Patent Filings Rise by 29%, with AI Driving a Surge in Self-Filed Applications by Individuals

 

Intellectual property filings in South Korea showed clear growth in both patents and trademarks during the first half of 2026. In particular, patent applications filed by domestic individuals increased by approximately 150% year-on-year, contributing significantly to the overall increase in patent filings.

 

The growing availability of generative artificial intelligence tools appears to have lowered the barriers to patent searching and application drafting, resulting in a sharp increase in “self-filed applications” submitted without the assistance of a patent attorney or other professional representative.

 

Patent Filings Reach 141,259, Up 29% Year-on-Year

 

A total of 141,259 patent applications were filed in South Korea during the first half of 2026, representing an increase of approximately 29% from 109,322 applications during the same period in 2025.

 

Applications filed by domestic applicants increased from 83,817 in the first half of 2025 to 116,186 in the first half of 2026, marking a substantial rise of approximately 39%. By contrast, applications filed by foreign applicants decreased by approximately 2%, from 25,505 to 25,073.

 

Among domestic applicants, corporate patent filings increased from 69,400 in the first half of 2025 to 80,100 in the first half of 2026, representing growth of approximately 15%. This indicates that Korean companies continue to compete for early patent protection in advanced industries such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, batteries, biotechnology and healthcare.

 

The most notable development, however, was the rapid increase in filings by individuals. When corporate filings are excluded from the total number of domestic filings, non-corporate applications, including applications filed by individuals, increased from approximately 14,417 in the first half of 2025 to approximately 36,086 in the first half of 2026. This represents year-on-year growth of approximately 150%.

 

At the inaugural Intellectual Property Strategy Forum, Kim Yong Sun, Minister of Intellectual Property, stated that patent filings during the first half of the year had increased by approximately 30% year-on-year, while filings by individuals had increased by 150%.

 

He further noted that approximately 70% of applications filed by individuals were “self-filed applications” submitted without professional representation, and that AI was believed to have played a significant role in this trend.

 

AI Is Lowering Barriers to Patent Filing

 

Patent filing has traditionally been regarded as a highly specialized process because it involves prior art searches, preparation of patent specifications and drafting of claims. It has therefore been difficult for individuals without professional knowledge or experience to handle the entire process independently.

 

With the rapid adoption of generative AI and patent search services, however, individuals can now more easily organize the details of their inventions, search for similar technologies and prepare initial drafts of patent application documents.

 

There has also been an increase in the number of entrepreneurs, researchers, university students and individual inventors using AI to develop their ideas and pursue patent protection. This trend may be viewed positively in that it improves access to the intellectual property system and creates more opportunities for individual ideas to be converted into legal rights.

 

Nevertheless, an increase in the number of applications does not necessarily result in a corresponding increase in valid and commercially valuable patents. AI-generated patent specifications may contain technical errors or overly abstract descriptions. They may also fail to properly distinguish the invention from prior art or may define claims that do not adequately correspond to the core features of the actual invention.

 

A patent application generally cannot be amended after filing to include new technical subject matter. The contents of the application as originally filed therefore substantially determine the potential scope of protection available in the future.

 

Accordingly, applicants should carefully examine the technical features of the invention, its differences from the prior art, its commercialization potential and possible design-around strategies by competitors before filing.

 

AI can serve as an effective tool for prior art searching and initial document preparation. However, it remains difficult for AI to fully replace professional judgment in defining the scope of protection and assessing legal issues. For patents intended to protect core business technologies or to be used in fundraising, technology transfer, licensing or dispute resolution, professional review before filing remains advisable.

 

Trademark Filings Increase by 16%, Led by Domestic Applicants

 

Trademark filings also maintained an upward trend. A total of 174,192 trademark applications were filed during the first half of 2026, representing an increase of approximately 16% from 149,554 applications during the same period in 2025.

 

Applications filed by domestic applicants increased by approximately 21%, from 126,104 to 152,896. By contrast, applications filed by foreign applicants decreased by approximately 9%, from 23,450 to 21,296. As in the patent sector, the overall increase in trademark filings was primarily driven by domestic applicants.

 

The expansion of online distribution and social media marketing, the growth of independent brands and small businesses, and the continued development of the cosmetics, food, content and platform industries appear to have contributed to the increase in trademark filings.

 

As products and services can now be introduced to the market more quickly, businesses are increasingly seeking to secure trademark rights before publicly launching their brands.

 

A trademark application may be refused where an identical or similar mark has already been filed or registered for identical or similar goods or services. Businesses should therefore conduct clearance searches before finalizing a brand or service name.

 

It is also important to prepare the list of designated goods and services by considering not only the applicant’s current business activities but also areas into which the business may expand in the future.

 

Quality of Rights Must Keep Pace with Growth in Filings

 

The filing statistics for the first half of 2026 demonstrate that the domestic IP filing base is expanding rapidly as a result of the widespread use of AI and continued growth in entrepreneurship and technological development.

 

The sharp increase in the number of individuals directly using the patent system may represent a structural change in the Korean IP market.

 

However, both companies and individuals should focus not merely on increasing the number of applications, but on securing rights that are closely connected to their actual business activities.

 

Patent claims should be designed to provide practical protection for core technologies and products, while trademark applications should cover an appropriate range of goods and services based on both current operations and anticipated business expansion.

 

AI significantly improves the accessibility and efficiency of IP-related work, but it does not automatically guarantee the accuracy of an application or the validity and enforceability of the resulting rights.

 

Going forward, it will become increasingly important to combine the efficient use of AI with appropriate technical and legal review in order to build IP portfolios with strong prospects for registration and meaningful commercial value