Patent

The English terms for Korean IP procedures are read in two places: the English translations of statutes posted by the Ministry of Government Legislation (법제처), and the English materials of the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP, 지식재산처), which are its English website and the English edition of the Patent Examination Guidelines.

In Korea, the time limit for the request for examination is 3 years from the filing date of the patent application. At the European Patent Office (EPO), it is up to 6 months after the date on which the European Patent Bulletin mentions the publication of the European search report.

In Korea, a patent application is examined only when a request for examination has been filed. The request for examination is filed within 3 years from the filing date of the patent application (Patent Act (특허법), Art. 59). The US patent statute, 35 U.S.C. 131, does not state a procedure called a request for examination.

The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) (지식재산처) examines and registers patent, utility model, design and trademark applications. MOIP was created on 1 October 2025. The body before it was the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) (특허청).

Korean patent deadlines are either periods fixed by statute or periods set by the examiner. Entry into the Korean national phase of a PCT application is due within 2 years and 7 months (31 months) from the priority date. The request for examination is due within 3 years from the filing date of the patent…

The official fees for a Korean patent are paid at four stages: at filing, at the request for examination, at registration, and every year after registration. Other official fees are paid only when the procedure concerned is taken.

The procedure for a Korean patent application from filing to registration (often called “patent prosecution” outside Korea) proceeds in this order: filing, request for examination, laying-open of the application, examination, decision to grant, payment of the patent fees, and registration of the grant of a patent (registration of establishment of a patent right). The laying-open…

Korean patents are searched in KIPRIS, the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (www.kipris.or.kr). The English screen is not a separate website. It is the same address with the language switched.