South Korea - Country Commercial Guide
Intellectual Property Protection

Provides advice on IPR protection, including information on the registration of patents and trademarks.

Last published date: 2022-08-02

Korea was mentioned several times in the 2021 Special 301 report though it is not on any watch list ranking.

In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property. For background, link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources.

Please also refer to the State Department’s Investment Climate Statements (ICS), which include information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in Korea.

Intellectual Property Resources

  • For information about patent, trademark, or copyright issues — including enforcement issues in the United States and other countries — call the STOP! Hotline: 1-866-999-HALT or visit STOPfakes.gov.
  • For more information about registering trademarks and patents (both in the United States as well as in foreign countries), contact the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) at:  1-800-786-9199.
  • For more information about registering for copyright protection in the United States, contact the U.S. Copyright Office at:  1-202-707-5959.