1. The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) published a patent examination processing plan for 2026.
- The fields for accelerated examination are expanded to physical AI, etc.
- The waiting time for examination is shortened to 14 months and the period of closing accelerated examination is shortened.
MOIP finalized and published the patent examination processing plan for 2026 to support Korean companies for rapidly securing technology competitiveness and revitalizing overseas expansion. The gist of this plan is to expand the scope of accelerated examination to the high-tech fields where Korea companies have technical strengths, such as physical AI, among others, and to shorten the overall average examination waiting time to 14 months (as of December 2026).
The scope of accelerated examination previously limitedly applied in the AI field, such as AI neural network, etc. will be expanded to physical AI where South Korea has technical strengths, and the bio technology, such as synthetic biology, etc., will be included in the scope of accelerated examination (February 2026).
In addition, the export promotion and the super-fast examination of high technology, which were operated last year as the pilot programs to support the export companies, are expanded, and the limit on the number of requests for super-fast examination per applicant, which was applied to the export promotion field, is also abolished (January 2026).
Therefore, the period of waiting examination of an application relating to an export company and high technology, such as physical AI, etc., is expected to be significantly shortened. The waiting period for examination in 2025 was 14.7 months (as overall average) vs 2.1 months (for accelerated examination) vs within 1 month (for super-fast examination).
MOIP plans to hire 34 new examiners this year, focusing on the high-tech fields, such as AI, IoT, computers, etc., to respond to the rapidly increasing number of patent applications. MOIP plans to maintain the examination quality and speed by continuing to strengthen manpower following the increase of 165 people over the last 3 years, including 30 in the semiconductor field in 2023, 75 in the secondary battery field, etc. in 2024 and 60 in the AI, bio-tech and advanced robot fields in 2025. The budget for a prior art search project has been set at 39.9 billion Korea Won with an increase of 19.9% compared to the previous year. Thereby, the overall examination waiting period is expected to be shortened from 14.7 months last year to 14 months this year.
Further, to shorten the examination closing period, the time for an examiner to review an applicant’s argument as for accelerated examination will be shortened by half (from 4 months to 2 months), thereby actively supporting the applicant to secure a patent right rapidly.
Examination to communicate with an applicant is expanded for not only rapid examination but also accurate examination. The limit on the number of interviews for a review on an amendment and reexamination that an applicant exchanges opinions with an examiner regarding a reason(s) for rejection will be relaxed and improved so that one more time interview can be available if additional discussion is required. In addition, although previously an interview was available only within 2~3 weeks from the date of a request for an interview, as part of active administration, the period during which interviews are available will be expanded allowing interviews to be flexibly conducted.
On-site communication will be expanded to reflect patent clients’ opinions in policies and examination. MOIP will publish, in the first half of this year, a ‘patent examination service innovation plan for technology-leading growth’, which was prepared based on the voices of industries and research institutions, etc. over the last year. This year, MOIP will also actively reflect the opinions from the fields in examination policies.
2. South Korea exceeds 260,000 patent applications for the first time, getting the world’s 4th achievement.
- The number of overseas patent applications filed by Korean companies increased by 17.6%, driving the export growth.
- The increase in the number of patent applications despite difficult economic conditions demonstrates the innovation efforts of Korean companies.
The number of Korean patent applications reached 260,000 for the first time in history, despite difficult economic conditions, such as the recent spread of protectionism. It has been 12 years since the number of the applications exceeded 200,000 in 2013. South Korea is the fourth country in the world, as the countries achieving more than 260,000 patent applications, Japan (1984), the US (1999) and China (2008). South Korea recorded the world’s 4th largest number of applications, following China, the US and Japan in 2024. South Korea is expected to maintain the world’s 4th largest number of applications in 2025. The number of overseas patent applications filed by Korean applicants increased by 17.6% compared to the previous year, deriving the export growth of South Korea. The number of Korean patent applications increased from 204,589 (2013) to 226, 759 (2020), 246,245 (2024) and 260,797 (2025).
The increase in the number of patent applications despite rising global economic uncertainty shows internally the continuous innovation efforts of Korean companies to turn crises into opportunities and externally that Korean companies actively secure intellectual properties (IP) in the global environment that the importance of IP including patents has been gradually increasing and the number of patent disputes by NPE (non-practicing entity: company specializing in patent monetization), etc. has increased.
