Starting a company in Korea? Two free programmes for foreign founders

The Seoul Global Center runs OASIS, a support system for foreign founders. Two parts of it are open now.

OASIS-2, intellectual property course, taught in English. Three days, 12 to 14 October, 20 hours in total, at the Seoul Global Center near Jonggak. Open to people who finished OASIS-1. Applications close 28 September. The page does not state a fee, so ask before you apply. See the event

OASIS-8, help setting up a company. Not a class. The centre helps with legal advice while you incorporate, the incorporation and tax paperwork, patent filing, and preparing documents for a technology start-up visa application. Free, applications run to 1 December. See the event

What OASIS is: courses and support for people building a technology or trade business in Korea. It is not for opening a restaurant or a shop. Courses carry points, and those points count towards a technology start-up visa application.

Be clear about one thing. Finishing a course, or getting help with your papers, is not a visa decision. Only the immigration office decides that.

Contact for both: [email protected].

Next step: if you already did OASIS-1, apply for the October course this week, because it closes on 28 September.

Sources: OASIS-2; OASIS-8. Checked 19 September 2026.