In early August 2026, South Korea’s former Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), now elevated to the ministry-level Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP), moved to deepen its technical examination strategy for artificial intelligence and other future-growth technologies. The plan places AI, spatial computing and related strategic fields more prominently within examination capacity building, signalling an effort to make specialist patent examination a more active part of Korea’s innovation policy and international IP role.
MOIP has also updated the fee charged in its capacity as a PCT International Searching Authority (ISA). Following an exchange-rate adjustment, the international search fee is now USD 783. For applicants selecting the Korean ISA, the immediate task is to update filing budgets and payment workflows, but the broader development is institutional: Korea is strengthening domestic examination expertise while refining its international search function. Applicants working in AI and spatial computing should watch closely for more concrete examination guidance as the ministry’s expanded mandate begins to shape practice.
