3 uri ng korporasyon na pwedeng itayo ng foreigner
Sa Korea, foreigner pwede magtayo ng Yuhan Hoesa, Chusik Hoesa, o branch (contact office).
Yuhan Hoesa mabilis itayo, walang minimum capital. Popular sa maliit na startup. Takes 2~3 weeks.
Chusik Hoesa maganda para sa external investment. Pero mas komplikado, 4~8 weeks. Good for startups na naghahanap ng pondo.
Pumili ng branch kung gusto mong mag-contract o sales sa Korea pero di kayang mag-set up ng hiwalay na korporasyon.
Branch walang sariling legal entity, responsibilidad ng head office. Takes about 2 weeks.
Yuhan vs Chusik vs branch: quick compare
Pindutin ang tab para makita kung ano ang swak sa'yo.
Setup routes per visa: D-8 not required
Piliin ang visa mo.
May F-2, F-5, F-6 visa, hindi kailangan ng KRW 100M investment tulad ng D-8.
Pwede magtayo ng Yuhan o Chusik katulad ng local.
E-7 visa linked to specific job/ employer.
Para magtayo ng sarili mong kumpanya, kailangan ng activity permit mula immigration.
D-8 is foreign investment visa. Not just company setup; need KRW 100M to get D-8.
If you already have long-term visa like F-2, F-5, F-6, can start business without D-8.
Full checklist of setup docs (including notarization & translation)
Check each item as you prepare. Status auto-saves.
Step-by-step process and timeline
Yuhan takes 2~4 weeks total. Prep docs early to speed up.
Must register at tax office within 20 days of incorporation.
Late? Pay 1% of supply amount as penalty.
① Draft Articles & notarize
Write Articles with name, purpose, capital structure. Foreigners need notarized signature.
② Court registration (incorporation)
Apply online at Supreme Court registry. Registration tax KRW 30k~50k.
③ Get business license
Within 20 days, apply at nearest tax office or HomeTax online.
④ Open corporate bank account
After license, go to bank with passport, ARC, company docs.
Realistic total setup costs, including hidden fees
Below costs exclude capital. In Seoul dense zones (Gangnam, Mapo) capital registration tax up to 3x higher than other areas.
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Court registration tax | KRW 30,000~50,000 | |
| Capital registration tax | 0.48% of paid capital | Seoul dense zones 1.44% |
| Company seal production | KRW 50,000~100,000 | |
| Virtual address service (monthly) | KRW 50,000~150,000 | When no physical office |
| Notary & translation fees | $200~$500 | Depends on doc type & volume |
| Agent fee (based on total cost) | $3,000~$8,000 | Excluding capital |
After setup taxes: corporate tax, VAT, 4 insurances
Korean corporate tax 2026: 10%, 20%, 22%, 25% based on taxable income.
Add ~2.5% local income tax. Report corporate tax within 3 months after fiscal year end. Dec-year companies due end of March.
VAT is 10%. Export/foreign services 0%. File each Jan and July.
Hire staff -> must enroll in national pension, health, employment, industrial accident insurances.
Report to Health Insurance and Labor Welfare within 14 days of hiring.
Example: taxable KRW 200M → 20% = KRW 40M corporate tax (+ ~KRW 1M local tax).
Remittance rules: sending profit back home
Can send up to $100k per year abroad without docs. Limit raised July 2023.
Transfers > $10k auto-reported to NTS. Carrying > $10k cash out requires customs declaration.
Wise doesn't support direct KRW withdrawals.
Use WireBailey or Sentbe instead. Each has ~ $50k yearly limit.
Foreign corp setup FAQ
Kumuha ng startup info sa Korea kada dalawang linggo
Visa·buwis·bank account — essential foreign startup info sa newsletter.