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Telecommunications & digital businesses

Registering a Text Message Sending Business as a Special Value-Added Telecommunications Business and Transmission Qualification Certification — Paid-in Capital of 100,000,000 won and Re-registration of Existing Operators

A business that connects a text message sending system directly or indirectly to the telecommunications facilities of a telecommunications business operator and sends text messages provides a special type of value-added telecommunications service under the Telecommunications Business Act, so it must register rather than file an ordinary value-added telecommunications business report. The operator first obtains transmission qualification certification from the Korea Media and Communications Commission, then registers with the Ministry of Science and ICT (received and processed by the Central Radio Management Office) with the certificate attached, and the registration certificate is issued within 30 days from the application date. The registration requirements are paid-in capital (for individuals, the appraised value of business assets) of at least 100,000,000 won, at least 1 dedicated employee other than the representative, designation and public announcement of a chief information security officer at executive or department-head level, and a technical measures plan covering caller number management and keeping communication records for at least 1 year. For existing operators that registered under the former rules and held voluntary transmission qualification certification but did not re-register within the grace period, the amended Enforcement Decree that took effect on April 28, 2026 granted an additional registration period of 6 months, but that period also ended in October 2026, so operators that have not yet registered must meet the strengthened registration requirements and proceed with registration immediately. Operating the business without registration is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 150,000,000 won.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-10-12 · Updated 2026-10-29

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Registration Difficulty Medium

    The authority checks whether the statutory registration requirements, such as facilities, staff and capital, are met before issuing a registration certificate. Registration can be refused if the requirements are not met.

  1. 1. Check whether the service is a special type of value-added telecommunications service

    Providing a service that sends text messages by connecting a text message sending system directly or indirectly to a carrier's facilities falls under the special type of value-added telecommunications service in Article 2, Subparagraph 14, Item (b) of the Telecommunications Business Act. A company that only uses another operator's messaging service to send notices to its own customers has a different business structure, so applicability is checked first by reviewing the service structure diagram and contractual relationships. Operators registered under the former rules review their registration certificate and previous certification records to confirm whether they must re-register.

  2. 2. Prepare the registration requirements and technical measures plan

    The operator secures paid-in capital of at least 100,000,000 won, at least 1 dedicated employee other than the representative, a chief information security officer at executive or department-head level who is designated and publicly announced, and the telecommunications facilities and ancillary equipment needed to provide the service. The technical measures plan covers prevention of fraudulent subscription using another person's identity, caller number registration and management, blocking of text messages with falsely displayed numbers, keeping communication records for at least 1 year, inserting identification codes and preventing their forgery or alteration, and operating information security systems and vulnerability checks. A business plan and a user protection plan containing an internal personal information management plan and service terms are also prepared.

  3. 3. Apply to the Korea Media and Communications Commission for transmission qualification certification

    When the application form is filed with the Korea Media and Communications Commission together with documents proving that the certification standards are met, a document review and an on-site review are conducted, and the on-site review checks the text message sending system at the business site. The result is notified within 30 days from receipt, which may be extended once by up to 30 days for unavoidable reasons, and requests for supplementation set a period of up to 10 days. The certificate is issued within 7 days after the review is completed, and an applicant who disagrees with the result may request a re-review once within 30 days of notification.

  4. 4. Apply for registration as a special value-added telecommunications business operator

    The registration application is submitted to the competent radio management office under the Central Radio Management Office (for Incheon, the Seoul Radio Management Office) with the articles of incorporation (for corporations), documents proving the registration requirements, the business plan, the user protection plan and the transmission qualification certificate. If the documents are deficient, a request for supplementation within 10 days is issued, and once the requirements are confirmed, the registration certificate is issued within 30 days from the application date. The business must start within 1 year from the registration date.

