The Republic of Korea: registering a trademark costs an estimated US$1,166 for one class, plus US$946 for each further class. The Republic of Korea is a member of the Madrid System, so a trademark can be filed with its office directly or extended to the Republic of Korea through an international registration. The Republic of Korea is a leading import market for building materials (class 19) and chemicals (class 1). It is also one of the world's leading exporters of electronics and software (class 9) and vehicles (class 12).
Figures by trademark class count branded goods only: raw commodities that are traded mostly without brands - such as gold bars, fuel, bulk chemicals, grain and fabric by the metre - are left out. Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are left out of the rankings, as much of their trade is re-exported.
In colour: goods where Republic of Korea is among the world's 10 largest exporters, or has at least 5% of world exports. In grey, for comparison: its next-largest shares.
Goods where Republic of Korea is among the world's 3 largest exporters, has at least 15% of world exports, or that make up at least 25% of its own exports - of at least US$500m a year.
Our estimate is about US$1,166 for one class, from filing to registration: about US$196 in official fees and about US$970 in professional (law firm) fees. Each further class adds about US$946. Responses to office actions and oppositions are not included. These are estimates only: the actual cost depends on the law firm and the application. Request a quote from a law firm on this site for an exact price.
The Republic of Korea is a member of the Madrid System, so a trademark can be filed with its office directly or extended to the Republic of Korea through an international registration. WIPO's fee to designate the Republic of Korea is CHF 150 for one class (about US$180) and CHF 300 for two classes, on top of WIPO's basic fee for the international application.
The Republic of Korea's 10 largest import markets by trademark class are electronics and software (class 9, US$126.1bn), machines (class 7, US$50.7bn), vehicles (class 12, US$19.1bn), clothing, footwear and headwear (class 25, US$17.6bn), pharmaceuticals (class 5, US$9.0bn), metal goods (class 6, US$5.2bn), medical apparatus (class 10, US$4.7bn), furniture (class 20, US$4.6bn), rubber and plastics (class 17, US$4.5bn) and lighting, heating and cooking appliances (class 11, US$3.9bn). Within its region, it stands out for building materials (#1 in East Asia and Pacific), chemicals (#2 in East Asia and Pacific), machines (#2 in East Asia and Pacific), clothing, footwear and headwear (#2 in East Asia and Pacific), fuels and lubricants (#2 in East Asia and Pacific) and paints (#2 in East Asia and Pacific). Imports are growing fastest for tobacco and smokers' articles (14% a year), jewellery and watches (7% a year) and textiles (7% a year). Foreign applicants filed 50,490 trademark classes in the Republic of Korea in 2024 - #4 in East Asia and Pacific - a sign of how many brand owners already protect their marks there.
The Republic of Korea's exports of goods came to US$720.8bn in 2024. Its 10 largest exports were integrated circuits (chips) (US$138.2bn, 19% of its exports, #3 in the world), cars (US$70.7bn, 10% of its exports, #4 in the world), refined petroleum products (US$51.5bn, 7% of its exports, #3 in the world), ships (US$23.9bn, 3% of its exports, #2 in the world), vehicle parts (US$19.2bn, 3% of its exports, #7 in the world), flat panel displays (US$17.4bn, 2% of its exports, #3 in the world), computer parts (US$17.3bn, 2% of its exports, #4 in the world), storage media and smart cards (US$11.3bn, 2% of its exports, #1 in the world), broadcasting and display parts (US$10.4bn, 1% of its exports, #3 in the world) and vaccines, blood products and biologics (US$9.7bn, 1% of its exports, #10 in the world). By trademark class, its 10 largest exports were electronics and software (class 9, US$252.0bn, #4 in the world), vehicles (class 12, US$94.7bn, #6 in the world), machines (class 7, US$60.4bn, #8 in the world), cosmetics and cleaning (class 3, US$11.8bn, #7 in the world), pharmaceuticals (class 5, US$11.3bn, #20 in the world), rubber and plastics (class 17, US$8.4bn, #6 in the world), metal goods (class 6, US$5.9bn, #11 in the world), lighting, heating and cooking appliances (class 11, US$5.5bn, #8 in the world), medical apparatus (class 10, US$4.9bn, #15 in the world) and coffee, tea, bakery and confectionery (class 30, US$4.2bn, #16 in the world). Where goods are made and exported, copies are often made too: a registered trademark there lets you act against counterfeits at the source, including with the help of customs.
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Find the best countries for your trademarkTrade: imports and exports of each trademark class's branded goods. Rankings compare countries' trade in those goods, without the re-export hubs. Costs are estimates.