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    Register your trademark in South Korea, with confidence.

    Let our experienced attorneys take care of everything. They check your name, prepare the application and file it with the MOIP.

    Starting from $600 attorney fee + government filing fee.

    Trusted by founders and brands worldwide

    Brands that trust GTC across IP, contracts, and counsel.

    AtlysPerforaSoxcoBossCareInnovistBacardiFootcare LabBare AnatomyFreedom

    Your attorney runs the check, the drafting and every letter from the MOIP with you, from the first search to the certificate.

    10+ years
    Top IP Consultancy for E-Commerce, IIPLA 2026Upwork · Top Rated Plus

    Brands we've protected

    AtlysPerforaSoxcoBossCareInnovistBacardiFootcare LabBare AnatomyFreedomNovuMedicalTied RibbonsAnna-KaciInfinikoLeather VillageCrystal HairNidavellir

    How it works

    Four steps to a Korea registration.

    Each step shows how long the MOIP usually takes and which payment it belongs to.

    1. 1
      Within 24 to 48 hours

      Free lawyer's check

      We search the MOIP's register. An attorney tells you plainly whether the name is clear to file.

      Free, no card
    2. 2
      Week 1

      Drafting and filing

      We draft your goods and services, classify them under Nice and file with the MOIP.

      Payment 1, at filing
    3. 3
      After filing

      Examination and publication

      The MOIP examines your mark and publishes it for the opposition window, watched by us.

      Included
    4. 4
      On acceptance

      Registration certificate

      With no opposition, your Korea trademark registers and the certificate issues. Ten years, renewable.

      Payment 2, on approval

    What it costs

    One flat attorney fee, every MOIP fee shown up front.

    Our fee in USD. The MOIP fees at cost, in KRW, plus a 5% bank fee. The MOIP charges in steps; we bill you twice: once when we file, once when your mark is approved.

    Your Korea filing

    Professional fee in USD. The MOIP fee at cost, in its own currency. Bank fee (5%) on government fees.

    Classes
    1
    Payment 1 · before we file
    $641.14for 1 class, before we file
    Professional feeSame for each extra class$600
    MOIP fee₩52,000 per class · Government fee page$39.18 (₩52,000)
    Bank fee (5%)$1.96
    Payment 2 · only if the office approves
    $159.02for 1 class, on approval
    Registration fee (10 years)Each extra class $151.45$151.45 (₩201,000)
    Bank fee (5%)$7.57

    Invoiced when the MOIP approves your mark. If the mark is refused, this payment never happens.

    Included in the attorney fee

    • A MOIP clearance search across the Nice classes and Korea's similar-group codes, with an attorney's read on your odds
    • A similar-group strategy so your protection holds, since Korea classifies more finely than Nice alone
    • Defensive Hangul (한글) filing advice for the Korean market
    • Your application filed directly with MOIP by a Korea-licensed attorney (byeonrisa)
    • The 30-day opposition window watched after publication in the MOIP Gazette
    • One year of post-registration attorney aftercare, included

    Not included, always quoted before any work

    • –Replies to a substantive refusal (distinctiveness, conflict, public-order grounds)
    • –Defending or filing an opposition
    • –Extra classes and other countries
    • –Renewal in year 10

    A class is one category of goods or services. Find your classes with Class Assist.

    Add the Comprehensive Trademark Search and, if the office refuses your mark for a conflict we missed, the refile is on us. Read the terms →Outside Korea? Your GTC attorney handles every requirement of the MOIP for you, included in the flat fee.

    How long

    From the free check to your Korea certificate.

    Most Korea trademarks move on the MOIP's standard timeline. Here is what to expect.

    1. Within 24 to 48 hours

      Free lawyer's check

      We search the MOIP's register. An attorney tells you plainly whether the name is clear to file.

    2. Week 1

      Drafting and filing

      We draft your goods and services, classify them under Nice and file with the MOIP.

    3. After filing

      Examination and publication

      The MOIP examines your mark and publishes it for the opposition window, watched by us.

    4. On acceptance

      Registration certificate

      With no opposition, your Korea trademark registers and the certificate issues. Ten years, renewable.

    5. Every 10 years

      Renewal tracked

      We diary the renewal deadline and remind you a year ahead, so your protection never lapses.

    Filing in Korea

    Why filing in Korea is different.

    The rules that change how we search, draft and file for you. We handle every one of them.

