Popular Culture Planning Business ②: Registration Without Two Years of Experience

Hello, I’m Administrative Agent Jean.

In Part 1, we looked at why opening an entertainment agency in Korea may require more than ordinary business registration. Depending on what the company actually does, it may also need to register as a popular culture planning business under the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act.

Once prospective founders learn about that requirement, their next search is usually:

“Two years of experience for popular culture planning business registration.”

This can sound contradictory. If you must register before starting an entertainment agency, but registration requires two years of prior industry experience, how can a first-time founder ever qualify?

The short answer is that you may qualify even without two years of experience in the popular culture planning business.

Article 26 (2) of the current Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act provides two alternative routes. An applicant must satisfy either:

1. At least two years of work experience in the popular culture planning business; or
2. Completion of a qualifying educational course relating to the popular culture planning business.

For a corporation, at least one executive officer must satisfy either the experience or education requirement. The business must also have an office.

Accordingly, the statement “You cannot establish an entertainment agency without two years of experience” is not accurate as of 2026.

The opposite misunderstanding is also common:

“Does that mean I can take any online class and register immediately?”

No. Not every type of experience counts, and not every training course satisfies the statutory requirement.

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The Original Requirement Was More Than Two Years

Even the current two-year requirement may feel demanding to a new founder. When the registration system was first introduced, however, the threshold was higher.

The original Article 26 required:

• At least four years of work experience in the popular culture planning business; and
• An independent office.

In practical terms, a new founder was asked whether they had already spent four years working in the very industry they were trying to enter. This was criticized as a barrier to new businesses.

When the law was amended in 2018, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism explained that the four-year requirement had been criticized for restricting market entry. The amendment reduced the experience requirement from four years to two and introduced education as an alternative route.

The framework therefore changed from:

Four years of experience

to:

Two years of experience or completion of qualifying training

One distinction matters here. The education route was not first created in 2026. It was introduced through the 2018 amendment.

The developments relevant in 2026 are different: qualifying courses are operating under specific standards, the office requirement has already been relaxed, and annual checks of continuing registration requirements will begin in November 2026.

If you are relying on an older blog post stating that two years of experience is always mandatory or that a completely separate private office is required, you should check the current law again.

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Does “Two Years of Experience” Mean Any Two Years at an Entertainment Company?

This is where registration practice becomes important.

The statute does not say “two years of employment.” Its wording is “work experience of at least two years in the popular culture planning business.”

That difference is significant.

Suppose two people each worked for the same entertainment company for two years. Person A managed actors’ auditions, negotiated appearance terms with production companies, and coordinated filming schedules. Person B worked in accounting and general administration.

Both résumés may say “two years at OO Entertainment,” but the legal question is not simply whether the employer was an entertainment company. The question is whether the person actually engaged in popular culture planning work.

When evaluating experience, the applicant’s actual duties may matter more than the employer’s name.

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KOCCA’s Experience Certificate Application Makes This Clear

The practical distinction is easier to understand from the form used by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

KOCCA’s application for a certificate of work experience in the popular culture planning business does not ask only for the employer’s name and employment dates. For each period of experience, it asks for:

• Period of work;
• Number of months worked;
• Name of the business; and
• Duties performed.

It also asks for the total number of months worked. The published form states a processing period of 15 days.

The key item is “duties performed.” The administrative review is designed to consider not only how long a person worked for an entertainment company, but also what that person actually did during that period.

Employment at an entertainment company therefore does not automatically equal qualifying experience in the popular culture planning business.

Can Experience from Multiple Companies Be Combined?

KOCCA’s form allows an applicant to list multiple work periods, employers, and sets of duties, and then calculate the total number of months.

For example, suppose an applicant performed relevant work for:

• Agency A for eight months;
• Entertainment Company B for ten months; and
• Management Company C for nine months.

The fact that the applicant did not spend two full years at a single company does not necessarily end the inquiry. Each period must be examined to determine whether it qualifies and whether it can be documented.

The analysis is not limited to adding up numbers. The actual duties and supporting evidence for each period still matter.

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The Hardest Cases Often Involve Experience That Is Difficult to Prove

Someone with no relevant experience has a relatively clear option: consider the statutory training route.

The more complicated cases often involve people who worked in the industry for three or five years but cannot readily prove what they did. Common examples include:

“I worked as a freelance manager for several years.”

“I was paid, but the company has since closed.”

