Private investigator licensing in South Korea
No. South Korea has no specific private investigator licence.
South Korea has no licensing system for private investigators. Under Article 40, as amended in February 2020, of the Credit Information Use and Protection Act bars only credit information companies and related businesses from tracing a person's whereabouts and contacts and from using titles such as "detective" (탐정), so other businesses may now call themselves detectives. Investigators remain bound by the Personal Information Protection Act and the Protection of Communications Secrets Act.1
—
—
—
—
Associations near you
No South Korea association on IE yet
These associations welcome investigators from South Korea. Run one there? Tell us.
World Association of Detectives
Licensed somewhere else?
See whether you can take a case in South Korea.
Rules in the field
Recording conversations
One-party consent
You can generally record a conversation you are part of without telling the others.2
Sources
Reference information, not legal advice. Confirm with the regulator before taking on work. Out of date? Tell us.
Questions about PI licensing in South Korea
Do you need a licence to be a private investigator in South Korea?+
No. South Korea has no specific private investigator licence. South Korea has no licensing system for private investigators. Under Article 40, as amended in February 2020, of the Credit Information Use and Protection Act bars only credit information companies and related businesses from tracing a person's whereabouts and contacts and from using titles such as "detective" (탐정), so other businesses may now call themselves detectives. Investigators remain bound by the Personal Information Protection Act and the Protection of Communications Secrets Act.
Can a private investigator record phone calls in South Korea?+
South Korea is a one-party consent country: you can generally record a conversation you are part of without telling the others.
Investigator events in South Korea
No upcoming events listed in South Korea right now. Know of one? Submit it free.
Meet investigators in South Korea
Join Investigator Events free to see who's going to the conferences and AGMs near you.
Join free