File a South Korea Patent — KIPO Invention & Design Patents
Korean Intellectual Property Office filings prosecuted by Korean Patent Attorneys (Byeonrisa). Fixed two-step pricing with English-first filing, Korean translation, and Accelerated Examination eligibility analysis.
- Filed and prosecuted by Korean Patent Attorneys (Byeonrisa)
- Among the world's fastest examination pipelines (~16 months)
- 5x punitive damages for willful infringement (2024 amendments)
- English filing accepted with Korean translation deadline
Step One — Strategy & Search
Start with a fixed-fee engagement to validate patentability before committing to full drafting.
- KIPO patentability search and clearance assessment
- Direct vs PCT national phase recommendation
- Accelerated Examination eligibility analysis (often <6 months to first OA)
- Step Two ($4,200) only if you proceed to drafting
"Korea now offers up to 5x punitive damages for willful infringement — combined with KIPO's fast examination, this makes South Korea increasingly important for any tech company with East Asian competitors."
GTC Patents Team
Senior patent counsel · South Korea
Why File Your South Korea Patent with Us?
Senior IP professionals, fixed pricing, and operational discipline — built for inventors, startups, and growth-stage companies.
Korean Patent Attorneys (Byeonrisa)
Korean applications are prosecuted by Byeonrisa registered with the Korean Patent Attorneys Association. We coordinate end-to-end — no separate Korean counsel needed.
Fixed Two-Step Pricing
Step One ($699) for clearance and Accelerated Examination eligibility. Step Two ($4,200) for full English drafting, Korean translation, and KIPO filing.
Accelerated Examination Specialist
KIPO Accelerated Examination often produces first office actions in under 6 months. We file the petition with every eligible application — particularly powerful for tech, electronics, and AI inventions.
KIPO-Experienced Korean Translation
We use Korean patent translators with deep technical expertise — not generic legal translators. Translation quality directly affects examination outcomes in Korea.
Dedicated Case Management
Critical Korean deadlines (3-year RFE, 2-month OA responses, annual fees from year 4) are docketed and surfaced in your client dashboard.
"Patents are 20-year commercial assets, not paperwork. Our job is to draft claims broad enough to be valuable and tight enough to survive — and to give you the budget visibility to plan your portfolio properly."
GTC Patents Team
Senior patent counsel · South Korea
South Korea Patent Pricing — Two-step engagement
Same simple model we use in every country. Validate patentability before committing to full drafting.
Strategy & Search
- KIPO patentability search and clearance assessment
- Strategy: direct KR filing vs PCT national phase, Accelerated Examination eligibility
- Korean translation cost forecast and Byeonrisa coordination plan
- Engagement letter & roadmap (Step Two only if you proceed)
Drafting & Filing
- Full specification & claims drafted to KIPO standards (initially in English)
- Coordinated filing through Korean Patent Attorney (Byeonrisa)
- Korean translation by KIPO-experienced patent translators
- Filing of Request for Examination (within 3-year window)
Korean translation ($0.15–$0.22/word) and KIPO official fees are pass-through at cost.
Total Cost of South Korea Patent Filing
All-in budget scenarios from filing to grant. Government fees are passed through at cost from the patent office; our professional fees are fixed.
Korea Utility (Accelerated Exam)
Tech / electronics / AI inventions — typical Korean filing
| Step One — Strategy & Search | $699 |
| Step Two — Drafting & KIPO Filing | $4,200 |
| Korean Translation (~6,000 words) | ~$1,000 |
| KIPO Filing & RFE Fees | ~$420 |
Korea Utility (standard exam)
Standard examination without acceleration petition
| Step One — Strategy & Search | $699 |
| Step Two — Drafting & KIPO Filing | $4,200 |
| Korean Translation | ~$1,000 |
| KIPO Filing & RFE Fees | ~$420 |
Korea Design Patent
Ornamental appearance, single design (partial designs allowed)
| Drafting & KIPO Filing | $1,500 |
| Korean Translation (drawings only) | ~$200 |
| KIPO Filing Fee | ~$160 |
Included in our professional fees
- KIPO patentability search and Step One strategy memo
- Accelerated Examination eligibility analysis & petition drafting
- Full English specification, claims, abstract, drawings
- Patent-specialized Korean translation
- KIPO filing through Byeonrisa counsel
- Annual fee reminders
Office Action responses, oral hearings, and post-grant invalidation defense are quoted separately when applicable. KIPO annual fees (from year 4) are pass-through at cost.
How We Compare on South Korea Patent Filings
Registered representation at fixed pricing — without the boutique-firm hourly bill or the "templated" online-filing tradeoffs.
| Feature |
Best Value
GTC
|
DIY / online filer | Boutique IP firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step One (search & strategy) | $699 fixed | Not available | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| Step Two (drafting & KIPO filing) | $4,200 fixed | Foreign filing not practical | $7,500 – $12,000 |
| Byeonrisa (Korean Patent Attorney) | |||
| Accelerated Examination petition | Often extra fee | ||
| KIPO-experienced Korean translation | Generic only | Often outsourced | |
| Client dashboard & deadline tracking |
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South Korea Patent Prosecution Lifecycle
From the day we sign Step One to the day your patent grants — typical timeline: 16 – 30 months to grant.
Step One — Search & Eligibility
KIPO patentability search, Accelerated Examination eligibility analysis, direct vs PCT national phase recommendation, and engagement letter.
Step Two — English Drafting
Full specification and claims drafted in English to KIPO standards. Inventor reviews and approves before translation begins.
KIPO Filing (English)
Filed in English through Byeonrisa counsel. Filing receipt and application number issued. Korean translation deadline begins.
Korean Translation & RFE
Patent-specialized Korean translation submitted within deadline. Request for Examination filed (within 3 years; usually filed early with Accelerated Examination petition).
First Office Action (Accelerated)
With Accelerated Examination, first KIPO office action often issues 6–10 months after RFE — among the fastest examination pipelines globally.
Examination & Grant
Office Action responses are filed within 2 months (extendable). Once allowed, the patent is granted and published.
Annual Fees
Korean maintenance fees are payable annually from year 4 of the patent. We track and remind you well in advance.
Benefits of South Korea patent registration
- 20-year exclusive rights in a major Asian patent jurisdiction
- Up to 5x punitive damages for willful infringement (2024 amendments)
- Among the world's fastest patent examination pipelines
- KIPO is highly receptive to software, AI, and electronics patents
- Specialized IP divisions in Seoul Central District Court
- Korea is a Hague (designs) member with simplified design filing
What you'll need to get started
- 1Invention disclosure — written description in English
- 2Inventorship — full legal names of all inventors
- 3Sketches, drawings, or photographs (redrafted to KIPO standards)
- 4Priority document if claiming Paris Convention or PCT priority
- 5Power of Attorney to our Byeonrisa counsel (we provide template)
We treat all disclosures as confidential. For detailed technical information, we recommend signing an NDA before the second meeting.
Frequently asked questions
Filing in multiple countries?
Consider PCT international instead of South Korea alone.
One PCT application filed via WIPO preserves your priority right in many countries for up to 30/31 months — including South Korea — giving you 18 extra months to evaluate commercial viability before committing to national-phase filings.
Request your South Korea patent consultation
Tell us about your invention. A senior patent professional will respond within one business day. All disclosures are treated as confidential.
Start your patent application
Tell us about your invention through our guided intake. A senior patent professional reviews your South Korea filing goals and responds with a strategy and Step One quote — no payment required upfront.
- Registered patent attorneys & agents — confidential consultation
- Flat $699 Step One — strategy, prior-art search & filing-route recommendation
We respond within one business day. No obligation.