To start your coffee brand in South Korea, decide your entry model—café, roastery, or importer/online—then secure the permits that match it. Incorporate (Yuhan Hoesa LLC is common) and register for 10% VAT; foreign founders seeking an operator visa typically structure Foreign Direct Investment of ≥ KRW 100 million to qualify for a D-8 Investor visa. Café: file a General Restaurant Business license with your gu office under the Food Sanitation Act, complete sanitation training, pass the pre‑opening facility inspection, and register your signboard. Roastery: obtain Food Manufacturing/Processing business registration, meet MFDS facility standards (separate roasting/packing, washable surfaces, pest control), and implement documented HACCP-style procedures; HACCP certification becomes mandatory for certain processed categories (e.g., mixes). Import/online: register as a food importer with MFDS, submit shipment-by-shipment import declarations (first lot gets intensified inspection), and file a Mail‑Order Sales report to sell via Naver Smart Store or Coupang; set up a local PG (Toss Payments, Naver Pay). Labels must be in Korean with product name, net weight, ingredients/percentages, country of origin, manufacturer/importer, date/lot, storage, and allergens; beverages require caffeine disclosure. Protect your brand early with a KIPO trademark (Classes 30, 35, 43). Price to market: 200–250g specialty bags KRW 12,000–20,000; espresso KRW 3,500–5,000.