“I have an employment certificate, but it does not describe my duties.”

“My experience is split among several agencies.”

“I spent my first year in general administration and the next two years in management.”

“I worked for an entertainment company overseas.”

In these situations, the existence of real-world experience and the ability to prove that experience for administrative purposes are separate issues.

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What Evidence May Be Used to Verify Experience?

KOCCA’s published rules identify a wider range of evidence than many applicants expect. Depending on the circumstances, the review may involve:

• Evidence of income earned through popular culture planning activities;
• Contracts with popular culture artists;
• Written confirmation from an artist where the arrangement was oral;
• A business registration certificate or certificate of corporate register;
• Materials issued by the National Tax Service relating to business or employment income;
• Social insurance records, such as health insurance eligibility records, national pension subscription certificates, or employment insurance acquisition records;
• Income documentation issued by a foreign government, subject to applicable requirements; and
• Other materials capable of proving relevant work experience.

This matters because experience verification may require more than a single employment certificate from a former employer.

Example: A Freelance Manager

Suppose a person worked for three years as a freelance manager, coordinating schedules and arranging appearances for several actors. There is no standard employment contract, but some business-income records and documents showing the working relationship remain.

It would be premature to conclude that the experience cannot count solely because the person was not enrolled in Korea’s four major social insurance programs. The question is how the applicant can build a coherent evidentiary record from the income materials, contracts, business records, and other documents that remain.

KOCCA’s published framework itself recognizes several forms of income and contract evidence rather than relying only on employment-income records.

What If the Former Company Has Closed?

The applicant may no longer be able to call the former representative and request a new certificate. In that situation, it is worth checking for:

• Income records;
• Contracts;
• Social insurance records;
• Business registration records; and
• Materials showing the applicant’s actual duties at the time.

The central point is simple: having worked and being able to prove that work are not the same thing.

Can Overseas Entertainment Experience Be Used?

KOCCA’s published rules include income documentation issued by a foreign government. They also refer to additional requirements such as confirmation by a Korean overseas diplomatic mission and notarized translations.

Overseas experience should therefore not be rejected automatically. The applicant should identify the country, the type of work performed, and the official documentation that remains. The evidentiary structure may be more complex than it is for domestic experience.

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If You Are Unsure Whether Your Experience Qualifies

Applicants most often encounter difficulty where:

• They spent more than two years at an entertainment company, but their duties are unclear;
• They worked as a freelance manager;
• Experience from several companies must be combined;
• A former employer has closed;
• Only some income records remain;
• They worked in entertainment management overseas; or
• Their experience certificate does not describe their duties.

In these cases, it may be more efficient to review the available experience first before enrolling in training. The practical question is whether the existing experience can satisfy the registration requirement and be supported by adequate evidence.

→ Check whether my experience can be used for the two-year requirement

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No Experience? The 2026 Registration Training Route

If an applicant has no qualifying two-year experience, the next option is the popular culture planning business registration training course.

This is not just any private course marketed as “how to start an entertainment agency.” The Act requires completion of a relevant educational course run by a facility prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Qualifying registration courses continue to operate in 2026. The published description identifies the intended participants as:

Persons intending to conduct a popular culture planning business, including an entertainment agency.

The course is therefore tied to the registration requirement for new entrants. It is not merely a general introduction to the entertainment industry.

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The 2026 Course Is Not a Token Online Class

Published guidance for 2026 describes an online, 40-hour course with tuition of KRW 100,000.

Playing the course videos is not enough. Completion requires:

• 100% completion of the online course; and
• A score of at least 70 on the online examination.

Participants may take the test up to three times. A participant who fails to reach the passing score in all three attempts must retake the course before sitting for the examination again.

After completing the program, participants may print a certificate of completion.

Describing this route as “taking one simple online class” would be misleading. It involves 40 hours of study, full course completion, and an examination.

Courses Continue to Open in 2026

For example, the 19th registration training session of 2026 was announced with the following schedule:

• Application period: August 10–16, 2026;
• Training period: August 19–November 19, 2026;
• Format: Online;
• Duration: 40 hours; and
• Tuition: KRW 100,000.

A new founder without experience does not necessarily need to postpone the business for two years. The founder can examine the current training schedule and consider satisfying the requirement through education.

Application windows are limited, so the training schedule should be incorporated into the overall launch timeline.

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Does Completing the Course Authorize Immediate Operation?

