Permit Application Procedure Through an Administrative Agent in Korea — From Delegation to Decision Notice

A permit filing handled by an Administrative Agent runs in this order: you delegate a defined scope of work, the agency receives the application and decides within the processing period, and the result is notified in writing. An Administrative Agent may, on delegation, act for you in applying for authorizations, permits and licenses or filing reports, and may submit the documents prepared. Agencies set and publish processing periods for each type of statutory petition in advance.

Supplement requests and returns are covered in supplement requests and rejections, the limits of delegable work in scope and limits of an Administrative Agent, and how to check qualifications in checking an agent's qualification.

The procedure at a glance

Stage	What happens	Statutory standard
Delegation	Fix the scope; the agent keeps a work register	Register kept for 1 year
Prior review (optional)	Request an informal review before filing	Within 30 days for petitions with a period of 30 days or more
Filing and receipt	File in writing or electronically; get a receipt	Online filings received within 8 working hours of arrival
Processing	Handle supplements; watch for extension and progress notices	Progress notice if not finished 30 days after receipt
Decision notice	Receive the written result and any permit	Uncollected documents may be closed 15 days after the expected completion date

Delegation — scope and power of attorney

First decide how much to delegate: drafting, submission, acting on the application, or advice. Work restricted by other laws cannot be done by an Administrative Agent, and only Administrative Agents who have filed a business report may do this work as a business, so check that first. Once delegated, the agent must keep a work register with a serial number, the delegation date, an outline of the work and the client's name and address, and keep it for 1 year.

The agent may not disclose what they learn on the job, is liable for property damage caused to the client by intent or negligence, and may not refuse delegation without good reason or advertise personal ties to officials. Because the receiving agency may check whether the filer is the petitioner or a delegated person, prepare a power of attorney showing the delegation; the form may differ by agency and petition.

From receipt to decision notice

1. For petitions involving a heavy financial burden such as buying land, or large losses if refused, you may request a prior review before filing; the result is notified in writing.
2. File in writing, including electronic documents. Petitions that need no visit may be filed by the delegated person online or by post. The agency may not ask for documents beyond those set by law, and documents it can verify through shared administrative data or its own records are checked by the officer directly.
3. The agency may not hold or refuse receipt, issues a receipt and explains whether documents are complete and the expected processing time. Simple clerical errors may be corrected with your consent.
4. If cooperation from other bodies or a site check is needed, the period may be extended once within the original period, and once more with your consent. The reason and expected completion date are notified in writing.
5. When processing ends, the result is notified in writing; a refusal must state the reasons and available remedies.

Workload or staff absence is not a valid reason for extension, and once the period passes you may demand correction. When a permit or report certificate is handed over in person, the agency first checks that the recipient is the petitioner or a delegated person.

YouSun Administrative Agency (Chief Administrative Agent Jung Yu-sun)