Korea Trademark Search on KIPRIS: Check Who Owns a Brand
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In short: a Korea trademark search on KIPRIS answers three questions a buyer should ask before signing a distribution deal or placing a large order. Is the mark currently registered? Does it cover Class 3, where cosmetics sit? And is the registered or current right holder the company you are actually negotiating with? It takes about ten minutes and costs nothing.
KIPRIS is Korea’s free intellectual property search service. Its footer credits the Ministry of Intellectual Property (지식재산처, the former Korean Intellectual Property Office) and the Korea Institute of Patent Information. Menu and field names below follow the trademark advanced search on the KIPRIS site as of 16 October 2026. The interface is in Korean, so we give the Korean labels in brackets.
Step 1: Open the KIPRIS Korea trademark search
On the KIPRIS home page choose Trademark (상표), then Advanced search (상세검색). You can search Domestic (국내) or Overseas (해외); for Korean rights, use Domestic.
Under right type (권리구분) you can choose trademarks, service marks, collective marks, certification marks and others, as well as international registrations under the Madrid System (국제등록상표(마드리드)). Start with All (전체) and narrow down once you see the results.
Step 2: Search by brand name
Enter the brand in the trademark name field (상표명칭, TN). There is an exact-match option if you want only identical names. Brands often file several versions, so search each of these:
- The Korean (Hangul) spelling and the English spelling.
- Versions with and without spaces or hyphens.
- Product-line names, which may be filed separately from the brand.
If only a logo is registered, you can also search by mark type (text, figurative, combined) and by figurative code (도형코드, DR).
Step 3: Narrow by Class 3 and similarity group
The classification fields are goods class (상품분류, TC), similarity group code (유사군, SC) and designated goods (지정상품, GD). Cosmetics are in Nice Class 3, so enter 03 in the class field.
Korea also groups goods that examiners treat as similar under a similarity group code; goods in different classes can still be treated as similar if they share a code. In each result, open the details and check that the goods you plan to buy are actually listed. A name registered only in another class gives no right over cosmetics.
Step 4: Read the status
KIPRIS shows an administrative status (행정상태) for each mark. The statuses you can filter on, and what they mean for a buyer:
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Status (Korean) | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Application (출원) | Still under examination; no right yet |
| Published (공고) | Passed examination and published for opposition; registration still pending |
| Registered (등록) | Trademark right in force |
| Refused (거절) | Registration was refused |
| Invalidated (무효) | Registered, then invalidated |
| Extinguished (소멸) | Right has ended, for example on expiry |
| Withdrawn / abandoned (취하·포기) | The applicant dropped it |
Anything other than Registered means there is no trademark right in that name yet, or it has ended. If your counterpart calls itself the trademark owner, check this first.
Step 5: Compare the right holder and licensees
The people fields are applicant (출원인, AP), agent (대리인, AG), registered holder (등록권자, RG), current right holder (최종권리자, TR), exclusive licensee (전용사용권자, EL) and non-exclusive licensee (통상사용권자, NL).
- Applicant and current holder can differ. Marks can be assigned, so the current right holder is the one that counts.
- Look at the licensee fields too. If your counterpart is not the holder, it may appear as a licensee.
- Match it to company details. Check that the holder’s name matches the company on your contract and its business registration.
An absent name is not automatically a red flag: licences are not always recorded. In that case, ask your counterpart for the holder’s written authorisation or a copy of the licence.
Step 6: Check foreign filings as well
If you know where you will sell, use KIPRIS’s Overseas search or the Madrid filter to see whether the brand has filed abroad. For places where the Madrid route is not yet available, such as Hong Kong, check the local register directly; see Hong Kong trademark registration.
Step 7: Keep a record
Save the date of your search, the application and registration numbers, the status and the current right holder, as a screenshot or note, with your contract file. Status can change, so check again at each renewal or large order.
Related reading and pages
Who owns the mark is also what separates a brand-appointed distributor from a parallel import; see parallel import vs authorised distributor.
SEONGWOO GLOBAL is a Korean cosmetics wholesale exporter with companies in Seoul and Hong Kong. You can see the brands we supply on our brands page.