No.

Completing the course satisfies one part of the requirement described in Article 26 (2): the choice between two years of experience and completion of qualifying training.

It does not mean:

Course completion = registration completed

It means:

Course completion = one registration requirement satisfied

Under Article 26 (3), the registration application still requires documents including:

• The registration application;
• A certificate of corporate register, for a corporation;
• A copy of the business registration certificate; and
• Documents proving compliance with the registration requirements.

A separate registration procedure remains after the training is complete.

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Must the Representative Director Personally Have Two Years of Experience?

The Act does not state that the representative director must personally have two years of experience. For a corporation, Article 26 (2) requires at least one executive officer to satisfy the experience or education requirement.

Suppose Corporation D is being established. The representative director is responsible for investment and management and has no entertainment-industry experience. One registered director, however, previously performed artist-management duties at an entertainment agency for five years.

The representative director’s lack of experience does not automatically make registration impossible. The corporation can examine whether the other executive officer’s experience satisfies the requirement.

Conversely, a famous manager working as an employee does not necessarily solve the issue. The company must separately confirm whether that person is an executive officer for purposes of the statutory requirement.

Is Hiring an Experienced Employee Enough?

The law does not say “one company member” or “one employee.” It specifies that, for a corporation, at least one executive officer must qualify.

A company should not assume that hiring a manager with ten years of experience as an ordinary employee is sufficient. When establishing the corporation, the choice of representative and the composition of its officers should be planned together with the registration requirements.

What If No Corporate Officer Has Experience?

The training route becomes important again. If none of the corporation’s officers has two years of qualifying experience, the company may consider having one officer complete the statutory registration training.

Before incorporation, it is efficient to decide:

• Who will serve as representative director;
• Who will be registered as an executive officer;
• Whose existing experience will be used; and
• If no one has the experience, which officer will complete the course.

If the corporation is formed first and the registration requirements are reviewed only later, the officer structure may need to be changed.

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Do Not Rely on Old Information About Office Requirements

In addition to experience or education, the business must have an office.

This requirement has changed. The original Act required an “independent office.” In March 2025, the word “independent” was removed. Since September 26, 2025, the statutory requirement has simply been an “office.”

Why Was “Independent” Removed?

The change was intended to allow registration where an office is used jointly, reducing entry costs and burdens for small and medium-sized businesses and small business owners.

This is particularly relevant to:

• Small agencies;
• New founders; and
• Businesses considering shared offices.

However:

Joint use is allowed ≠ a borrowed address is automatically enough

An office remains a registration requirement. The applicant should confirm the legal right to use the location as an actual office and prepare appropriate evidence.

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The Direction of the Regulatory Changes

The progression is revealing:

Originally: Four years of experience + an independent office

After the 2018 amendment: Two years of experience or qualifying training + an independent office

Since 2025: Two years of experience or qualifying training + an office

The threshold for entering the market has become more realistic. At the same time, post-registration oversight is becoming stricter.

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From November 2026, Compliance Must Continue After Registration

The Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act was amended again on May 19, 2026. The amendment takes effect on November 20, 2026.

New Article 26 (4) requires the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to check at least once a year whether registered businesses continue to satisfy the registration requirements. The Minister may request supporting materials when necessary.

Article 33 also adds the failure to continue meeting the requirements under Article 26 (2) as a ground for revocation of registration.

The stated purpose is to prevent unlawful operation by unqualified or unregistered businesses and protect the rights and interests of popular culture artists and industry workers.

What If the Experienced Officer Leaves?

Suppose Company E registered by relying on a director with five years of qualifying experience. One year later, that director leaves the company and is removed from the corporate register. None of the remaining officers has two years of experience or has completed the training course.

The company might previously have focused only on the fact that the requirement was satisfied at the time of registration. From November 2026, however, the continuing existence of the requirements will be checked regularly.

A corporation should therefore plan not only how to satisfy the officer requirement at initial registration, but also how to maintain it.

This issue will be addressed in more detail in Part 6 of the series.

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Korea’s National Assembly Research Service Has Also Questioned the Experience Requirement

For a new business, the two-year requirement may feel like an entry barrier. From a policy perspective, however, the opposite concern also exists.

In its 2025 report, A Popular Culture Planning Business Registration System in Need of Fundamental Redesign, the National Assembly Research Service identified the experience requirement and the verification framework as major issues.