According to MOIP, the number of Korean patent applications filed in 2025 totals 260,797, increasing by 5.9% compared to the previous year (246,245 applications). The number of the patent applications increased across all types of applicants, with the highest increase rates for individuals and middle market companies (▲15.0%), large companies (▲5.6%) and small and medium companies (▲4.6%).
By industry, among the top 10 Korean patent applications in 2025, the number of patent applications related to the information and communications technology (ICT) industry including AI, quantum technology, etc. was 27,033, with an increase of 21.1% compared to the previous same period. The number of patent applications in the secondary battery field was 10,624, with an increase of 14.4% compared to the previous same period as the number of patent applications has increased mainly by large companies including the leading 3 Korean secondary battery companies, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, SK On.
The number of patent applications in the ICT-related industry (computer programming, system integration and management, and computer manufacturing) increased to 27,033 (cumulative in Jan.~ Oct. 2025) from 22,318 (cumulative in Jan. ~ Oct. 2024). The number of patent applications in the secondary battery-related industry (primary battery and rechargeable battery manufacturing) increased to 10,624 (cumulative in Jan.~ Oct. 2025) from 9,285 (cumulative in Jan. ~ Oct. 2024).
This is the result of Korean companies recognizing the AI transition period as an opportunity establishing sophisticated patent strategies focusing on the high-tech field, such as AI and quantum technology, etc.
The number of patent applications, which were filed by Korean companies to preempt new overseas markets in line with the rapidly changing global situation with IP5 (KIPO, EPO, JPO, CNIPA and USPTO), was 67,025 with an increase of 17.6% compared to the previous same period, 56,989. The number of patent applications filed with USPTO was 32,976, accounting for the largest proportion (49.2%) of the overseas applications (USPTO, CNIPA, EPO and JPO). The number of patent applications filed with CNIPA was 16,621, recording the highest increase rate (72.3%).
In addition, according to the statistics from the data center (2024) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Korean companies filed 1,395 patent applications in Vietnam (▲31.4%), 3,826 in India (▲14.4%) and 3,365 in Taiwan (▲8.1%), showing the number of overseas patent applications filed by Korean companies continued to increase. This indicates that the number of countries and regions where Korean companies filed patent applications has expanded to Vietnam, India, Taiwan, etc. from previously the US and China.
Considering that South Korea’s largest trade export countries and regions (in terms of export value) are China, 2nd is the US, 3rd Vietnam, 4th Taiwan and 8th India, it is analyzed that South Korea’s export destination countries are also expanding in the same direction as patent applications.
3. MOIP takes out a knife to combat the distribution of counterfeit everyday products.
- As a result of analyzing counterfeit health functional food ingredients, no active ingredient is detected.
MOIP took out a knife to eradicate the counterfeit everyday products threatening the safety of the people. As the demand for health functional food gifts increased ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, MOIP planed to carry out intensive crackdowns on the counterfeit products since there was a concern that the distribution thereof would spread online.
The trademark special judicial police of MOIP (hereinafter, referred to as the ‘trademark police’) captured the situation that the counterfeit products of health functional food were distributed in the second half of last year and conducted a total of six crackdowns (July 2025~Janauary 2026), confiscating about 8,000 counterfeit health functional foods and conducting investigations.
Most of the confiscated counterfeit health functional foods were the most popular products, such as vitamins, lactic acid bacteria, and joint and bone-related products, among the domestic consumers. As a result of analyzing the ingredients through the right holders, these were ‘hollow health functional foods’ that no beneficial ingredients were found.
Considering that the counterfeit health functional foods were not expected to have the displayed and advertised efficacy and these had a high possibility to cause directly damages to consumers’ health, the trademark police took up arms to eradicate the distribution of the counterfeit health functional foods before the Lunar New Year holiday.
As part of active administration to prevent the online distribution of counterfeit health functional foods, the trademark police strengthened document verification of health functional food sellers in consultation with major online platform companies and conducted constant monitoring on a pilot basis such that they can respond even on weekends and at night. If the effect is confirmed in the future, these actions will be expanded to the other online platforms.
In addition, a health functional food division will be newly established in the counterfeit product distribution prevention council operated by MOIP, to strengthen public-private joint response to the distribution of counterfeit health functional foods.
4. The latest system trends are introduced including improvements of the super-fast examination system for a trademark and the partially examined design registration system.
- MOIP held a ‘presentation of 2026 trademark and design system trends (February 6, 2026).
MOIP held the presentation of 2026 trademark and design system trends.
