How to Check a Korean Company’s Business License A Step-by-Step Guide

Verifying whether a counterparty holds a valid and legally compliant business license is a fundamental step to mitigate risks and ensure transaction security before registering a company in South Korea or engaging in cooperation with local enterprises. While this verification process is not technically complex, it requires clear knowledge of where to check, how to check, and what to check. Especially against the backdrop of South Korea’s ongoing “e-Government 3.0” initiative-being actively advanced by relevant government departments through 2026-the enterprise information inquiry system has been comprehensively upgraded response times are faster, data updates more timely, and users are required to perform searches with greater precision.

I. Sole Official Platform The National Tax Service (NTS) “Business Registration Information Inquiry” System

All business entities lawfully registered in South Korea must complete “Business Operator Registration” (Sa-eop-ja Deung-rok) with the National Tax Service (국세청, NTS). Upon registration, each entity is assigned a unique 10-digit “Business Registration Number” (사업자등록번호), which serves as its official tax identification number-and thus constitutes the core identifier for verifying licensing status and assessing ongoing regulatory compliance.

Official access link https//www.nhis.or.kr

⚠️ Note The actual inquiry portal resides on a subpage of the NTS official website. The correct navigation path is

https//www.hometax.go.kr → Top menu bar → “Civil Services Reporting” (민원/신고) → Left-side navigation panel → “Business Registration Information Inquiry” (사업자등록정보조회).

The system supports both Korean and English language interfaces. However, when entering a company name or registration number, users must input the exact Korean spelling or precise numeric digits; Pinyin-based or fuzzy-name searches are not supported.

II. Three Essential Pieces of Information Required Prior to Inquiry

1. Full legal company name-must match exactly the name registered on the business license, including all parentheses, spaces, punctuation, and spacing;

2. Business Registration Number (10-digit numeric code), typically printed on official invoices, contracts, or at the bottom of the company’s official website;

3. Authenticator credentials of the inquirer

For Korean residents Valid Korean resident login authentication (e.g., via Public Certificate or PASS mobile app);

For foreign nationals Pre-registration and binding of a Foreigner Registration Number (FRN) to an NTS account-or delegation to a locally based agent holding verified Korean real-name authentication.

III. Key Fields in the Search Results (Based on the 2026 Updated Interface)

• Registration Status (등록상태)

 - “등록” Active and in good standing;

 - “폐업” Deregistered/ceased operations;

 - “휴업” Temporarily suspended operations.

• Registration Date (등록일자) Last Update Date (갱신일자)

 If the interval between these two dates exceeds 18 months, exercise caution-this may indicate irregularities or noncompliance.

• Industry Code (업종코드)

 Corresponds to the Korean Standard Industrial Classification (KSIC). Examples

 - “70201” Software development;

 - “47912” Cross-border e-commerce retail.

 Use this code to verify alignment between the registered business scope and the entity’s actual operational activities.

• Taxation Status (과세여부)

 “비과세” indicates the entity is not registered for Value-Added Tax (VAT)-typically applicable to micro-businesses with annual revenue below KRW 30 million. Such entities lack general taxpayer status and cannot issue VAT-compliant tax invoices.

IV. Supplementary Verification Methods (Not substitutes-but complementary cross-checks)

1. Fair Trade Commission (FTC) “Enterprise Information System”

 URL https//www.ftc.go.kr/bizCommPop.do

 Provides statutory corporate registration details-including registered capital, legal representative(s), and shareholder structure-to cross-validate consistency with NTS data.

2. Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) “Trademark Gazette Search”

 URL https//www.kipo.go.kr

 Useful for verifying whether the enterprise holds registered trademarks-serving as indirect evidence of genuine brand operation and market presence.

3. Sector-Specific Regulatory Authorities (for companies in regulated industries)

 For firms engaged in food production/distribution, medical devices, education, or other highly regulated sectors, additional verification is mandatory via respective supervisory agencies’ public portals-for example

 - Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) https//www.mfds.go.kr

 - Ministry of Education (MOE) https//www.moe.go.kr

V. Common Pitfalls Practical Warnings

• Do not rely solely on third-party commercial information platforms (e.g., Korea Biz Info, or non-public sections of DART) as authoritative sources-such platforms often suffer from data lags of 1-3 months.

• In Korean company names, legal entity suffixes such as “주식회사” (Joint Stock Company) or “(유)” (Limited Liability Company) are mandatory and non-omissible. Omitting them may return irrelevant or mismatched results.

• On the search result page, pay close attention to the field labeled “Verification Date” (확인일자)-this reflects the timestamp of the system’s most recent data pull. Ensure this date falls within the past seven days for maximum reliability.

The above outlines the complete, up-to-date operational workflow and critical considerations for verifying business licensing status of South Korean companies-including official access channels, prerequisite documentation, interpretation of key result fields, and recommended multi-source cross-verification methods. We hope this guide proves helpful to you.