October 24, 2025
K-Patents Go Global: Patent Filing by Koreans Increase Both Domestically and Abroad in the First Half of 2025
-MOIP and KIIP announce the intellectual property application trends for the first half of 2025. -
-Continued increase of patent applications in advanced industries such as AI and secondary batteries. -
Despite continued global economic uncertainty, the number of patent applications filed by Korean applicants has increased in both domestic and foreign jurisdictions during the first half of 2025. According to data jointly released by the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) and the Korea Institute of Intellectual Property (KIIP), Korean nationals have filed more patent applications compared to the same period last year in Korea and in the world’s five leading intellectual property offices (IP5)—the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and Korea.
<Domestic Patent Filings Rise 1.6% to 109,322>
A total of 109,322 patent applications were filed in Korea during the first half of 2025, marking a 1.6% increase from 107,620 applications in the same period in 2024. Among them, domestic applicants (Korean nationals) accounted for 83,815 patent applications, up 1.6% from the previous year (82,472). And patent applications filed in Korea by U.S. and European applicants decreased, while those by Chinese and Japanese applicants increased.
In particular, filings by Chinese applicants increased by 15.3% to 3,021, reflecting a growing trend of Chinese enterprises using the Korean market as a strategic hub amid slowing domestic demand and continued international trade tensions.
<Korean Patent Filings with IP5 Offices Up 2.8%>
Patent applications filed by Korean applicants with the five major intellectual property offices (IP5; the United States, China, Europe, and Japan) increased by 2.8% to 127,247 in the first half of 2025, compared to 123,792 in the same period in 2024. Of these, applications in the United States accounted for the largest share of overseas filings among the IP5 with 21,465 applications (49.5%), and filings in Japan recorded the highest growth rate, rising 18.2% to 4,607 applications.
*In the first half of 2025, Korean applicants’ overseas patent filings compared to the same period of the previous year: United States 21,465 (+2.9%); Europe 6,716 (+5.9%); China 10,644 (+4.2%); Japan 4,607 (+18.2%).
These figures underscore the growing global presence of Korean innovators and their proactive efforts to secure IP rights in international markets.
<Rapid Growth in AI and Secondary Battery Technologies>
By industry, Information and Communication technology (ICT)-related fields—including technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing—recorded 14,089 patent applications in the first half of 2025, representing a 13.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024. These figures cover sectors such as computer programming, systems integration and management, and computer manufacturing, reflecting Korea’s growing innovation capacity in advanced digital industries.
Patent filings in the secondary battery sector, encompassing primary and secondary battery manufacturing, also rose to 5,672 applications, up 17% year-on-year, largely driven by leading corporations such as LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On, which continue to invest actively in next-generation energy technologies.
*These industry statistics are provisional, with final figures to be published officially in July 2026 in the Intellectual Property Statistics Yearbook.
- ICT-related industries (i.e., computer programming, systems integration and management, and computer manufacturing): (First half of 2024) 12,413 → (First half of 2025) 14,089
- Secondary battery-related industries (i.e., primary battery and accumulator manufacturing): (First half of 2024) 4,844 → (First half of 2025) 5,672
Director General JUNG Jae-hwan of the Intellectual Property Information Bureau at MOIP stated, “The sustained increase in patent filings by Korean applicants demonstrates that our companies are not losing momentum despite intensifying global competition in advanced and strategic industries.” He added, “MOIP will continue to provide strong support to help Korean enterprises overcome challenges and achieve innovation-driven growth based on patents in future-oriented industries such as AI and secondary batteries.”
Meanwhile, the detailed findings are available in the Industrial Property Statistics Issue Report 2025-3, which can be downloaded from the Korea Institute of Intellectual Property website at www.kiip.re.kr (Publications → Patent Statistics Center → Statistical Issue Reports.)