How to verify a Korean company (business registration, tax status, filings)
Check whether a Korean counterparty exists, whether its tax registration is active, and what official filings or public-sector contracts are on record.
1. Reading a Korean Business Registration Number (XXX-XX-XXXXX)
Every business registered for tax purposes in the Republic of Korea receives a 10-digit Business Registration Number (사업자등록번호), written XXX-XX-XXXXX or as 10 plain digits (XXXXXXXXXX). ComePass accepts both forms with or without hyphens.
- First 3 digits (
XXX): Issuing regional tax office code. - Middle 2 digits (
XX): Entity type code. Codes81through88denote incorporated legal entities (for example, stock companies주식회사); other two-digit codes indicate sole proprietors or non-profit and government bodies. - Last 5 digits (
XXXXX): Serial number and check digit.
2. Three Official Checks and Primary Sources
- Business tax status — National Tax Service (NTS via data.go.kr ↗): Confirms whether a 10-digit business registration number is
active(계속사업자),suspended(휴업자),closed(폐업자, with closure date), ornot_registered(미등록), plus VAT tax classification (tax_type). - Listed-company profile, financials & disclosures — Financial Supervisory Service (OpenDART ↗): Official Korean and English legal names, stock code, CEO, address, annual financial statements as filed (usually KRW), and recent regulatory filings for corporations listed on KOSPI, KOSDAQ, and KONEX.
- Public procurement contract history — Public Procurement Service (KONEPS ↗): Rolling 12-month public-sector contract awards, KRW contract amounts, and government buyers for corporate suppliers.
3. How to Verify with ComePass
- Search in browser: Browse or search corporate procurement suppliers by name or 10-digit BRN, or listed companies (KOSPI, KOSDAQ, KONEX) by name, stock code, or DART code.
- Live NTS business status JSON API (accepts hyphens or plain 10 digits):
GET https://agents.comepass.xyz/api/v1/kr-business-status?b_no=1248100998 - MCP tools (keyless Streamable HTTP at
https://agents.comepass.xyz/mcp):kr_business_status,kr_company_search,kr_company_profile,kr_company_procurement.
4. What ComePass Does Not Cover
- Sole proprietor information: Sole-proprietor procurement records are excluded, and business numbers sent to
kr_business_statusare never stored or cached. - Credit ratings: ComePass reports official government registry and disclosure facts only, not commercial credit scores or ratings.
- Unlisted company financial statements: Annual financial statements cover companies listed on KOSPI, KOSDAQ, or KONEX in OpenDART; other corporations have live NTS registration status and KONEPS public procurement records only.