    1

    First-to-file under the Trademark Act

    Korea does not recognise prior use of an unregistered foreign mark as a defence against a later registration. Whoever files first owns the priority right. Early MOIP filing is essential for foreign brands.

    2

    Hangul defensive marks matter

    Korean consumers read foreign brand names in Hangul script regardless of original spelling. Filing the Hangul transliteration alongside the Latin-character version prevents a third party from registering one against you.

    3

    Similar-group codes are stricter than Nice alone

    MOIP layers a national similar-group code system on top of Nice classification. Two goods in the same Nice class but different similar-groups are not in conflict, and vice versa. Drafting requires both systems.

    4

    MOIP is rigorous and fast

    MOIP is one of the more rigorous registries in Asia, with examination typically completed within 10-12 months. Refusal rates for foreign filers can be material, making pre-filing clearance the single biggest success factor.

    Your attorney runs the check, the drafting and every letter from the MOIP with you, from the first search to the certificate and the renewal ten years on.

    Get started

    Start with a free trademark search.

    An attorney checks your name, then sends your filing quote. About 3 minutes.

    Your Customer Success Team

    A dedicated team that owns your matter from start to finish.

    Every GTC client gets a dedicated Account Manager and a Senior Account Manager who learn your business and stay with you from first email to final filing. They are named people who pick up the phone and already know your matter, so every step moves forward without delay.

    Your Account Manager

    Your day-to-day point of contact, who coordinates every matter, keeps things moving, and already knows your file. They have your full history, so you start every conversation where the last one left off.

    Your Senior Account Manager

    Senior oversight on strategy and escalations, stepping in as your needs grow, so every important detail stays on track.

    A named person, on email or a call, at every step.

    Your dedicated GTC Customer Success Team

    After you submit

    What you receive, and when.

    No chasing. Each step lands in your portal and your inbox, with the next step and its date.

    1. Within 24 to 48 hours

      Your result and a fixed quote

      Your attorney's read on the name, the classes we suggest, and a quote with every MOIP fee on it. Nothing to pay yet.

    2. When you say go

      Filing details and power of attorney

      You add the owner details in your portal. We prepare the power of attorney and tell you exactly how to sign and return it.

    3. At filing

      Filing receipt

      We file and send you the MOIP's receipt with your application number. Payment 1 is invoiced now.

    4. During examination

      Every letter, explained

      Anything the MOIP sends comes to you in plain English with our recommended reply, before any deadline.

    5. On approval

      Certificate in your portal

      We pay the registration fee (payment 2) and upload your certificate. Your renewal date is diaried.

    Before you file

    Why Korea applications get refused, and how the free check helps.

    Confusing with a prior mark (Article 34(1)(vii))

    about 30%

    An earlier identical or similar Korean registration covers the same or similar similar-group goods. A pre-filing MOIP + similar-group clearance catches this before you spend filing fees.

    Lack of distinctiveness (Article 33(1))

    about 24%

    The mark is generic, descriptive, or simply common in Korean trade. Counsel argues acquired distinctiveness or refines the specification.

    Famous-mark or well-known-mark conflict (Article 34(1)(ix)/(xi))

    about 15%

    The mark causes confusion with a well-known Korean or foreign mark, even outside the registered class. MOIP protection for famous marks crosses class boundaries.

    Public-policy or prohibited-sign refusals (Article 34(1)(i)-(iv))

    about 9%

    Includes marks contrary to public order or morality, state symbols, and protected official signs. We screen for these at intake.

    In their words

    Rajat has expertly guided me through the process of registering my company in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and more. Currently, he is safeguarding my business interests on a global scale. His dedication and expertise are unmatched.

    Darius Tay, Indonesia

    ExcellentTrustpilot
    10+
    Years since 2016

    Korea trademark questions, answered straight

    What founders ask before filing in Korea

    Foreign applicants without an address or registered office in Korea must appoint a Korea-resident agent. In practice, a KPAA-registered Byeonrisa (변리사. Korean Patent Attorney). Every GTC South Korea trademark application is filed by a Byeonrisa who is the agent of record.

    Protect your brand in South Korea

    Start with a free Korea lawyer's check.

    A Korean-experienced attorney reviews your brand, checks the MOIP's register for conflicts, and maps your fastest route to a registered Korea trademark. No payment, no obligation.

    GTC attorneys working with a client

    More South Korea trademark services

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