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Illustrative cross-border scenario · Growing internationally
Illustrative case study showing how a business objective can be coordinated across countries, capabilities, responsible professionals and milestones.
Growing internationally: Japan ↔ South Korea delivery programme. An illustrative scenario showing how WONE Global coordinates the countries and areas of expertise involved. It does not describe a specific client engagement.
- 2
- areas of work
- 2
- markets
- Multidisciplinary alignment
Scope
Markets and services involved
Markets
Services
Coordination
How the work is sequenced
- 1WONE Global works out the goal with the business: countries, expertise, order of work and risks.
- 2The WONE Global lead in each country and area of expertise is introduced, after conflict checks.
- 3The firms work in a sequence agreed up front, briefing each other and handing over properly.
- 4Your WONE Global contact keeps track of the whole project until it's done.
WONE Global Partners
Who would handle it in these markets
Named leads where they exist today; everything else arranged by WONE Global on request, with the name confirmed before work begins.
On request
WONE Global can find the right Intellectual Property & Brand Protection professional in Japan and South Korea for you.
No WONE Global Partner holds this yet. Send us your requirement: WONE Global confirms whether a vetted Associate firm can act, tells you who it is and checks for conflicts before any work begins.
Bring a requirement →What the guides say
The two markets in this matter
The essentials of each market on the topics this kind of work turns on.
Japan
Essentials · source-checked
- Corporate tax
- 23.2% national rate (capital over JPY 100m)
- Effective corporate rate
- About 31.52% in Tokyo (larger companies)
- Consumption tax
- 10% standard, 8% reduced
- Foreign investment
- Prior notification for designated sectors; 30-day waiting period
- Withholding tax
- 20% plus 2.1% surtax on dividends, interest and royalties
- Minimum wage
- Set by prefecture; FY2025 average up 6.3%
South Korea
Essentials · source-checked
- Corporate income tax
- 10% to 25% (progressive)
- Local income tax
- 10% of corporate tax (top combined 27.5%)
- VAT
- 10% standard
- Foreign investment
- Notification; KRW 100m and 10% of voting shares to qualify as FDI
- Withholding tax
- 22% (incl. local tax) on dividends, interest, royalties
- Minimum wage 2026
- KRW 10,320 per hour
| Topic | Japan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Establish & Structure | Foreign investors usually incorporate a stock company or register a branch with the legal affairs offices of the Ministry of Justice. Read more | Most foreign investment needs only a notification to KOTRA or a foreign exchange bank before funds are remitted, and qualifies as foreign direct investment at KRW 100 million and 10 percent of voting shares. A limited list of sectors is restricted. Read more |
| Tax & Statutory | National corporate tax is 23.2 percent for larger companies, with local taxes added, so the effective rate in Tokyo is about 31.5 percent. A 4 percent defence special corporation tax applies from fiscal years beginning on or after 1 April 2026. Read more | Corporate income tax is progressive from 10 to 25 percent, with local income tax adding a tenth. VAT is 10 percent. Outbound dividends, interest and royalties face 22 percent withholding including local tax unless a treaty applies, and Korea applies the… Read more |
| People, Payroll & Mobility | Employers must run social insurance through payroll, and several employee rates changed in March and April 2026. Minimum wages are set by prefecture and rose by 6.3 percent on average in the FY2025 revision. Read more | Working time is capped at 52 hours a week including overtime. Dismissal needs just cause and 30 days' notice, and employees with a year's service are owed severance of at least 30 days' average wages per year. Read more |
| Banking, Treasury & Payments | FEFTA reporting on inward investment runs through the Bank of Japan; the wider exchange control position was not confirmed. Branch profits can be sent to head office without withholding tax, and banks report non-resident account information each year. Read more | Investment funds flow through a temporary bank account opened after the foreign investment notification. Branches and liaison offices are regulated under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. Read more |
| Disputes, Enforcement & Exit | Japan has applied the New York Convention since 1961 with a reciprocity reservation only, so foreign awards from other contracting states can be enforced. Read more | Korea has applied the New York Convention since 1973, with reciprocity and commercial reservations. The ordinary courts have three tiers. Arbitration law, institutions and enforcement of foreign judgments were not confirmed for this guide. Read more |
Our full guides are checked against official sources. Guides drafted with AI are marked as such. None of this is legal or tax advice.
WONE Global Intelligence
Ask about the markets in this matter
Ask in your own words. Answers come from WONE Global's checked records, with every source shown, and end with the named Partner who can act. Go deeper on any point, or build a decision file.
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