South Korea is accepting a second round of K-Brand government certification applications from 14 to 28 September 2026, closing at 18:00 Korean time. The programme pairs a government-owned certification mark with smartphone authenticity checks and plans filings across 73 countries and territories. Verification data would support monitoring, with overseas IP centres helping investigate suspected counterfeits and preserve evidence. This is an exporter support programme, not a new trade mark law or confirmation that registration is complete in every target market.
Eligible applicants are Korean corporations already exporting products. Approval generally requires their own trade mark application or registration in the intended overseas market and compliance with the relevant product quality conditions. Qualifying SMEs and mid-sized enterprises may receive 50% of technology adoption costs, capped at KRW 200 million; large enterprises can seek permission to use the mark but must fund the technology themselves. JCIPO recommends checking overseas rights, product credentials and the funding contribution before applying. Certification should complement the brand owner’s registrations, customs recordals and platform enforcement arrangements.
