In the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis in 1997, South Korea committed to liberalizing its economy and promoted foreign direct investment (FDI) to open its market to foreign investors. FDI allows foreign investors to acquire and own stocks or shares of Korean companies. According to UNCTAD's 2020 World Investment Report, South Korea’s FDI stocks increased from US$ 135 billion in 2010 to US$ 238.5 billion in 2019. Other forms of FDI include a contribution to Non-Profit Organizations (NPO) and offering long-term loans to domestic companies. Acquisition of stocks or shares of a domestic company guarantees your participation in technology transfer and the management of the company you invested in.

As a foreign investor, your investment in South Korea will be facilitated and legally supported by the Foreign Investment Promotion Act. You can also rely on the Rules on Foreign Investment to guide your business operations or Consolidated Public Notice to protect your investment. The South Korean government has cultivated a conducive environment for doing business, with robust measures and policies to help you make the most out of your investment and business capabilities. These measures have enticed investors from across the world and increased inbound investment steadily in the past 15 years. Now is the perfect time to invest in South Korea.

Why Invest in South Korea?

South Korea is appealing for foreign direct investment for many reasons. The Korean Government has been reducing tax incentives and increasing cash grants. In January 2019, the government increased cash incentives for foreign companies to around $46 million (50 billion KRW) to entice investors. Cash grants now drive the government’s comprehensive incentive program for foreign investors, which include industrial site support, financial support for staff training, and many more. Companies that invest in the IT sector and related industries qualify for generous cash grants provided by the central and local governments of Korea on a matching fund basis. From January 2020, the number of eligible technologies was expanded to 2,990 in 33 fields, which now includes high-tech products like IoT emotional diagnosis and biometric authentication payment. But South Korea has more to offer foreign investors than FDI cash incentives. Investors are also attracted by the country’s rapid economic development, specialization in ICT, and strong industrial base, high-potential emerging sectors, and expanding market.

Factors to Consider Before You Invest in South Korea

In 2009, financial, insurance, and other services made up 64% of inbound investments, compared with 35% invested in manufacturing. Investment opportunities have diversified over the years to include trade, hospitality, real estate, ICT, transportation, and many more. Industries like semi-conductors, auto manufacture, logistics, displays, and environmental products and services are attracting more investors. Under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act, foreign investors can set up a company, foreign branch, or liaison office. Even you'll need to invest in opening a branch in South Korea; it will not fall under FDI since it is not locally incorporated. A liaison office conducts functions like market research and R&D but cannot undertake profit-generating business in South Korea.

To set up a local corporation, you’ll need to invest a minimum of around US$ 100,000 (100 million KRW) and does not have a maximum limit. On the other hand, establishing a domestic branch of a foreign company in Korea does not have any limits. Before setting up a business in South Korea, you have to consider how the implications of identification. The act recognizes foreign investors and foreign-invested companies as separate entities and requires independent accounting and settlement. The Foreign Exchange Transactions Act identifies a branch and headquarters as a single entity, which requires consolidated accounting and settlement. The foreign-invested company pays taxes based on domestic and overseas income, while taxes for the branch and liaison office considers income from domestic sources only.

How to Establish a Company in South Korea

Since the early 2000s, the government has focused on simplifying the FDI process and established a one-stop services platform to help foreign investors and multinationals invest in South Korea. The FDI procedure starts with foreign investment notification, which is conducted by your foreign exchange bank or accredited agencies like Pearson & Partners. Then, you remit your investment via customs or exchange bank before proceeding to the registration of incorporation at the court registry office. You will be notified once your business registration and incorporation process is completed. Then, you transfer your paid-in capital to a corporate account and wait for a notification confirming the establishment of your foreign-invested company.

How to Set Up a Stock Company in South Korea

The Commercial Act of South Korea recognizes five forms of companies, and three types of business forms are available to foreign companies, including the stock company. Each of these business forms has distinct registration requirements, minimum investment limit, and differ in terms of scope. The procedure for establishing a company may differ slightly depending on the degree of commitment or how much you invest in South Korea. There are two ways of setting up a stock company in South Korea. You can use either promotion or subscriptive incorporation, but both procedures involve registration of incorporation that takes about two weeks to complete. Registration tax is charged for both promotion and subscriptive incorporation, which costs around 0.4% of the capital you’ll be investing. You will also have to pay 20% of the registration tax for local education tax.

If you invest in stock companies established in overconcentration control areas, the total costs accrued from both taxes can increase by up three times more. Other charges include registration application fee to get revenue stamp of the Supreme Court and notarization fee. The most important step in this procedure is filing your business registration, which should be completed within 20 days from the day your stock company opens its doors for business. To avoid issues down the line, hire an expert in South Korea’s FDI like Pearson & Partners to help you establish a company.