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Financial business registration

Credit Business Change Registration Within 15 Days — Value-Added Telecom and Location-Based Service Reports and Mandatory Ad Disclosures When Launching a Loan App or Website

When a registered credit business starts online operations through a new loan app or website, the first thing to check is not a new registration but whether its registered particulars change. Article 3(3) of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users lists the specific content and method of the credit business and the phone number and website address used in advertising as registered particulars, so when they change, a change registration must be filed with the city or provincial governor or the Financial Services Commission where the business is currently registered within 15 days from the date the reason arises (Article 5(1)). Failing to do so is subject to an administrative fine of up to 50,000,000 won. If the app runs a bulletin board that provides borrowers' personal information or other lenders' contact details, it falls under a lending brokerage system and requires registration with the Financial Services Commission, and depending on the service, a value-added telecommunications business report under the Telecommunications Business Act and a location-based service business report under the Location Information Act must also be checked. App store descriptions and online ads must include the mandatory disclosures such as the registration number, interest rates and warning statements.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-10-13 · Updated 2026-10-13

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.

  • Notification Difficulty Low

    You submit the statutory report form and required documents. Once the documents are in order the report is accepted; for some reports the authority checks the contents before accepting it.

We will prepare loan business registration, renewal, and change documents. Depending on the type of online business, we will classify and prepare the necessary reporting and loan advertisement review submission materials.

Scope & fee
Online business conversion and money-lending registration amendment
We will prepare a change registration form for loan business following the conversion of 1 existing registered business to online. Registration certificate and change data are provided, and additional communication, location-based reporting, and advertisement review are selected separately if necessary.
Online expansion: value-added telecommunications business notification only
We will confirm whether 1 company is subject to reporting or exemption from value-added telecommunications business and prepare reporting documents. Business and facility data are provided, but changes to loan business, location-based reporting, and creation of a new technology plan are separate.
Online expansion: location-based service notification and protection plan
We will prepare a report for 1 type of location-based service and a 5-page business, facility, and personal location information protection plan. Technical structure is provided, and system development, security diagnosis, loan business changes, and additional communication reporting are separate.
Official fee source ↗
Online expansion: location-based and value-added telecommunications notifications and plans
We will prepare two reports for 1 company: location-based service and value-added communication business. We include 5 pages of business, facility, and protection plans according to the provided technical structure. System development, security diagnosis, loan business changes, and advertising review are separate.
Official fee source ↗
Prepare submission documents for money-lending advertising review
We will check the review targets and required markings for 1 loan advertisement and prepare the submission materials. Advertising text and registration materials are provided, but advertising production, filming, registration changes, and other business reports are separate.

  1. 1. Confirm the app's business model and the registering authority

    First determine whether the app or website only presents and contracts the company's own loan products, or whether it runs a bulletin board that discloses or provides borrowers' personal information or other lenders' contact details. The latter is brokerage using a lending brokerage system and requires registration with the Financial Services Commission; a business registered with a city or province that comes under this category must submit the documents for a change of registering authority to its current authority within 15 days from the date the reason arises. Registration of a lending brokerage system also requires computer and security facilities and at least 1 professional to manage them.

  2. 2. Identify the registered particulars that change

    Compare whether online operations change the specific content and method of the credit business and the phone number and website address used in advertising. Minor matters, such as a change of address of the representative or officers or a change of an investor holding 5/100 or less of total investment, are excluded from change registration. Calculate the 15-day deadline from the date of change and align the app launch and ad campaign dates with that schedule.

  3. 3. Prepare and submit the change registration application

    A business registered with a city or province uses the change registration application in Form 7 of the Regulations on Supervision of Credit Business, etc., and a business registered with the Financial Services Commission uses the form set by the Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service. Attach the original registration certificate, the corporate register certificate, the corporate seal certificate and documents proving the change, and submit them to the city or provincial governor or the Financial Services Commission where the business is currently registered. If the business location, investors, representative or officers also change, add the attachments required for each item.

  4. 4. Check value-added telecom and location-based service reports

    If the service provided through the app or website is a value-added telecommunications service, report it to the Minister of Science and ICT under Article 22 of the Telecommunications Business Act. A business with capital of 100,000,000 won or less that provides value-added telecommunications services over the internet is deemed to have reported, but once its capital exceeds 100,000,000 won it must report within 1 month. If the app receives and uses users' personal location information, file a location-based service business report with the Korea Media and Communications Commission under Article 9 of the Location Information Act.

