Korea Association of Realtors: "Condemns Fee Hike for Viewing and Issuing Registry Certificates"

Fees to rise by up to 57% under proposal announced last month
Association: "Make access free"

With a bill proposing an increase of more than 57% in the fees for viewing and issuing certificates of registered matters through the Supreme Court’s Internet Registry Office under public notice, the Korea Association of Realtors called for its withdrawal on the 13th.

Korea Association of Realtors

On September 28, the Court Administration Office of the Supreme Court issued advance notice of a proposed partial amendment to the Rules on Fees for Certificates of Registered Matters and Other Documents, saying it would raise the Internet Registry Office viewing fee from the current 700 won to 1,100 won and the issuance fee from 1,000 won to 1,400 won.

The association protested, saying, “Using certificates of registered matters—the most basic documents for ensuring housing stability—as leverage, the judiciary is trying to impose an unfair toll.”

The association argued, “Real estate registry information is an essential public resource that the state must provide to protect housing rights and ensure the safety of real estate transactions. The government institutionally requires people to check property rights before and after signing contracts to prevent rental deposit fraud, while the judiciary is sharply raising fees for its computer network and increasing the cost of verifying transaction safety. This is a serious policy contradiction.”

It added, “Under their legal obligations, real estate agents in the field check for changes in property rights at least four to five times, including when advertising a property, entering into a preliminary contract, signing the main contract, and paying the interim and final payments. This is part of operating a public safety net to protect tenants’ security deposits, not a private benefit for agents.” It said, “The fee increase will raise the cost of verifying listings on real estate platforms and other transaction-related expenses, ultimately passing the burden on to young people without homes and low-income tenants.”

Finally, the association called for ▲the immediate withdrawal of the bill, ▲free access to registry information, and ▲measures to fund the service through transfers from the national government’s general account.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.