Registering a Text Message Sending Business as a Special Value-Added Telecommunications Business and Transmission Qualification Certification

Procedure

Procedure

1. 01

   1. Check whether the service is a special type of value-added telecommunications service — Providing a service that sends text messages by connecting a text message sending system directly or indirectly to a carrier's facilities falls under the special type of value-added telecommunications service in Article 2, Subparagraph 14, Item (b) of the Telecommunications Business Act. A company that only uses another operator's messaging service to send notices to its own customers has a different business structure, so applicability is checked first by reviewing the service structure diagram and contractual relationships. Operators registered under the former rules review their registration certificate and previous certification records to confirm whether they must re-register.

2. 02

   2. Prepare the registration requirements and technical measures plan — The operator secures paid-in capital of at least 100,000,000 won, at least 1 dedicated employee other than the representative, a chief information security officer at executive or department-head level who is designated and publicly announced, and the telecommunications facilities and ancillary equipment needed to provide the service. The technical measures plan covers prevention of fraudulent subscription using another person's identity, caller number registration and management, blocking of text messages with falsely displayed numbers, keeping communication records for at least 1 year, inserting identification codes and preventing their forgery or alteration, and operating information security systems and vulnerability checks. A business plan and a user protection plan containing an internal personal information management plan and service terms are also prepared.

3. 03

   3. Apply to the Korea Media and Communications Commission for transmission qualification certification — When the application form is filed with the Korea Media and Communications Commission together with documents proving that the certification standards are met, a document review and an on-site review are conducted, and the on-site review checks the text message sending system at the business site. The result is notified within 30 days from receipt, which may be extended once by up to 30 days for unavoidable reasons, and requests for supplementation set a period of up to 10 days. The certificate is issued within 7 days after the review is completed, and an applicant who disagrees with the result may request a re-review once within 30 days of notification.

4. 04

   4. Apply for registration as a special value-added telecommunications business operator — The registration application is submitted to the Central Radio Management Office with the articles of incorporation (for corporations), documents proving the registration requirements, the business plan, the user protection plan and the transmission qualification certificate. If the documents are deficient, a request for supplementation within 10 days is issued, and once the requirements are confirmed, the registration certificate is issued within 30 days from the application date. The business must start within 1 year from the registration date.

5. 05

   5. Regular inspections and change registration after registration — The Ministry of Science and ICT inspects compliance with the registration requirements, and the Korea Media and Communications Commission inspects whether the certification standards are maintained, once a year, by visit, in writing, by phone, by email and other means. Since the transmission qualification certification may be revoked if the certification standards are no longer met, changes in dedicated staff and security measure records are managed continuously. If the trade name, name or address, the representative, the type of service provided, or the address of the website that sends text messages changes, a change registration application is filed.

Filing route

Filing route

Deadlines & processing notes

Deadlines & processing notes

Fees & official charges

Fees & official charges

Included in the basic fee — Initial document review, required-document guidance, basic form preparation, one filing support and one ordinary supplement.

Conditional success fee — For this service, any conditional success fee may be separately agreed within the lawful service scope and stated in a written engagement agreement. No outcome is guaranteed.

Displayed amounts are starting estimates, not statutory or standard rates. The final fee is confirmed after consultation and document review in the engagement agreement. Government fees and actual expenses may change.

Basic documents

Basic documents

Because the transmission qualification certificate is a registration requirement, the certification review (within 30 days of receipt, extendable) and registration processing (within 30 days of application) must be completed one after the other, so operators facing a re-registration deadline should apply for certification as early as possible. Even after registration, compliance with the registration requirements and certification standards is inspected once a year, so changes in dedicated staff, communication record retention and information security records must be managed continuously.