IP Insights
The Speed Gap in Korean Patent Examination: What the 2024 Data Means for Filing Strategy
KIPO’s 2024 allowance rate reached 74.6%, but the average time to first office action stretched to 16.1 months. For applicants who can qualify, the 우선심사 (accelerated examination) track cuts that wait to roughly 6 months. The choice between ordinary and accelerated tracks now directly shapes portfolio cost, freedom-to-operate timelines, and the leverage a patentee holds before grant. Here is what the numbers say and what Korean and foreign filers should do with them.
