2026 Korea IP Administration Budget of KRW 418.9 Billion... Patent Pendency to Be Cut to 10 Months by 2029

The 2026 main program budget for intellectual property (KIPO) has been set at KRW 418.9 billion, up KRW 53.6 billion from the previous year. Investment is concentrated on high-quality examination and trial, IP creation and utilization, protection infrastructure, and R&D efficiency based on patent big data.

Key Investment Directions

• Cut examination periods to 10 months for patents and 6 months for trademarks by 2029 (advanced-country level)
• Apply artificial intelligence (AI) to examination and trial, and expand prior-art searches
• Establish a new program analyzing overseas patent examination systems — providing practical information on emerging-market systems and examination trends
• Pilot Comprehensive IP Support Centers in Incheon, Gwangju, and Busan, then expand to 8 regions

[Source] Korea IP Administration (KIPO)