Korea’s IP Administration Draws Global Attention at WIPO General Assembly – MOIP
28-Jul-2026
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Source : The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP)
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Visits : 53
DAEJEON – The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP), headed by Minister Kim Yong Sun, held a series of bilateral meetings with representatives from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), and 14 countries-France, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Tunisia-on the sidelines of the 68th World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 6 to 9. During the meetings, the participants discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in the field of intellectual property (IP), according to the official website of MOIP.
MOIP and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) agreed to strengthen cooperation on emerging global IP issues, including artificial intelligence (AI), data, and IP finance. To this end, the two offices signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), under which MOIP will participate in the IP Alliance, an international cooperation platform led by EUIPO.
Minister Kim also held bilateral meetings with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, where the sides agreed to conclude comprehensive MoUs on IP cooperation during the 1st Korea-Central Asia Summit, scheduled to take place in Seoul, Korea this September.
With Mexico, Peru, and Brazil, MOIP discussed expanding cooperation across various areas of IP administration. Korea and Mexico agreed to pursue cooperation on a Patent Grant Highway (PGH) mechanism and to conclude a comprehensive MoU on enhanced IP cooperation. Once implemented, the PGH system will enable patents granted in Korea to be granted in Mexico without substantive examination. With Peru, the two sides agreed to conclude a comprehensive MoU on IP cooperation and strengthen cooperation in IP protection, including efforts to combat online counterfeiting. MOIP and Brazil also agreed to conclude an Implementing Arrangement covering practical cooperation in areas such as patent examination, trademark data exchange, and IP finance.
Minister Kim also met separately with representatives of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. With the UAE, the two sides signed the Korea-UAE IP Action Plan 2026–2028 to implement the amended Memorandum of Understanding on Reinforced Cooperation concluded during the Korea-UAE Summit in November last year. With Qatar, the two sides reviewed ongoing cooperation on the development of Qatar's National IP Strategy and agreed to conclude an MoU within this year to facilitate the implementation of related projects.
MOIP also held bilateral meetings with ASEAN partners. With Cambodia, the two sides agreed to actively carry out the cooperative activities under the Korea-Cambodia Work Plan (2025–2027) in areas such as the exchange of trademark data, sharing of information on bad-faith trademark applications, and the IP protection and enforcement. With Timor-Leste, they reviewed progress on Korea's support for the establishment of the country's IP office and agreed to conclude a comprehensive MoU on IP cooperation.
Finally, MOIP signed a comprehensive MoU with ARIPO covering cooperation in areas such as AI applications, capacity building for women and youth, and IP commercialization for SMEs. The two sides also discussed Korea's participation in ARIPO's 50th anniversary celebrations, scheduled for December this year.
The extensive series of bilateral engagements undertaken throughout the WIPO General Assembly underscored the growing international recognition of the newly established Ministry-the world's first ministry-level government body dedicated exclusively to IP matters. Beyond expanding bilateral partnerships, the meetings provided a valuable opportunity to share Korea's IP policies, administrative experience, and institutional model with the international community. They also reflected the increasing role of Korea as a trusted partner in shaping international discussions on emerging IP issues, including AI, digital transformation, IP finance, and IP enforcement.