Types of Korean Companies — What the Names Actually Mean
BTSDB Guide · Business — legal forms, liability, and what to check
Korean company names carry their legal form:
주식회사 OO or (주)OO is a stock corporation, while a name with no such
marker is often an individual doing business under a trade name. Knowing the difference matters —
it determines who you're actually contracting with and whose assets stand behind the deal.
The main legal forms
주식회사 (Chusik Hoesa)
Stock corporation — Korea's standard "Co., Ltd." Most
established companies, all listed companies. Limited liability; separate legal entity; corporate registry
record exists. In English materials it appears as "Co., Ltd." or "Inc."
유한회사 (Yuhan Hoesa)
Limited liability company — common for foreign subsidiaries
(e.g. many global brands' Korean units). Similar protection, simpler governance, fewer disclosure duties.
Sole proprietor (개인사업자)
An individual registered for business. No separate legal
entity — the person is the counterparty and bears unlimited personal liability. Perfectly
legitimate (most small shops and many exporters), but your contract is with a person, not a company.
합자·합명회사 / 조합
Partnership forms — rare in cross-border commerce.
Telling them apart from the registration number
The middle two digits of the 10-digit business number reveal the
form instantly: 81/86/87/88 = corporation head office, 85 = corporate branch,
01–79 = individual (VAT-taxable), 90–99 = individual (VAT-exempt).
Full breakdown in our business-number guide.
You can also just run the number through the BTSDB checker.
What each form means for your deal
Corporation: ask for the
corporate registration extract (법인등기부등본) for directors and capital; the company seal binds the entity.
Branch (85): confirm whether
the branch or the head office signs — obligations may sit with the head office.
Sole proprietor: contract and
payment should be in the registered individual's name; check the representative name matches your contact.
Any form: verify the
registration is Active before payment — status changes are live in tax records.
Naming tip: "(주)" before or after a name is the abbreviation of 주식회사. A seller writing
"OO Co., Ltd." in English while their Korean registration shows an individual (01–79) deserves a
follow-up question.
General information, not legal advice. For contract review, consult a Korean-licensed attorney.