The question is not only whether the threshold is too high. It is also whether the system reliably verifies that an applicant has the required expertise.

Viewed together with the annual compliance checks beginning in 2026, the direction is relatively clear: entry requirements are becoming more realistic, while oversight of qualifications and professional capacity is becoming stronger.

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Are There Relevant Court Cases or Administrative Tribunal Decisions?

For this article, I also searched for publicly available court cases and administrative tribunal decisions directly addressing recognition of the two-year experience requirement, course completion, or the office requirement.

As of August 2026, I could not identify a directly relevant published case for which both the case number and reasoning could be verified.

I will therefore not import a registration case from another industry and claim that this issue would be decided the same way. For this topic, the current statute and the actual administrative evidence framework are more direct sources.

KOCCA’s published materials identify specific forms of evidence, including income records, contracts, business registration materials, and social insurance records. In practice, the more useful question is often not whether a similar case exists, but whether the applicant can prove the required experience with the records currently available.

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Experience Route or Training Route?

Applicants generally fall into four groups.

1. At Least Two Years of Relevant Experience with Strong Evidence

The experience route is the natural first option. It may not be necessary to start with the 40-hour course.

2. No Relevant Experience

The statutory training route may be available. A 40-hour online course is operating in 2026.

3. At Least Two Years of Experience but Weak or Incomplete Evidence

These cases require the most careful review, particularly where the experience involves:

• Freelance work;
• A closed former employer;
• Several short periods at different companies;
• Unclear duties;
• Missing income records; or
• Overseas work.

The applicant should first review the available documents, then compare whether to proceed through the experience route, obtain additional evidence, or use the training route.

4. A Corporation Whose Representative Has No Experience

There is no need to give up based solely on the representative’s background. The Act requires at least one executive officer to satisfy the experience or education requirement, so the corporation’s full officer structure should be reviewed.

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Pre-Registration Checklist

Before applying, consider the following questions:

Have you actually performed popular culture planning work for at least 24 months?

If so, review the experience route first.

Can you identify where each period of experience occurred?

If several companies are involved, separate the periods clearly.

Can you explain the duties performed at each company?

KOCCA’s published form includes a field for duties.

Do income records, social insurance records, or contracts remain?

They may be important in proving the experience.

Do you have no qualifying experience?

Check the 2026 registration training schedule.

Are you establishing a corporation?

Identify which executive officer will satisfy the experience or education requirement.

Do you have an office?

An independent office is no longer expressly required, but an office itself remains mandatory.

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You Do Not Need to Abandon Registration Because You Lack Two Years of Experience

The main conclusion is straightforward:

Even without two years of experience in the popular culture planning business, an applicant may satisfy the requirement by completing the qualifying course recognized by law.

The actual registration process is more complex than that single sentence.

An experienced applicant must confirm whether the work truly qualifies and whether it can be proven. An inexperienced applicant must identify the correct statutory course and complete it under the required standards. A corporation must decide which executive officer will satisfy and continue to maintain the requirement. The office rule is less restrictive than before, but the right to use the premises and supporting evidence still matter.

Popular culture planning business registration should therefore be understood as one connected process:

Experience → Evidence → Training → Corporate officers → Office → Registration application → Continuing compliance

If You Have Experience but Are Unsure Whether It Qualifies

It is often better to review the documents you already have before retaking training or preparing the registration application, especially where:

• You worked in the entertainment industry for more than two years but cannot clearly prove your duties;
• You worked as a freelance manager;
• A former employer has closed;
• Experience from several companies must be combined;
• Only some income or social insurance records remain;
• You have overseas entertainment experience;
• You intend to use the education route because you have no experience;
• The corporate representative lacks experience and another officer’s experience may be used; or
• You are preparing to operate from a jointly used office.

The available experience, income, and contract records can be reviewed first to determine whether the experience route is viable, whether training is needed, and which executive officer should satisfy the requirement.

→ Check my popular culture planning business registration requirements

Free initial review · Paid consultation · Consultation fee credited if formally retained

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Next: Does a One-Person Entertainment Agency Need to Register?

After confirming the registration requirements, many founders ask:

“I have no employees and operate alone. Do I really need to register?”

One-person agencies deserve separate treatment because their structures vary. The artist may establish a company for their own activities, a family member may operate it, the company may manage only the founder, or it may also manage other artists. Some have only one manager.

The next article will examine one-person agencies based on their actual management structure rather than company size.