Korea Expands Online Oral Hearings in IP Trials
▒ Improved Access to IPTAB Proceedings
The Korean IP trial system is becoming more accessible for both domestic and foreign parties.
Beginning in July 2026, the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board (IPTAB) — the administrative tribunal within Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) — will fully implement internet-based video oral hearings.
Under the new system, parties and their representatives may attend oral hearings through the Korean government’s "On-Nara" PC video conference platform, without physically appearing at the IPTAB hearing room in Daejeon, where MOIP is located, or at its Seoul branch office. This is expected to reduce travel time and cost and improve access to trial proceedings.
Until now, participation in IPTAB oral hearings has required physical attendance in Korea. Going forward, overseas parties may also be able to participate directly from abroad in eligible cases.
▒ Oral Hearings in Korean IP Trials
Proceedings before the IPTAB include patent, utility model, trademark and design matters, including cancellation and invalidation trials, scope confirmation trials, correction trials, and appeals from examiner decisions. Although these proceedings are administrative in nature, they often have a significant impact on the enforcement and validity of intellectual property rights in Korea.
IPTAB trials may proceed through written submissions or oral hearings. While written briefs and evidence remain central, oral hearings are often useful in technically complex or commercially important cases. They allow the parties to explain technical issues, legal arguments, evidentiary matters and the commercial context directly to the panel of administrative judges.
Oral hearings are most common in patent disputes, particularly where complex technical issues are involved, but they may also be held in trademark and design cases if the panel considers that live argument would assist its understanding of the issues, or if a party specifically requests a hearing.
For foreign IP owners and challengers, oral hearings can be a valuable opportunity to ensure that key technical and strategic points are clearly presented. They may also help Korean counsel address questions from the panel in real time.
▒ Key Features of the New Online System
The newly expanded internet-based oral hearing system allows parties and representatives to participate from a wider range of locations, including offices, homes, and overseas locations. According to MOIP, participants in the pilot program conducted in the first half of 2026 positively evaluated the reduced travel burden and the ability to attend hearings without location restrictions.
A party may request an internet-based oral hearing when applying for an oral hearing. If a hearing date has already been designated, a request to change the format to an online oral hearing may be submitted.
However, the system is available only for public oral hearings. Because participants may connect from locations outside the physical control of the IPTAB, MOIP has limited internet-based oral hearings to cases where public hearing is permitted. For non-public hearings, the existing in-person format or the current remote video hearing system through MOIP’s Seoul office will continue to apply. Hearings may be declared non-public where they involve trade secrets or confidential business information, or where public attendance could be contrary to public order or good morals.
In 2025, 582 oral hearings took place at IPTAB, including 392 in-person hearings in Daejeon and 190 remote video hearings at the Seoul office. Of these, only 6 hearings were non-public.
▒ Practical Implications for Foreign IP Owners
The new system may make it easier to monitor and participate in Korean proceedings. In-house counsel, inventors, technical experts, or business personnel may be able to join hearings remotely, subject to procedural requirements and case-specific approval.
This may be especially helpful in cases involving complex technologies such as electronics, semiconductors, batteries, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, telecommunications, and advanced manufacturing. Remote participation could improve coordination between Korean counsel, foreign counsel, and technical teams, while reducing travel-related costs.
However, it should still be noted that IPTAB proceedings are conducted in Korean, and the introduction of online participation does not change the language of the hearing. Accordingly, non-Korean speakers would still need to arrange for interpretation assistance.
Overall, the new internet-based system is expected to further modernize Korean IP trial practice and make IPTAB proceedings more accessible to global IP stakeholders. Foreign companies involved in Korean IP disputes should consider at an early stage whether an oral hearing would be strategically beneficial and whether online participation may be available in their case.
