Who can open a Smart Store
At sign-up, the Smart Store Center asks you to choose a seller type. For someone outside Korea, the relevant one is overseas business.
| Seller type | Fits | Open to you from abroad? |
|---|---|---|
| Individual seller | Korean residents selling without a business registration | Generally no (see below) |
| Domestic business | Businesses registered in Korea | Only if you set up a Korean business |
| Overseas business | Companies and sole traders registered outside Korea | Yes, subject to Naver’s review |
Naver tightened the rules for foreign individuals after problems with counterfeit goods and sellers who could not be reached. According to The Korea Times, in October 2021 Naver stopped foreign nationals living outside Korea from selling, and from May 4, 2022 foreign individuals needed Korean residence and a business license. In practice: if you live abroad, apply with your business, not as a private person.
Documents sellers report needing
Recent guides for US and Japanese sellers list a similar set. Exact names depend on your country.
- Passport of the representative.
- Business registration from your country. Examples given: for the US, an IRS document showing your EIN; for Japan, a certified company registry extract (companies) or the business opening notification (sole traders).
- Bank statement or bank document in the business name, showing the SWIFT code. One guide asks for a statement issued within the last 3 months.
- Corporate documents for companies, such as a shareholder list, plus details of beneficial owners.
- English translations where your documents are not in English; one Japanese guide describes a notarized translation declaration for company registries.
Sellers also report that Naver runs extra identity and anti-money-laundering (KYC/AML) checks, sometimes by mailing a verification form to your registered business address and asking for a photo with location data. Applications can be put on hold until a missing item (often the SWIFT code) is supplied. Expect the whole process to take weeks.
Settlement and money
Smart Store payments run through Naver Pay. As an overseas business you register an overseas bank account (bank name and address, account holder, account number and SWIFT code). One 2026 guide for Japanese sellers reports settlement in yen; check the currency and any remittance charges shown in the Smart Store Center for your country before you rely on a figure. Settlement can be suspended until KYC review is complete.
Separately, Korea has a mail-order business report for online sellers. Guides say Naver shows a notice once you pass a sales-count threshold (they cite 50 transactions a year) and that overseas sellers may follow a different document process. If Naver asks, follow its instructions in the seller center.
Fees
Smart Store charges a Naver Pay order management fee by sales tier plus a sales fee that depends on where the order came from. We keep the current rates in our Smart Store fees guide, so we do not repeat them here. Fees for overseas businesses may differ in details such as payment methods, so confirm in the seller center.
Smart Store fee calculator → Smart Store vs Coupang →
Shipping and returns
- Customs code: parcels from abroad to Korean consumers normally need the buyer’s Personal Customs Clearance Code (PCCC). Ask for it at checkout and put it on the shipping documents. See our customs and PCCC guide.
- Delivery time: state realistic delivery times on the listing. International parcels take longer than the next-day delivery Korean shoppers are used to, so say so clearly.
- Return address: Smart Store asks for return and exchange details on every listing. A Korean return address (your own or a logistics partner’s) makes returns much cheaper than shipping items back abroad.
- Cancellation rights: under Korea’s E-Commerce Act, consumers can generally cancel within 7 days of receiving goods. For a change of mind the customer pays return shipping; if the item does not match the listing, the seller pays.
Customer service in Korean
Korean shoppers ask questions before buying and expect quick answers, usually through Naver’s chat (TalkTalk) and product Q&A. Plan for Korean-language replies, Korean product pages and Korean listing titles. A Japanese guide notes that the chat setting caused errors for some overseas registrants during sign-up, so you may need to switch it on after approval.
Product rules still apply
Smart Store listings must follow Korean law, including KC certification for many electrical products and children’s products and the product information notice required on Korean listings. In 2022 Naver also said that sellers from China and Hong Kong could not sell fashion apparel, sports equipment or cosmetics, after some had registered with false papers; check whether category limits apply to you. Read the KC section of our cross-border guide before you list.
Step-by-step checklist
- Confirm your products can be sold in Korea and check KC needs.
- Gather your passport, home-country business registration, a recent business bank statement with SWIFT code, and corporate documents if you are a company.
- Prepare English translations where needed.
- Sign up in the Smart Store Center and choose overseas business. Use a normal connection, not a VPN, and enter your address in English.
- Respond quickly to any request for extra documents or identity verification.
- After approval, complete KYC so settlement is not blocked.
- Set up a Korean return option and your international shipping partner.
- Write Korean listings, ask buyers for their PCCC, and price with fees and freight included.
Calculate your Smart Store margin → Estimate buyer duty & VAT →
Frequently asked questions
Can a business outside Korea open a Naver Smart Store?
Yes, through the overseas business seller type, according to recent seller guides. Naver reviews each application and can ask for more documents.
Can I open one as an individual living abroad?
Generally no. Since 2021 to 2022 Naver has required foreign individuals to live in Korea and hold a business license. Apply as an overseas business instead.
Do I need a Korean phone number?
A 2026 guide for Japanese sellers reports registering with a Japanese phone number (country code 81). Naver may change this, so check the sign-up form.
Which is easier for overseas sellers, Coupang or Smart Store?
Coupang has a dedicated global seller program with English help pages and support, so sign-up is usually more straightforward. Smart Store fees are lower, but the review is slower. See our Coupang overseas seller guide and compare margins on both.
Sources
- Naver Smart Store Center (official, sign-up)
- Naver Smart Store Center help (official, in Korean)
- The Korea Times: Naver Smart Store strengthens regulations on foreign sellers (2022-04-13)
- SellToKorea FAQ: documents for US businesses (updated 2025-06-07)
- Free Life & Co.: Naver Smart Store opening guide for Japanese sellers (in Japanese, updated 2026-09-13)
- A seller’s account of overseas business approval (in Korean, 2019)
- Seoulstart: Return rights in Korean online shopping (2026-07-28)
- Act on Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce (English, KLRI)
Checked on 2026-10-09. Naver’s own help pages could not be opened by our checking tools on that date, so the sign-up details above rely on third-party guides and news reports. Naver changes its seller rules from time to time; the Smart Store Center and its help pages are the final word.