"Korea to Transfer Advanced Trademark Examination Know-how to ASEAN"... Ministry of Intellectual Property Offers Online Practical Training

[Financial News] The Ministry of Intellectual Property is transferring Korea's advanced trademark examination know-how to ASEAN trademark examiners to prevent frequent trademark infringement involving Korean companies in Southeast Asia.
The International Intellectual Property Training Institute of the Ministry of Intellectual Property announced on the 4th that it will conduct the '2026 Korea-ASEAN Trademark Examination Practice Training Course' online from the 7th to the 10th for trademark examiners and related professionals from 11 ASEAN countries. The countries included in this training are Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Kingdom of Cambodia, Laos, Brunei Darussalam, and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have continued their cooperation by holding annual high-level meetings since signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the field of intellectual property (IP) in Brunei Darussalam in 2018. In particular, following the agreement reached at the 9th High-Level Meeting last August to promptly conclude the 'Korea-ASEAN IP Implementation Agreement' to expand cooperation in IP workforce training and education, this cooperation initiative has been realized as an actual educational project through this training course.
This training features field experts, including government officials from relevant departments of the Ministry of Intellectual Property and patent attorneys, as instructors to share Korea's systems and examination know-how. Key training topics include an introduction to the Ministry of Intellectual Property and the Korean trademark system, practical trademark examination procedures and search strategies, and procedures for opposition, examination, and appeals.
In particular, reflecting the preliminary demand survey of ASEAN member countries, customized courses with high practical applicability were organized, such as trademark examination involving celebrity names, examination of non-traditional trademarks including sounds, smells, colors, and holograms, and trademark application and management strategies of multinational corporations.
Although the ASEAN region serves as a major base for Korean companies, trademark registration examination standards vary by country, and domestic firms continue to suffer intellectual property infringement due to issues such as counterfeit goods and unauthorized prior filings. It is expected that transferring Korea's examination standards and know-how to ASEAN nations will lead to the standardization and refinement of local standards, serving as a practical safeguard for the trademark protection of Korean companies.
Song Seong-heon, Director of the International Intellectual Property Training Institute at the Ministry of Intellectual Property, said, "I hope that through this course, Korea's advanced trademark examination system and know-how will spread throughout ASEAN, further solidifying intellectual property cooperation," adding, "We will continue to expand customized international education programs to strengthen global IP leadership and improve the local IP protection environment for our companies."

[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter