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South Korea Patent Platform

KIPO · 특허법 (Patent Act)

KIPRIS prior art search · 특허법 claim drafting · 거절이유통지서 response · 우선심사 priority examination strategy

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특허법 Art. 29/42 · 거절이유통지서 · KIPOnet · 우선심사 · PCT KR

KIPRIS

Quick Law Reference — KIPO

Art. 29 특허법

Patentability — novelty and inventive step

Art. 36 특허법

First-to-file principle — earlier filing wins

Art. 42 특허법

Description — enablement and claim support

Art. 30 특허법

Grace period — 12 months for inventor disclosures

Art. 133 특허법

Invalidation trial (무효심판) — any person may file

Art. 61 특허법

Priority examination (우선심사) for working inventions

Patent Journey — Pre-filing to Grant

KIPRIS Prior Art Search

Search KIPRIS, KIPRISplus, and global databases. KoreaForge AI assesses Art. 29 novelty and inventive step. Consider 실용신안 (utility model) for a faster 6-month protection track.

KIPRISKIPRISplusEspacenet

특허출원 Filing

File application with 명세서 (specification) and 특허청구범위 (claims) via KIPO 인터넷 특허출원 e-filing. Art. 30 grace period declaration if inventor made prior public disclosure.

특허출원서명세서특허청구범위도면 (Drawings)

거절이유통지서 Response

Request examination within 5 years. Respond to 거절이유통지서 within 2 months (extendable to 4). KoreaForge AI drafts 의견서 (arguments) and 보정서 (amendments) per KIPO Examination Guidelines.

의견서 (Arguments)보정서 (Amendment)심판청구서 (Appeal)

등록 / Registration

특허결정서 (Decision of Grant) → pay 등록료 within 3 months → Enter 특허원부 (patent register). 이의신청 (opposition) or 무효심판 (invalidation trial) available post-grant.

등록료 (Registration Fee)특허등록증 (Certificate)연차등록료 (Annuity)

Fee Schedule — KIPO

Action	Fee (KRW approx.)	Timing	Notes
Filing Fee (특허출원)	₩54,000	At filing	+ ₩20,000 per claim over 20
Request for Examination (심사청구)	₩143,000	Within 5 years	+ ₩44,000 per claim over 10
우선심사 (Priority Examination)	₩200,000	With petition	For products already being worked
Registration Fee (1st yr)	₩15,000	Within 3 months	Annual fees increase by year

⚠️ Fees approximate KRW. Verify at kipo.go.kr. Reduced fees (70%) for individuals and SMEs with certification.

KoreaForge AI — KIPO Tools & 특허법 Guide

4 interactive tools

KIPO Fee Calculator — 2025

발명 · 실용신안 · 디자인 · Small entity 30% discount

Small/Micro Entity (중소기업/개인)

30% reduction for SMEs, individuals, universities, and non-profits

Fee	KRW
Filing Fee (출원료)	₩46,000
Examination Request (심사청구료)	₩143,000
Annual Renewal — Yrs 1–3 avg	₩15,000/yr

Examination Request deadline: Must file within 3 years from filing date (Art. 59 KPA). Foreign language applications (English) accepted — Korean translation due within 14 months of priority date. KIPOnet e-filing: kipo.go.kr

Fees in KRW. 1 USD ≈ 1,350 KRW (2025). Verify at kipo.go.kr.

Korean Patent Law — Key Principles

Art. 29 KPA · First-to-File · 우선심사 · Opposition · Foreign Language Filing

1️⃣ Strict First-to-File

Korea follows an absolute first-to-file system. There is no grace period for the applicant's own disclosures — any public disclosure before filing destroys novelty under Art. 29(1) KPA. Exception: 12-month grace period only for disclosures at recognized academic conferences (must declare at filing).

Average Exam (standard)

14–18 mo

Priority Exam

2–4 mo