Establishment Permit Procedure for a Sports Corporation — 5 Points Where Supplementation Is Requested

Procedure

1. 1. Match the scope of activity with the competent authority

   The corporation's scope of activity must match the jurisdiction of the competent authority. If the corporation has an office in only one region but its articles of association provide for nationwide or city/province (si/do) branches, supplementation is requested. The name must also be chosen so that it does not overlap with an existing corporation or an organization affiliated with a sports council.

2. 2. 1:1 match between the articles of association and the business plan

   Each purpose business in the articles of association must correspond one-to-one to an item in the business plan. In the business plan, state the timing, target, place, method and budget specifically to show that the business can actually be carried out.

3. 3. Inaugural general meeting and minutes

   The inaugural general meeting resolves on the establishment, approval of the articles of association, appointment of officers, approval of the business plan and the revenue and expenditure budget, determination of the principal office, and delegation of the permit application. All attendees write their names and affix their seals on the minutes, and some authorities also require notarization.

4. 4. Composition of officers and documents

   Collect the personal details, career summary, letter of acceptance of office and certificate of seal impression of each prospective officer. If the proportion of relatives on the board of directors is high, it may be viewed as private control. An auditor is not a mandatory organ under the Civil Act, but the competent authority often requires one in its review as an internal check, so it is safer to have one. Officers of sports organizations are subject to the grounds for disqualification under the National Sports Promotion Act relating to sexual violence, child abuse and match-fixing.

5. 5. Permit application, then registration of incorporation

   Apply to the competent authority for the establishment permit and, once the permit is issued, complete registration of incorporation within the prescribed period. The establishment procedure ends only after the unique identification number certificate has been issued and the report on transfer of property has been made following registration.

Required documents

• Application for establishment permit of a corporation
• Articles of association
• Minutes of the inaugural general meeting (names and seals of all attendees)
• Business plan; revenue and expenditure budget
• Officers' letters of acceptance of office, career summaries and certificates of seal impression
• Inventory of property and proof of contribution
• Member register (stating date of joining and membership class); activity records

Fees

In many cases there is no fee for the establishment permit application itself; the registration and license tax for registration of incorporation and notarization costs are separate. Agency fees in the industry range from several hundred thousand won to the 1,000,000 won range or more, and vary with the size of membership and the scope of drafting the articles of association. We will inform you after consultation, based on the status of the organization.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Civil Act, Article 32
• Civil Act, Article 49
• Civil Act, Article 66
• Rules on the Establishment and Supervision of Non-Profit Corporations under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Heritage Service, Article 3
• Rules on the Establishment and Supervision of Non-Profit Corporations under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Heritage Service, Article 4
• Rules on the Establishment and Supervision of Non-Profit Corporations under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Heritage Service, Article 5

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-05

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

• If you plan to affiliate with a sports council, draft the articles of association from the start in line with the affiliation standards so that you can avoid amending them later.
• The minutes of the inaugural general meeting require the names and seals of all attendees.

Frequently asked questions