Underwood & Associates U.S. & International Patent Protection

U.S. Patent Filing for Applicants from South Korea

South Korea is one of the most patent-intensive economies in the world, and the United States is where Korean applicants most often extend protection. If your application began at KIPO, or as a Korean-language PCT application, here is what the U.S. filing involves.

Since July 20, 2026, the USPTO requires applicants domiciled outside the U.S. to be represented by a registered U.S. patent practitioner. What the rule means for your filings

From your KIPO or PCT application to a U.S. filing

  • PCT national stage. International applications filed in Korean with KIPO as receiving office enter the U.S. by the 30-month date. An English translation of the specification, claims, and abstract is required at entry if the application was published in Korean.
  • Direct U.S. filing under the Paris Convention. A U.S. non-provisional claiming priority to your KIPO application within the 12-month priority year.

Our fee is a flat $750 through the official filing receipt: inventor declaration, power of attorney, assignment recordation, information disclosure statement, and the filing itself included. Complete cost breakdown with current USPTO fees

Translation

The flat rate covers filing your completed, translated application; preparing the translation is separate. Korean firms typically manage translation in-house or through established vendors. We work from your translation and review what we file for compliance with U.S. formal requirements.

Priority documents

KIPO participates in the WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS). For Paris Convention filings, provide the DAS access code and the USPTO retrieves your certified priority document electronically: no paper copy, no legalization. For national-stage entries, the priority document is already in the international file.

Working with Korean patent firms

We serve as U.S. associate for Korean patent and law firms: your client stays your client, and we handle signing, filing, and prosecution before the USPTO, reporting each step to you. The 13-14 hour offset between Seoul and Chicago means instructions sent at your close of business are actioned in our same calendar day, often filed before you are back at your desk. That matters when a 30-month deadline was discovered late.

Deadlines measured in days

Same-day filing is often available for completed applications. If a U.S. deadline is close, whether for national-stage entry or for counsel of record under the 2026 rule, send the application number and due date and we will confirm within one business day whether we can take it on in time.

Initiate a filing request or contact us with your application number and deadline.