BTSDB Guide · Business — the document every Korean partner will send you
Ask any Korean company for proof of registration and you'll receive
a one-page certificate called 사업자등록증 (business registration certificate), issued by the
National Tax Service. Suppliers attach it to quotes, platforms require it for onboarding, and scammers love to
send doctored screenshots of it. Here's how to actually read one — and how to check it's real.
Field-by-field: what the Korean labels mean
등록번호
Registration number — the 10-digit business number (123-45-67890).
This is the field you verify. What the digits mean →
법인명(단체명) / 상호
Corporate name / trade name — the official name.
Corporations show 주식회사 (Co., Ltd.) here; sole proprietors show a shop name.
대표자 / 성명
Representative — the legally responsible person. Payments should
go to an account under this name or the company name.
개업연월일
Business start date — how long they've really been operating.
A "10-year manufacturer" whose certificate says last year deserves questions.
사업장 소재지
Business address — the registered location.
업태 / 종목
Business category / items — what they're registered to do
(e.g. 도소매/화장품 = wholesale-retail/cosmetics). A "cosmetics exporter" registered only for restaurants
is a mismatch worth probing.
발급일 / 세무서장
Issue date and issuing tax office — with the tax office's
official red seal.
The certificate can be faked — the registry can't
A certificate is just an image once it's in your inbox. Photoshopped
names, dates and numbers are common in fraud cases. The registry behind it, however, is queryable live:
1
Enter the 등록번호 from the certificate into the BTSDB checker.
2
Confirm the status is Active and the registered company name matches the certificate's 법인명/상호.
3
Cross-check the address and industry against workplace-insurance records shown in the result — a mismatch
between the paper and the live registry means the paper is old or fake.
Certificate refuses to arrive as anything but a cropped, low-resolution screenshot
Number on the certificate comes back Closed, or registered to a different name
Business items have nothing to do with what they're selling you