The Fastest Patent Examination, Constructing a Secure Technology Protection System – South Korea’s MOIP
28-Jun-2026
|
Source : The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP)
|
Visits : 38
- MOIP Announces Core Achievements Marking the 1st Anniversary of the National Sovereignty Government -
• MOIP highlights six key achievements, including super-accelerated examination, prevention of technology leakage, and the “Everyone’s Ideas” project.
• MOIP is actively working to build an IP ecosystem that generates revenue through intellectual property.
< MOIP’s key Achievements during Year 1 of Korea’s Current Administration >
① (Super-Accelerated Examination) : Reduced the patent examination waiting period for startups in advanced technology sectors from 14.7 months to 0.9 months.
② (Technology Leakage Prevention) Prevented potential damage of at least KRW 10 trillion by blocking the leakage of secondary battery technology.
③ (K-Brand Government Certification)Government certification of authentic products and response to counterfeits in 70 major export markets.
④ (Counterfeit Goods Distribution Enforcement) Expanded monitoring coverage to 115 countries and blocked 480,000 cases of counterfeit goods sales.
⑤ (Everyone's Ideas) Submission of 27,185 idea from the public, the highest number ever for a government contest.
⑥ (IP Finance) Reached KRW 12.4 trillion in IP financing, up 14.8% from the previous year’s KRW 10.8 trillion
DAEJEON - The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP), led by Minister KIM Yong Sun, announced its key achievements over the past year to mark the first anniversary of the “People’s Sovereignty Government,” an official term used to refer to the current administration and its people-centered governing philosophy, according to the official website of the Ministry.
First established in October 2025, MOIP has served as the government-wide coordinating body for intellectual property (IP) policy and has focused its policy capabilities on ensuring that IP becomes a key driver of Korea’s “real growth.” The achievements mentioned represent several of MOIP’s major efforts over the past year to strengthen Korea’s IP ecosystem, from protecting advanced technologies and K-brands to supporting idea commercialization and IP-based financing.
① Operating the Super-accelerated Examination Track for Advanced Technologies
MOIP’s most notable achievement is the implementation of its “exclusive super-accelerated examination track," providing the world's fastest examination service within one month. The track was launched in October 2025 for export companies in advanced technology sectors, and its scope was expanded in February this year to include startups in artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology.
As the rapid acquisition of patents emerges as a game changer in the global race for technological supremacy in advanced fields such as semiconductors and batteries, the super-accelerated examination track aims to help Korean companies seize time-sensitive opportunities within critical market windows. For example, one of Korea’s leading secondary battery companies registered a patent in just 19 days, helping it move quickly into the global market. Also, an AI startup obtained a patent in only 17 days, which has helped support its efforts to attract investment.
② Preventing Leakage of Advanced & Core Technologies
The safeguards blocking the overseas leak of national core technologies has also become considerably stronger. Through active investigations and enforcement efforts, MOIP’s Technology and Design Police (Tech Police) brought criminal cases against a total of 334 individuals over the past year.
In particular, last year, the Technology Police arrested an offender involved in the attempted leakage of secondary battery technology, which is designated as a national advanced strategic technology, preventing potential damage estimated at more than KRW 10 trillion. In February this year, they also arrested a foreign national who attempted to take all-solid-state battery technology overseas.
In addition, MOIP introduced a reward system for reporting industrial espionage in order to detect and respond to signs of technology leakage as early as the preparatory stage. In June this year, MOIP plans to expand the Tech Police such as creating a dedicated unit for overseas technology leakage cases to better support Korean companies in securing their strategic lead.
③ Introducing the K-Brand Government Certification System
In addition to protecting technology, MOIP has also introduced safeguards for K-brands. The ministry plans to launch the K-Brand Government Certification System, under which the government will directly register certification marks in around 70 major export markets and certify authentic K-brand products. MOIP is currently moving swiftly to develop the certification mark and proceed with domestic and overseas applications and registrations, with full-scale implementation scheduled to begin in August this year.
Going forward, if products bearing the certification mark are counterfeited, the government will take direct action. This is expected to reduce the time and cost burdens that individual export companies would otherwise face in responding to such cases on their own. The system is also expected to help overseas consumers purchase authentic products with confidence, thereby enhancing trust in K-brands and improving Korea’s national image.
④ Blocking Counterfeit Goods Distribution
MOIP has also strengthened its monitoring and blocking system in response to the increasingly sophisticated distribution of counterfeit goods. By introducing artificial intelligence (AI) technology into counterfeit goods monitoring, MOIP significantly expanded its monitoring coverage from 8 countries to 115 countries. At the same time, in cooperation with the Korea Customs Service (KCS), the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), and other relevant agencies, MOIP established a three-layer blocking system targeting counterfeit goods at the border, online access, and sales stages. As a result, MOIP blocked 480,000 cases of online counterfeit goods sales over the past year.
⑤ Promoting "Everyone's Ideas" Project
The "Everyone's Ideas" project, which aims to turn the public’s creative ideas into a foundation for national economic growth, is also making steady progress. In line with the purpose of holding an open idea contest without restrictions, the project received more than 27,000 submissions, the highest number ever recorded for a government contest. Following the first round of screening, 100 ideas were selected. MOIP plans to continue supporting the selected ideas so that they can create tangible value, including by being recognized as intellectual property rights, commercialized, or used in government policies.
⑥ Expanding IP Finance
IP financing, which provides commercialization funds through loans, guarantees, and investments to help turn intellectual property into revenue, has also expanded significantly. As of 2025, the total scale of IP financing reached KRW 12.4 trillion, up 14.8% from KRW 10.8 trillion in 2024. In particular, MOIP greatly expanded IP investment to KRW 5.6 trillion by creating joint investment funds in cooperation with relevant ministries and local governments.
These efforts have provided much-needed support for small and medium-sized enterprises facing financing difficulties due to limited creditworthiness or a lack of physical collateral.
Minister Kim stated, “Over the past year since the launch of the People’s Sovereignty Government, MOIP has worked to create an environment where the public’s creative ideas can become intellectual property and be used for startups and commercialization. Going forward, we will do our utmost to build a virtuous cycle ecosystem in which high-quality intellectual property generates revenue, and to help Korea secure a competitive advantage in key technologies and take the lead in the global technology market.”