How to Register an Internet Newspaper

Procedure

Procedure

1. 01

   1. Check the internet newspaper standards and disqualifications — An internet newspaper meets the standards only if at least 30% of the articles posted each week are produced in-house and new articles are posted on a weekly basis. The publisher and editor must be Korean nationals, and minors, persons under adult or limited guardianship, bankrupts who have not been reinstated, and persons sentenced to a fine or heavier punishment for violating this Act within the last 2 years, among others, cannot serve. If the publishing entity is a corporation or organization, its representative director or representative becomes the publisher, and where there is a justifiable reason another director or officer may be named publisher by board resolution.

2. 02

   2. Decide the title and registration details — A name identical to an already registered newspaper, internet newspaper, magazine or news agency cannot be registered unless that business permits it, so check the title first. The application states the title, website address, main office and place of publication, publisher and editor, purpose and content of publication, and whether it is paid or free. Following the guidance on the form, write the purpose of publication clearly in about 40 characters.

3. 03

   3. Submit the application and attachments — Attach the basic certificates of the publisher and editor, the articles of incorporation for a corporation, the bylaws and proof of establishment for an organization, and a copy of the lease if an organization or individual leases the publishing office, to the Newspaper and Internet Newspaper Business Registration Application, and file it with the mayor or governor having jurisdiction over the main office. If the main office is in Incheon, Incheon Metropolitan City handles it, and the official checks the corporate register and the register of a self-owned building. The processing period is 20 days and there is no fee.

4. 04

   4. Registration certificate and items to publish on the site — Once registered, the mayor or governor issues a registration certificate, and the internet newspaper's registration number is prefixed with the Korean letter symbol 'a'. The site must clearly show the name, telephone number of the main office or place of publication, registration number, date of registration, title, publisher, editor, place of publication and date of publication. Designate a youth protection officer from among the executives or the head of the responsible department, display that person's name on the front page of the internet newspaper, and edit so that readers do not confuse articles with advertisements.

5. 05

   5. Change registration and closure report — When registered details change, file a change registration application with the original registration certificate and documents matching the change within 30 days of the change; the processing period is 5 days. If the publisher or editor becomes disqualified, a change registration must be filed within 1 month from that date. If you stop publishing, file a closure report with the registration certificate within 1 month of the closure.

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

Publishing an internet newspaper without registration or change registration is subject to a fine for negligence of up to 20,000,000 won, and the standard amount under the Enforcement Decree is 15,000,000 won. If it is confirmed that no new articles have been posted for 1 year or more, or that the main office or place of publication has been closed, the mayor or governor may cancel the registration ex officio 1 month after giving prior notice.