and How It Differs from a Designated Sports Club

Procedure

1. 1. Check the registration requirements

   Confirm that the club has articles of association governing its operation and decision-making, an annual operation plan including a sports facility use plan and an operation plan for each sport, and a representative and a representative body of members such as a general meeting. Each sport must have at least 10 members who pay dues regularly and take part in activities, and this number must be maintained at all times after registration.

2. 2. Prepare the member list and proof of dues payment

   Prepare a member list for each sport and match the documents proving each member's dues payment. The application states the total number of members, the numbers of female, youth and disabled members, the facilities used and the sports operated, so the list and the figures must agree.

3. 3. Submit the registration application to the local sports council

   Attach the articles of association and organization chart, the annual operation plan, the member list for each sport, and documents proving dues payment to the sports club registration application, and submit it to the city, county or district sports council where the club is located. Disability sports clubs deemed members of the local sports council for the disabled submit to the city, county or district sports council for the disabled. The fee is the amount set by the local government's ordinance.

4. 4. Review and issue of the registration certificate

   After the sports council reviews the documents, the city, county or district decides on registration within 14 days from the application date and issues a sports club registration certificate. A registered sports club is deemed a member of the local sports council or local sports council for the disabled and of the relevant sports federation, and pays dues under each sports organization's articles.

5. 5. Report changes and keep the requirements

   When registered matters such as the representative, location or sports operated change, attach documents proving the change and the registration certificate to a change report and submit it to the city, county or district sports council. If the club no longer meets the registration requirements, the city, county or district may order corrections within 3 months, and registration may be cancelled if the requirements are still not met after that period.

Required documents

• Sports club registration application (Enforcement Rule of the Sports Club Act, Form No. 1)
• Articles of association and organization chart of the sports club
• Annual operation plan (including the sports facility use plan and the operation plan for each sport)
• Sports club member list for each sport
• Documents proving payment of dues by sports club members
• Letter of authorization (if submitted by an agent)

Fees

Generally in the range of several hundred thousand won to several million won in the industry · we quote after consultation depending on the number of sports and members, whether the articles of association and operation plan must be newly drafted, and whether it is a change report. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Sports Club Act, Article 2
• Sports Club Act, Article 6
• Sports Club Act, Article 7
• Sports Club Act, Article 8
• Sports Club Act, Article 9
• Sports Club Act, Article 10
• Sports Club Act, Article 15
• Sports Club Act, Article 19
• Sports Club Act, Article 23
• Enforcement Decree of the Sports Club Act, Article 3
• Enforcement Decree of the Sports Club Act, Article 5
• Enforcement Decree of the Sports Club Act, Article 11
• Enforcement Decree of the Sports Club Act, Article 14
• Enforcement Rule of the Sports Club Act, Article 2
• Enforcement Rule of the Sports Club Act, Article 3

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

• The requirement of 10 members per sport must be maintained at all times, not only at registration. If membership falls below the requirement, registration may be cancelled after a correction order.
• A club that is not designated but uses 'designated sports club' or a similar name in its name or promotional materials is subject to a fine of up to 1,000,000 won.

Frequently asked questions