How to ask a Korean supplier for their registration documents
Updated
Buyers often hesitate to ask a new Korean supplier for paperwork, worrying it signals mistrust. It does not. Exchanging registration documents is standard practice when Korean companies open accounts with each other, and a legitimate supplier will have the file ready to send.
What to ask for
| Document | Korean | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Business registration certificate | 사업자등록증 | Number, representative, opening date |
| Corporate registry extract | 법인등기부등본 | Directors, capital, corporate history |
| Bank account confirmation | 통장 사본 | Account name, to match against the company |
For a first order, the 사업자등록증 is usually enough. For a large commitment or an ongoing relationship, the registry extract is worth having as well — it shows who actually controls the company. See the two registration numbers explained.
Phrasing you can use
Korean business correspondence is more formal than English equivalents. These are polite and standard — paste them in alongside your English, and the request will read as routine.
Asking for the certificate
거래 개설을 위해 사업자등록증 사본을 보내주실 수 있을까요?
Could you send a copy of your business registration certificate so we can set up the account?
Confirming the details you already hold
확인을 위해 대표자명과 개업일자를 알려주시면 감사하겠습니다.
We would be grateful if you could confirm the representative’s name and the business opening date.
Confirming bank details before a first payment
첫 송금 전에 입금 계좌 정보를 다시 한 번 확인 부탁드립니다.
Before the first transfer, could you please confirm the account details once more?
What the documents will and will not settle
A certificate proves the business was registered when it was issued. It does not prove the business is trading today, that the sender is connected to it, or that the bank account belongs to it. Verify the number independently rather than trusting the document alone — that is precisely the gap this site exists to close.
If a supplier refuses outright, that is worth weighing. Not every refusal is sinister — small businesses are sometimes wary of sharing documents abroad — but a company that will not confirm who it is before taking your money has told you something.
Verify the number they send you.
Check a number