To start a coffee business in South Korea, lock in permits, location economics, and operations before branding. Register your entity (sole prop for speed or Yuhan Hoesa LLC for investor visas/partners), obtain a Business Registration Certificate with NTS, and file your food-service notification at the district office as 휴게음식점 (beverages/snacks) or 일반음식점 (cooking/alcohol). Complete mandatory sanitation education and pass the hygiene inspection (handwash, separate sinks, grease trap, pest-proof storage). Budget realistically: in Seoul, deposits (보증금) plus key money (권리금) can equal 50–200M KRW; fit-out averages 3–6M KRW per pyeong (3.3 m²); a 2-group espresso machine is 5–15M KRW. Verify utilities: 220V 20A+ dedicated circuit per machine, drainage slope, ventilation; roasting onsite requires 식품제조·가공업 approval and local emissions/odor compliance. Build your unit economics first: monthly fixed costs 7M KRW and 3,000 KRW gross margin per drink demand ~78 cups/day to break even—validate with foot-traffic counts for 3 weekdays+1 weekend and café density within 150 m. Set up POS with electronic cash-receipt, VAT (10%) filing, and Naver/Kakao Pay integration; list on Naver Place. Hire under Korea’s four major insurances and the current MOEL minimum wage. Localize menu (signature lattes, seasonal desserts, photogenic plating) and optimize water (TDS 75–150 ppm) for consistent extraction.