  5. 5. Review disclosures on app screens and online ads

    An advertisement of loan terms must include the name or representative's name, the credit business registration number, the loan interest rate converted to an annual rate and the default interest rate, any additional costs, early repayment terms and the warning about excessive debt. It must also show the business address and the registered advertising phone number, and the name and phone number of the city, province or Financial Services Commission where the business is registered, with the registration number, phone number and interest rate in letters the same size as or larger than the trade name. Expressions that could be mistaken for a financial institution or a government-supported low-income financial product cannot be used.

Required documents

  • Credit business change registration application (Form 7 of the Regulations on Supervision of Credit Business, etc.; businesses registered with the Financial Services Commission use the form set by the Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service)
  • Original credit business registration certificate
  • Corporate register certificate (resident registration abstract for individuals)
  • Corporate seal certificate (for individuals, the representative's seal certificate or a confirmation of personal signature)
  • Documents proving the change (confirmation of the new advertising phone number, confirmation of the website address, explanation of the business method, etc.)
  • Proof of business location and shareholder register (if the location or investors also change)
  • Value-added telecommunications business report (statutory form, if a report is required)
  • Location-based service business report (statutory form, if personal location information is used)
  • Letter of authorization (if filed by an agent)

Fees

Administrative service fee
  • from KRW 300,000
All administrative service fees exclude 10% VAT.

Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the number of registered particulars that change, the registering authority (city/province or Financial Services Commission), and whether the value-added telecom and location-based service reports and an ad copy review are 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

  • Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 3
  • Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 5
  • Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 9
  • Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 9-2
  • Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 9-3
  • Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 21
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 2-4
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 2-6
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 2-10
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 3
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 6
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 6-2
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users, Article 6-3
  • Regulations on Supervision of Credit Business, etc., Article 7
  • Telecommunications Business Act, Article 22
  • Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, Article 30
  • Act on the Protection, Use, etc. of Location Information, Article 9

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

  • If you change the advertising phone number or website address and start advertising first, the 15-day deadline runs from that date, so finalize the changes and schedule the change registration before launching the app and running ads.
  • Only a registered credit business may advertise credit business, and advertising with a phone number or address different from the registered particulars violates the disclosure rules, so keep the numbers and addresses on app screens, banners and blog ads consistent with the registered particulars.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a new credit business registration to launch a loan app?
If the app only handles the company's own loan products, it is a change registration of registered particulars, not a new registration. The business method and the advertising phone number and website address are registered particulars, so a change registration is filed within 15 days of the change. However, if the app runs a bulletin board providing borrowers' personal information or other lenders' contact details, it is a lending brokerage system and requires registration with the Financial Services Commission.
What is the deadline for a credit business change registration?
Within 15 days from the date the reason for the change arises. Failing to file within the deadline is subject to an administrative fine of up to 50,000,000 won, and only minor matters set by the Enforcement Decree, such as a change of address of the representative or officers, are excluded.
Does a lender's app need a value-added telecommunications business report?
A report is required if the service is a value-added telecommunications service. A business with capital of 100,000,000 won or less that provides such services over the internet is deemed to have reported, and once capital exceeds 100,000,000 won it must report to the Minister of Science and ICT within 1 month. Whether to report is decided by looking at both the app's functions and the company's capital.
Is a location-based service business report needed if the app uses location information?
It is required if the service targets users' personal location information. The trade name, principal office location, type of business and main facilities including the location information system are reported to the Korea Media and Communications Commission, and a change report is filed when the trade name, location or location information system changes. Location-based service businesses that do not target personal location information are excluded from the report.
Do app store descriptions and search ads also need the credit advertising disclosures?
Yes, if they display or advertise loan terms. The registration number, annual interest rate and default rate, additional costs, early repayment terms, warning statement and the registering authority's name and phone number are mandatory; omitting them is subject to a fine of up to 50,000,000 won, and failing to follow the display rules such as letter size is subject to a fine of up to 10,000,000 won.
Does an administrative agent handle credit business change registration and app-related reports?
Yes. Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office confirms the app's business model and registering authority, organizes the changed particulars, prepares the credit business change registration application and files it with the city, province or Financial Services Commission on the client's behalf, prepares and files value-added telecom and location-based service business reports, and reviews app screens and ad copy for mandatory disclosures.

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Contact us

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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📍 2697, 26F POSCO Tower-Songdo, 165 Convensia-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea · 📞 010-3374-2687 · 🌐 hwangadmin.com

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.