A Study on Geographical Indications in Korea

Abstract

The Republic of Korea has a multi-layered system for protecting geographical indications (GIs), initiated with the Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Control (AFPQC) Act in 1999. GIs in Korea are mainly protected through a registration system under the AFPQC Act as well as collective marks with GI and certification marks with GI under the Trademark Act. Additionally, the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act includes provisions for safeguarding GIs, and Koreas Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), such as the Korea–EU FTA, provide further protection for GIs. As of 2024, about half of the protected GIs in Korea were collective marks with GI. Furthermore, the overall number of new GI registrations has been declining. This trend may be attributed to the fact that many Korean specialties have already been registered as GIs, although the precise reason for this remains uncertain.