업태 and 종목: what a supplier is actually registered to do
Updated
Near the bottom of every 사업자등록증 sits a two-part industry classification. It is easy to skip, and it occasionally reveals that a supplier is not registered for the business you are about to give them.
The two parts
| Field | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 업태 | The broad sector | 제조업 — manufacturing |
| 종목 | The specific activity | 전자부품 — electronic components |
Read together they describe what the business told the tax office it does. A business may hold several pairs where it operates across sectors.
Sectors you will meet
| Korean | Sector |
|---|---|
| 제조업 | Manufacturing |
| 도매 및 소매업 | Wholesale and retail |
| 서비스업 | Services |
| 건설업 | Construction |
| 운수업 | Transport and logistics |
| 정보통신업 | Information and communications |
| 무역업 | Trading — import and export |
The distinction that catches people out
제조업 means the business manufactures. 도매 및 소매업 means it buys and resells. A supplier presenting itself as a factory while registered only as a wholesaler is probably a trading intermediary — which is not dishonest, and is often perfectly efficient, but it changes things you may care about.
- Quality control sits with a factory you have no relationship with
- Lead times depend on a third party’s schedule
- Your margin includes an intermediary’s
- Factory audits and site visits may not be theirs to offer
Using it well
Treat the classification as a cheap consistency check. If someone claims to manufacture precision components and their registration says wholesale of general goods, ask. The answer is usually mundane — and occasionally it is the most useful thing you learn all week.
The classification appears on the certificate itself rather than in status data, so this is one to read from the document. See how to read a 사업자등록증.