South Korea — Registration & Annual Compliance

Domestic and foreign companies in South Korea must register their formation or business presence with the appropriate court registry under explicit statutory authority. This foundational step sets the legal and practical framework for all entity-compliance tasks in Korea.

Scope and covered entity types

• The Commercial Act (상법) defines "foreign companies" as entities formed outside South Korea, which must register a business office and representative if conducting business in Korea. Registration must be completed with the court registry within three weeks of establishing a business office.
• The Commercial Registration Act (상업등기법) governs the corporate registration process, requiring both newly formed domestic companies and registering foreign companies to submit applications to the court-based registry system. Applications are filed by the company’s representative or court-authorized agent.

Responsible office and filing method

• The registry division of the local court (법원등기과) is the statutory authority for entity registration, handling domestic incorporations and foreign company registrations alike. Filings must comply with the requirements set out in the Commercial Registration Act and can be submitted in person or electronically via the Supreme Court's Internet Registry Office portal (https://www.iros.go.kr), per regulatory practice.

Governing statutes and deadlines

• Foreign companies establishing a business office in Korea must file for registration within three weeks, as required by the Commercial Act, Article 614. Failing timely registration can lead to regulatory penalties.
• The forms, responsible party, and procedural rules for both domestic and foreign company registration are set forth in the Commercial Registration Act and its enforcement rules, with detailed procedures posted by the National Law Information Center.

In summary: Corporate registration—whether for domestic entities or foreign company branches—is a court-regulated process, strictly governed by the Commercial Act and Commercial Registration Act. All entity types seeking to do business in South Korea must engage the court registry system and comply with statutory deadlines and documentation requirements.

Source: Commercial Act, Article 614 ; Commercial Registration Act (English translation)

All domestic corporations and foreign companies with a permanent establishment in South Korea are required to file an annual corporate income tax (법인세, beo-in-se). The National Tax Service (NTS) enforces strict deadlines and submission procedures, which apply uniformly to Korean-incorporated entities and qualified foreign businesses.

Filing deadline

• The annual corporate income tax return must be filed within three months from the last day of the month in which a corporation's fiscal year ends. For companies whose fiscal year aligns with the calendar year (ending December 31), the filing deadline is March 31 of the following year. This statutory due date is set by Article 60 of the Corporate Tax Act.
• Failure to file by the deadline may result in penalties for late submission and additional tax assessments. Extensions are rarely granted outside of force majeure (extraordinary events beyond the taxpayer's control).

Electronic filing via Hometax

• Returns are filed electronically through Hometax (홈택스), the official portal administered by the NTS. Entities must register on the Hometax platform in advance and prepare digital versions of their financial statements, detailed tax calculations, and supporting documents (such as audit reports when applicable).
• The system supports filing in Korean. While English-language versions of guidance are occasionally available, the filing itself must be submitted in Korean.
• Major corporations or those subject to external audit obligations may have additional documentary requirements. Large filers or those subject to desk audit may also need to supplement with paper attachments, though most filings are fully paperless.

Who must file

• Domestic corporations (설립법인) regardless of activity.
• Foreign corporations (외국법인) with a fixed place of business in Korea, for their Korea-source income only.

This filing is distinct from the payment of tax: the return establishes the tax liability, while payment is processed through the same Hometax portal or designated bank. Both must be timely for the entity to remain in good standing and avoid compliance risk.

Source: National Tax Service — Corporate Income Tax Filing Deadline (Korean) ; National Tax Service — English Corporate Income Tax Guidance ; Corporate Tax Act, Art. 60 (Korean)

Registering a company in South Korea—either as a domestic corporation or a foreign branch—requires filing a formal application and supporting documents with the registry division of the competent district court. The Commercial Registration Act and its Enforcement Decree govern the core documentary requirements and filing method for both domestic corporations and foreign branches, though some practical details (such as precise forms or ancillary evidence) may be set by local court regulation.

Domestic company registration (설립등기, seol-lib deung-gi):

• The application is filed by the company’s legal representative or a court-authorized agent at the district court registry for the entity’s head office.
• Statutory core documents include:
• Articles of Incorporation (정관, jeong-gwan)—signed and notarized if required by the company type.
• Evidence of paid-in capital (bank certificate or equivalent)—specifics are set by the Enforcement Decree for each company form.
• Written consent and personal identification of directors and representative director.
• Proof of address for the principal office (such as office lease or property registry extract).
• Seal impression certificate (인감증명서) for the representative director.
• Other items only as required by the Commercial Registration Act, Enforcement Decree, or local court administrative direction (including, for regulated industries, certain permits or consents—these are not universally required).
• The statutory registration fee is calculated as a percentage of company capital, but there is a minimum level—often referenced as KRW 150,000 or 0.4% of capital (whichever is greater). The actual figure may vary by court and should be checked against the latest local schedule or enforcement direction. The precise amount should be confirmed by reviewing the Enforcement Decree or contacting the relevant court at the time of filing. Unable to confirm as of 2026-07-11.

Foreign company (branch or liaison office) registration:

• Foreign companies must register with the district court at the branch office address after establishing a Korean place of business. Key statutory requirements (Commercial Registration Act, Article 20) are:
• A certificate of company registration or incorporation—duly legalized by apostille or consular authentication.
• Translation of all foreign-language documents, certified as accurate (per Article 24).
• Parent board resolution (or equivalent) approving the branch and designating the Korea-based representative.
• Proof of the local representative’s identity (passport or ID) and seal impression or notarized signature specimen.
• Documents establishing the office’s Korean address (lease or real estate register extract).
• As with domestic filings, regulated sectors or non-standard structures may require additional evidence as set by local court instructions.
• Filing can be completed in person or via the Supreme Court IROS Electronic Registry Office (https://www.iros.go.kr). The platform supports digital submissions, as confirmed by the portal’s public guidance.

Every substantive requirement but the exact fee/minimum is grounded in the cited statutes; filers should monitor the local court or the Supreme Court electronic portal for any changes or ancillary documentary instructions before submitting.

Source: Commercial Registration Act (Articles 4, 20, 24), Enforcement Decree; Supreme Court IROS Electronic Registry Office Unable to confirm as of 2026-07-11.