This presentation was prepared to introduce the major system changes, such as the recently revised trademark and design-related laws and examination standards, and the direction of revision in 2026, and to listen to the voices of the field to reflect them in improving the systems.
In the trademark field, the super-fast accelerated examination system has been established to support an export company in early securing a trademark right and a result of examination should be notified within 30 days in response to the export company’s request for the accelerated examination (implemented in October 2025). In addition, previously the name of an agent should be described only in English when filing an international trademark application, but it has been improved to be described in Korean to alleviate the burden of correction due to miswriting in English (implemented in February 2026).
Further, in the field of goods classification, the product system has been reorganized focusing on the transaction conditions, such as adjusting similar standards for drugs and medical devices for human and animal use (implemented in January 2026). Also, the matters related to the changes in classification of goods and services according to the revision of the Nice Classification implemented on January 1, 2026 will be provided for applicants to refer to in practice.
For example, glasses, lenses and sunglasses (class 9 → class 10), essential oils <(oil for manufacturing (class 1), essence for food (class 30)>
In the field of design, the period for an opposition from one who has received an infringement notice has been expanded, and the system for requesting the transfer of a right of a legitimate right holder has been introduced to promote efficient relief of the right holder (implemented in November 2025). In addition, the regulations based for simplifying the description of a design and the procedures of filing an application by a legitimate right holder, etc. have been prepared to improve the systems for the convenience in filing an application.
5. MOIP promoted the practical application of the Korean style post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to the government’s first online system.
- Preemptive transformation of the national key intellectual property information protection in preparation for quantum computing threats.
- MOIP proceed with the practical application of Korean style PQC, step by step, by the end of this year in cooperation with the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and National Security Research Institute (NSRI).
According to MOIP, it decided to proceed with the practical application of the Korean PQC at the ‘intellectual property information analysis platform, IPOP (IP One Portal, scheduled to provide service in February 2027), to promote the utilization of intellectual property information by the government and the public and held a joint meeting with the related agencies with NIS, etc.
▲ IPOP is a system to integrate and process intellectual property information (data), such as patents, etc., and support in statistical and trend analysis, strategy establishment, policy decision, and utilization of people’s intellectual property information.
▲ Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is a technology which is safe against hacking threats of quantum computing. In collaboration with NSRI and the Korea Post-Quantum Cryptography Research Group, NIS has selected the Korean PQC (KpqC) algorithm through a ‘post-quantum cryptography national contest’ since 2021.
▲ PQC standards-essential patent trends (IP5, 1997~June 2024): South Korea (101 cases) recorded more than twice as many applications as the US (48 cases), which ranked 2nd, and it the most aggressive move in the global competition to secure PQC patents. In ranking, 1st was South Korea (101 cases) > 2nd, the US (48) > 3rd, GB (27) > 4th, the Netherland (14) > 5th, China (11).
Amid concerns about new security threats due to the advent of the quantum computing age, this practical application is to safely protect intellectual property data which are the national core asset and to preemptively prepare for the transition to the next-generation quantum security.
Further, since this is the first case of applying KpqC to the online system owned by the government department according to ▲ the national master plan for transition to PQC (July 2023) and ▲ the national comprehensive promotion plan for transition to PQC system (September 2025), it is expected to be a decisive milestone to accelerating the advancement of national security.
MOIP, NIS, NSRI, Korea Institute of Patent Information (KIPI) and Korea Institute of Intellectual Property Promotion (KIIPP) attended the meeting, where ▲ NSRI presented the ‘national plan to transit to PQC and future tasks, ▲ KIIPP presented the PQC standards-essential patent trends and ▲ KIPI presented the introduction of IPOP which is an intellectual property information analysis platform and the plan how to apply KpqC.
As a host organization of this project, MOIP will systematically promote the entire process of KpqC of IPOP including ▲ application model analysis and design (Q1 2026), ▲ practical application (Q2 2026) and ▲ establishment of transition strategies (Q3 2026), etc. NIS will provide advice on security measures and PQC transition and NSRI will support in technology verification and demonstration, such that MOIP will proceed with this project through close cooperation among organizations.
In addition, the results of this project will be materialized into high value-added products, such as optimal application models and technical specifications, etc., through in-depth analysis jointly by MOIP and NIS, and will be supported to be used as standard reference models when the nation and public institutions transit to PQC in the future.
MOIP plans to expand the application of KpqC to the other systems, such as the next generation intellectual property administration system (IPNEX) to be built in the future, etc., to strengthen the security system of the overall intellectual property administration with a focus on quantum security.
|
