Reading Room Registration Standards for Study Cafes — Whether the Private Teaching Institutes Act Applies and Facility Requirements

Procedure

1. 1. Decide the operating model

   If the business assigns fixed seats, relies mainly on period passes and operates the space exclusively for study, it is highly likely to be regarded as subject to reading room registration. If it relies mainly on beverage sales and open seating, it can be operated as a study cafe. Also decide at this point whether to use the name 'reading room' (dokseosil) on the signboard.

2. 2. Check the building use

   Check in the building register whether the use of the floor concerned is a neighborhood living facility or an education and research facility, where a reading room can be located. If the use does not match, a change of use is needed first.

3. 3. Check the facility standards

   Check facility standards such as illuminance on the desk surface and separate toilets for men and women. Detailed standards differ under city/province (si/do) ordinances, so follow the standards of the competent district office of education.

4. 4. Fire safety check and registration application

   Registration is rejected if fire extinguishers, detectors, sprinklers and emergency exits are not in place. After meeting the fire safety requirements, apply to the competent district office of education for reading room registration.

Required documents

• Application for reading room registration
• Building register; floor plan of the facility
• Lease agreement
• Documents related to the certificate of completion of fire-fighting facilities
• Identity documents of the founder or operator

Fees

The registration fee is paid separately under the standards of the office of education. Agency fees in the industry are around several hundred thousand won and vary depending on whether a change of use or fire safety supplementation is needed. We will inform you after consultation, based on the floor plan of the premises and the operating plan.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 2
• Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 6
• Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 8
• Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 22
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 2
• Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, attached Table 1

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

• Decide the operating model and the building use before interior construction so that the work does not have to be redone.

Frequently asked questions