Abolition of Branch and Sub-Office Registries and Introduction of Mobile Registration Applications... Corporate Registration System Improvements

The registration books for corporate branches and sub-offices will be abolished, and corporate and commercial registrations will be possible through mobile electronic applications. The procedure for registering the relocation of corporate offices will also be simplified.

On the 28th, the Ministry of Justice announced that four legislative amendments to the Commercial Act, Civil Act, Special Act on Registration Matters of Corporations, and Commercial Registration Act, aimed at improving the corporate registration system, have passed the plenary session of the National Assembly. The Ministry of Justice stated that these amendments were prepared through close consultation between the Ministry of Justice and the Court Administration Office.

Provided by the Ministry of Justice.

First, the registration books for corporate branches and sub-offices will be abolished.

Originally, the registration books for branches and sub-offices were separately maintained during the era of paper registration books to support the business activities of corporations at the locations of branches and sub-offices and to disclose information about the corporation.

However, since the digitization of registration books in 2002 and the spread of the internet, it has become possible to obtain a certificate of registration matters regardless of jurisdiction, eliminating the practical need to maintain registration books for branches and sub-offices.

With the enforcement of the amendment, the abolition of registration books for branches and sub-offices is expected by the Ministry of Justice to simplify the registration procedures, reduce the burden on citizens applying for registration, and fundamentally prevent inconsistencies in registration books, thereby further enhancing the reliability of registrations.

A mobile registration application system will be introduced.

This measure was taken considering the shift in the work environment from personal computer (PC)-based to mobile-based. The Ministry of Justice explained that although an electronic registration application system based on PCs was introduced in 2008, there have been limitations in the electronic submission of administrative information, resulting in low utilization rates of electronic applications to date.

Once the amendment is enforced, it will be possible to apply for registration using mobile devices without visiting the relevant registry office. Administrative information required for registration applications will be improved to be directly provided from government offices to the relevant registry office through administrative information shared use linkage.

Provided by the Ministry of Justice.

Finally, the procedure for registering the relocation of a corporation’s head office, branches, and offices will be simplified.

When a company or corporation changes its address, instead of going through the closure and opening procedures of registration records, the existing registration records will be transferred to the registry office having jurisdiction over the new address, and only the changes will be registered in the existing registration records.

Until now, applicants had to visit two different registry offices because the registration records had to be closed at the previous location and opened at the new location, causing inconvenience. The amendment is expected to resolve this inconvenience.

In addition to simplifying two registration procedures into one, the need to pay registration license tax and registration application fees twice will be eliminated, reducing the economic burden on applicants.

The Ministry of Justice stated, "Once this amendment is enforced, it is expected that the convenience of registration applications for citizens will be enhanced through mobile registration applications, and the burden on citizens applying for registration will be alleviated through the abolition of branch registration books and simplification of office relocation registration procedures." The Ministry added, "We will continue to closely consult with related organizations such as the Court Administration Office to ensure the successful implementation and stabilization of the future registration system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.