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14-2 · General business permits

Security Service Business Permit

Under Article 4 of the Security Services Industry Act, only a corporation may operate a security services business. The corporation must specify the security services it intends to perform under contract and obtain a permit from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan or Provincial Police Agency with jurisdiction over its head office; changing or adding security services also requires a change permit. Article 3 of the Enforcement Decree and Annexed Table 1 set the standards for each type of service: every type requires at least 1 security instructor; facility security and crowd and traffic control security require at least 10 general security guards; escort and personal protection security require at least 5 general security guards who hold martial arts ranks; special security requires at least 20 special security guards; and paid-in capital must be at least KRW 300 million for special security and at least KRW 100 million for all other services. Machine security requires at least 10 general security guards including 5 holders of electronics or telecommunications technical qualifications, a control center, and at least 2 dispatch vehicles per branch office, and under the amendment effective January 8, 2026, the training room requirement was removed. The Commissioner reviews grounds for disqualification of officers, whether personnel, facilities and equipment are secured, and the capital, career and credit of the representative and officers before deciding, and the permit is valid for 5 years from the date it is granted (Article 6 of the Act).

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#Security Service Business Permit#Official check#14-2
🌐 Security Services Business Permit Requirements and Procedure
01

Procedure

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Permit Difficulty High

    A procedure that allows a business, activity or stay that the law generally restricts, after review; licenses fall into this type. The authority reviews facility standards, location and consultation with other agencies, and a permit can be refused if the standards are not met.

  1. 01

    Specify the services and check the articles of incorporation: Decide which of facility, escort, personal protection, machine, special, or crowd and traffic control security you will perform under contract, and check that the purpose clause of the corporation's articles of incorporation includes it. If not, amend the purpose clause first.

  2. 02

    Check officers for disqualification: Adult wards, persons declared bankrupt and not reinstated, persons whose sentence of imprisonment without labor or heavier has not lapsed, and officers of a corporation whose permit was revoked for violating the Act within the past 3 years (5 years if revoked for having guards act beyond the scope of security duties) cannot serve as officers, so every officer is checked.

  3. 03

    Prepare personnel, capital and equipment for each service: Secure paid-in capital meeting Annexed Table 1, recruit security guards and a security instructor, and prepare guard uniforms, whistles, batons and sprays; for machine security, prepare the control center, sensing, transmitting and receiving devices and dispatch vehicles. Capital cannot be deferred through a securing plan.

  4. 04

    Prepare and submit the application: Attach the articles of incorporation, officers' resumes, and a securing plan for any personnel, facilities or equipment not yet in place to the permit application, affix a KRW 10,000 revenue stamp as the fee, and submit it to the Metropolitan or Provincial Police Agency with jurisdiction over the head office or a police station under it. The official checks the corporate registration certificate through administrative information sharing, and the processing period stated on Government24 is 15 days.

  5. 05

    Fulfill the securing plan and receive the permit: If a securing plan was submitted, the personnel, facilities and equipment in Annexed Table 1 must be in place within 1 month of the permit date and confirmed by the Commissioner. The permit certificate is issued through the police station with jurisdiction over the head office.

  6. 06

    Change reports and renewal: Report closure or suspension within 7 days, and changes to the corporate name, representative or officers, head office or branch offices, machine security control center, or purpose clause within 30 days of the change. To continue operating, submit a renewal application with the original permit certificate at least 30 days before the permit expires.

02

Filing route

Filing route

Metropolitan or Provincial Police Agency with jurisdiction over the corporation's head office, or a police station under it (applications filed at a police station are forwarded to the Police Agency)

Confirm the current filing office, jurisdiction, and online availability on the official website.

Official check
Actual processing agencyCompetent Korean authority or official service · Competent Korean authority or official service
Statutory and policy authorityKorean National Police Agency
Online routeGovernment24
03

Deadlines & processing notes

Deadlines & processing notes

Check deadlines and next steps against the notice, filing date, and any request for additional documents.Official check
04

Basic documents

Basic documents

Basic documents0 / 8

경비업(신규, 변경, 갱신)허가신청서(별지 제2호서식)

HWP originalPDF

Source: Korea National Law Information Center, 「경비업법 시행규칙」 별지 제2호서식(effective 2024.08.14.) · checked 2026.10.26. · the form is in Korean; confirm it is the current version before submitting.

The permit must be revoked if, without justifiable reason, there is no security contract record within 2 years of the permit date or the business is suspended for 1 year or more in a row (Article 19(1) of the Act), so the timing of the application should be set after contract prospects are in place.

Scope of services

Scope of services

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office prepares and translates documents for administrative agencies, submits them on your behalf, and guides you through permit, application, and notification procedures. Services that require the principal’s personal appearance, principal’s application, or electronic signature may be limited in delegation.