  5. 5. Regular inspections and change registration after registration

    The Ministry of Science and ICT inspects compliance with the registration requirements, and the Korea Media and Communications Commission inspects whether the certification standards are maintained, once a year, by visit, in writing, by phone, by email and other means. Since the transmission qualification certification may be revoked if the certification standards are no longer met, changes in dedicated staff and security measure records are managed continuously. If the trade name, name or address, the representative, the type of service provided, or the address of the website that sends text messages changes, a change registration application is filed.

Required documents

Fees

Administrative service fee
  • Basic scope from KRW 1,000,000
All administrative service fees exclude 10% VAT.

The fee field on the application form for registration as a special value-added telecommunications business operator reads "none". Government fees and the cost of building information security systems are separate. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on whether it is a new registration or re-registration of an existing operator, and whether the certification application is handled together; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

  • Telecommunications Business Act, Article 2
  • Telecommunications Business Act, Article 22
  • Telecommunications Business Act, Article 22-11
  • Telecommunications Business Act, Article 95
  • Telecommunications Business Act, Article 23
  • Telecommunications Business Act, Addenda (Act No. 20792), Article 2
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 29
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 29-2
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 30-11
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 65
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 31
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Annex 3
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Addenda (Presidential Decree No. 36281), Article 4
  • Notice on Transmission Qualification Certification Standards, etc., Article 3
  • Notice on Transmission Qualification Certification Standards, etc., Article 4
  • Notice on Transmission Qualification Certification Standards, etc., Article 5
  • Ministry of Science and ICT Regulations on the Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 14
  • Telecommunications Business Act, Article 22-2
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 30-2
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Annex 3-4
  • Notice on Transmission Qualification Certification Standards, etc., Annex
  • Enforcement Rule of the Organization of the Ministry of Science and ICT and Its Affiliated Agencies, Annex 1

Checked against the statutes on

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

  • Because the transmission qualification certificate is a registration requirement, the certification review (within 30 days of receipt, extendable) and registration processing (within 30 days of application) must be completed one after the other, so to meet the business start date or an existing operator's registration schedule, the certification application should be made first.
  • Even after registration, compliance with the registration requirements and certification standards is inspected once a year, so changes in dedicated staff, communication record retention and information security records must be managed continuously.

Frequently asked questions

Is a value-added telecommunications business report enough to run a text message sending service?
No. A business that connects a text message sending system to a carrier's facilities to send messages provides a special type of value-added telecommunications service, so it must register rather than report. The rule deeming internet value-added telecommunications operators with capital of 100,000,000 won or less to have reported does not replace this registration, and transmission qualification certification from the Korea Media and Communications Commission must be obtained before registering.
Do existing bulk text message resellers have to register again?
Yes. Operators registered under the former rules with voluntary transmission qualification certification were deemed registered for 6 months after the amended Act promulgated on March 18, 2025 took effect, but they had to obtain statutory transmission qualification certification and register again within that period. Operators that did not register within that period were given an additional 6 months by the amended Enforcement Decree that took effect on April 28, 2026, but that period also ended in October 2026, so operators that have not yet registered must meet the strengthened registration requirements, proceed with registration immediately and confirm their current status with the competent radio management office.
What are the capital and staffing requirements for registering a text message sending business?
Paid-in capital must be at least 100,000,000 won, and for sole proprietors the appraised value of business assets is used. For staffing, at least 1 dedicated employee other than the representative must be assigned separately, and a chief information security officer at executive or department-head level must be designated and publicly announced.
How long does the transmission qualification certification review take and what is reviewed?
A document review and an on-site review are conducted and the result is notified within 30 days from receipt, with one extension of up to 30 days possible for unavoidable reasons. The on-site review checks the text message sending system at the business site, and the certificate is issued within 7 days after the review is completed.
Does an administrative agent handle the registration and transmission qualification certification application for a text message sending business?
Yes. Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office reviews whether the service is a special type, prepares a registration requirements checklist, drafts the business plan, user protection plan and certification application documents, files the certification application with the Korea Media and Communications Commission and the registration application with the competent radio management office on the client's behalf, and drafts documents in response to supplementation requests.

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Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

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This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.