South Korea centralizes virtually all public procurement through KONEPS (Korea ON-line E-Procurement System, at g2b.go.kr), operated by the Public Procurement Service (PPS). Suppliers must complete a one-time registration in KONEPS to bid, and PPS confirms that all bidders must register with PPS at least one day prior to submitting bids. Foreign bidders may register with PPS and are allowed a late registration provided it is completed before entering into a contract; they must prove they are a manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of the tendered goods. Electronic bidding is conducted through KONEPS, which requires a Korean-issued digital certificate for e-bid encryption, a practical barrier for firms without a Korean presence.
KONEPS (Korea ON-line E-Procurement System)
Public Procurement Service (PPS)
Foreign companies eligibleNo local entity required to bid
A Korean legal entity is not strictly required by PPS rules: PPS explicitly provides for foreign bidder registration, and Korea's GPA/KORUS commitments require non-discrimination. However, KONEPS electronic bidding requires a Korean-issued digital certificate (public key certificate) for bid encryption, which is historically difficult for foreign firms to obtain without a Korean business registration number, a Korean bank account, and often a local representative. In practice many foreign firms register a Korean branch/subsidiary or appoint a local agent to complete KONEPS registration and bid submission. This local-agent/certificate dependency is the key honesty caveat rather than a formal legal requirement.
PPS requires that a foreign bidder be a manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of the tendered goods. Confirm your business status and that the goods/services fall within PPS-administered procurement.
Assemble the documents that prove legitimacy. PPS states attached documents are valid if issued by a relevant public authority in the applicant's country; if not issued by a public authority, they must be publicly notarized. Documents generally must be provided/translated into Korean and, per secondary guidance, legalized (apostille or embassy attestation).
Complete the one-time supplier registration with PPS. Per PPS, all bidders must register at least one day prior to submitting bids; foreign bidders may register late, but must complete registration before entering into a contract. One registration in KONEPS allows participation in all public tendering. PPS publishes an 'Application for Registration' form in its Guide Information for Foreign Suppliers.
KONEPS electronic bidding is conducted electronically, and e-bids are encrypted/signed using a Korean-issued public key (digital) certificate from an authorized Korean certificate authority. PPS provides an 'Application for Certification Service' for foreign suppliers. Obtaining the certificate typically requires a Korean business registration number and is reported (secondary sources) to take several weeks and often a local representative.
Once registered and holding a valid digital certificate, submit bids per the Invitation for Bids. PPS states all bids must be prepared in English and submitted at the designated place/time (Korean Standard Time) by the specified method; in electronic bidding, bids are opened electronically through KONEPS. Bid bonds, where required, must be deposited at least one day prior to bid submission.
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Varies per tender — not a fixed registration time.
Act on Contracts to Which the State is a Party (Korea's core public procurement law); WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), to which the Republic of Korea has been a party since 1 January 1997 (GPA 2012 in force 14 January 2016) per WTO (https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/gproc_e/memobs_e.htm); KORUS FTA government procurement chapter (in effect since 2012) per trade.gov.
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This guide is grounded in official sources, last verified 2026-07-20.