Biz-friendly Environment | InvestKOREA(ENG)

Seamless and Affordable Electric Supply

According to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2019 report, Korea ranked 2nd in the category of Getting Electricity. The result highlights that electricity is supplied through a fast and simple process at an affordable price.

International Energy Agency (IEA) said Korea’s average cost of utilities per person (tax included: 8.02pence/ KWh) is the lowest of 28 OECD members as of 2019. Energy prices in Korea remains merely half the OECD average and 30% of that in Germany (tax included: 26.17 pence/ KWh) which tops in the global energy price index.

※ Source: IEA <Domestic Electricity Prices in the IEA 2020>

Comparison of Electrical Service

Comparison of Electrical Service : Ranking,Country
Ranking	1	2	3	4	5
Country	UAE	Korea	Hong Kong	Malaysia	Germany

※ Source: World Bank Group <Doing Business 2019 Report>

Stable Water Supply

Korea has developed infrastructure capable of providing a stable supply of water. Furthermore, Korea’s water utility bills are considerably lower than major cities around the world, such as New York, London, and Tokyo.

water utility bills in major cities around the world : Country,charge
Country	Seoul	New York	London	Tokyo	Zurich	Amsterdam	Copenhagen	Stockholm
bills	0.53	3.94	3.98	2.18	4.65	4.53	7.63	2.52

※ Source: OECD <Environment at a Glance 2015>

Active Application for Intellectual Property Rights

The number of applications for intellectual property rights in Korea is the 4th largest in the world, following China, the US, and Japan, and Korea ranks 5th in the world in Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent applications. In addition, Resident patent applications filed per GDP, far outdistancing other leading countries, showing Korea’s excellence in application for intellectual property rights.

Application for Intellectual Property Rights : Ranking,Industrial Property Rights Applications from Major Countries(2017),PCT International Patent Applications from Major Countries(2017),Number of Applications per Million Korean Citizens
Ranking	Industrial Property Rights Applications from Major Countries (2018, Unit: case)		PCT International Patent Applications from Major Countries (2019, Unit: case)		Resident Patent Applications Filed per GDP (2019, Unit: USD 100 billion)
1	China	11,461,702	China	58,990	Korea	8,561
2	US	1,106,310	US	57,840	China	6,183
3	Japan	532,855	Japan	52,660	Japan	5,101
4	Korea	480,245	Germany	19,353	Germany	1,924
5	Germany	161,879	Korea	19,085	Switzerland	1,831

※ Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (March 2020), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), World Bank (August 2019)

The speed of its patent process is one of Korea’s strengths in this area. The examination and processing period for patent and utility model registry in Korea is shorter than in the US (16.3 months) and similar to Japan (10.4 months).

(Unit : per month)

Examination and Processing Period in Major Countries : Status,patent and utility model registry,Trademark model registry,Design model registry
Status	Patent and Utility Model Registry	Trademark Model Registry	Design Model Registry
US	16.3	13.3	2.7
Japan	10.4	4.9	5.0
Korea	10.4	5.0	4.9

※ Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WPO) <World Intellectual Property Indicators>, Korean Intellectual Property Office