Import and sell in Korea.
No Korean company needed: Kontactic's Korean entity becomes your Importer of Record (IoR) and Seller of Record (SoR): we import the goods, then sell them as the legal seller. Brands from any country use it per project — to supply Korean trade buyers, stock a pop-up or exhibition, or make a one-off import. Coupang-approved sellers in mainland China can also run a Coupang store on a subscription.
Import first, then sell
To sell a product in Korea, a Korean business must first import it, and someone must be its legal seller. With Spark, our Korean entity takes both roles, in that order. You don't form a company, register as an importer or open a Korean bank account.
Importer of Record (IoR)
Our entity is the importer named on the customs declaration. We file it, pay import duty and import VAT at customs, and carry the importer's legal duties in Korea. If a Korean partner already sells for you, we can take this role alone.
Seller of Record (SoR)
Our entity is the legal seller. We take the payment, issue the Korean tax invoice or receipt, file VAT on the sale, and pay you for what sells, with a statement of every deduction. We only sell goods we imported, so the import and sales records always match.
Quoted per project
Spark Project is for a specific job in Korea rather than an ongoing store. We review each project on its own — the products, the buyers, the money flow — and quote it on its own. There is no published price.
B2B distribution (repeat)
You already have Korean wholesalers or retailers ready to buy. We import the goods, then sell and deliver them to the buyers you name with Korean tax invoices. We can hold stock at our partner warehouse between orders. You set the prices.
Pop-ups and exhibitions (one-off)
Stock for a pop-up store, an exhibition or another retail event. We import it. Selling at the till — card payments, receipts and VAT under our entity — is project-based, scoped per project. Start early: customs and payment set-up both take time.
One-off import (IoR only)
A partner in Korea will sell the goods but can't take on importer liability. We act as importer for that shipment and hand the goods over after customs clearance.
How a project runs
One master agreement covers every project. Each project then gets its own project order.
Tell us about the project
The products, who will buy them or where they will be sold, quantities, and dates.
Risk review
We check the products against Korean import rules and look at the buyers, the event and how money will move. If a project doesn't fit, we say so.
Master agreement and project order
You sign the master agreement once. Each project order sets the scope, fees, delivery terms (DAP or DDP) and timeline.
Ship and import
You ship the goods to Korea, and we file the import declaration as importer. Import duty and import VAT are either advanced by us or prepaid by you, as the project order says.
Sell, deliver and settle
We invoice your trade buyers or take payment at the event, and file the VAT. We then pay you on the schedule in the project order, with a statement of every deduction.
You stay in control. We are not a distributor.
A distributor buys at a wholesale price, sets the retail price and keeps the margin. Spark works differently, on Spark Project and Spark Subscription alike.
- You keep control of pricing, your brand, and what happens to unsold stock — and you're paid for what sells.
- We don't set prices, take inventory risk or keep a margin. We charge service fees: published for Spark Subscription, quoted for each Spark Project.
- Every payout comes with a statement that lists each deduction.
- Under our agreement, you are responsible for product compliance and indemnify us.
- You can move to your own Korean entity whenever you choose.
A Coupang store under our entity
Spark Subscription is open only to sellers in mainland China approved through Coupang's seller program. The limit is about risk, not nationality: every subscription store sits on our one Korean entity, so we take subscription sellers only through the program where Coupang screens them first. Coupang's approval is the eligibility check. Not in the program? A Spark Project may fit, or Direct if you ship from the US, Europe, Japan, mainland China or Hong Kong. What the subscription includes:
- Importer of Record: we file the import declaration and pay import duty and import VAT at customs (DAP terms).
- Seller of Record: a Coupang seller account held by our entity, which you run — listings, prices and promotions.
- Korean VAT on your sales, filed by our entity at no extra charge.
- A local representative in Korea for regulators and customers.
- Korean-language Tier-1 customer service on your store's phone line.
- Payment collection and settlement: Coupang pays us, and we remit your proceeds with a statement.
- Kontactic Furnace, our seller center, for product files, shipments and statements.
Prepaid fee + commission
Choose how long to prepay. The fixed fee covers the service period; the commission is charged on each month's sales. Both apply.
Flex
No commitment
- 1-month service period
- Renews monthly — stop before the next month starts
- + monthly sales commission
Plus
About RMB 667 a month
- 3-month service period, prepaid
- Then continues monthly on Flex unless you prepay again
- + monthly sales commission
Prime
About RMB 583 a month
- 6-month service period, prepaid
- Then continues monthly on Flex unless you prepay again
- + monthly sales commission
Coupang deducts its own fees (sales commission, Rocket Growth fulfillment and storage, and any ads you run) before it pays out. Import duty and import VAT are yours: on DAP terms we pay them at customs, and you repay the amount plus a 3% advance fee. DDP is possible by written agreement.
Commission, in bands
Each rate applies only to the part of the month's gross sales inside its band. The minimum is KRW 150,000 a month. Example: KRW 120 million of sales in a month → 3% of the first 10 million (300,000) + 2% of the next 90 million (1,800,000) + 1% of the last 20 million (200,000) = KRW 2.3 million.
What you handle
You run the store. We are the importer and the legal seller behind it.
Listings and prices
You create and manage the listings in your store and set prices and promotions. If you want Korean product pages made for you, order them as a separate service.
Stock and delivery
You keep the store in stock and ship to Korea. After customs clearance, your forwarder or 3PL delivers the goods into Coupang Rocket Growth and handles returns.
Marketing and ads
You plan and run advertising, on Coupang and off it. Coupang deducts ad spend from its payout.
Product compliance
You hold the certifications Korea requires, such as KC, put Korean labels on the goods before they ship, and keep product claims lawful.
From approval to first sale
Coupang approval
You are approved through Coupang's seller program for mainland China. That approval is the eligibility check.
Sign and submit your products
You e-sign the Spark Subscription agreement and upload product details, certificates and Korean label files in Kontactic Furnace. We review them against Korean import rules.
Choose a plan and prepay
When the review passes, we invoice the plan you chose: Flex, Plus or Prime. Once it is paid, you can ship.
Ship and clear customs
You ship on DAP terms. We file the import declaration as importer and pay import duty and import VAT at customs. Your forwarder or 3PL then delivers the goods into Coupang Rocket Growth.
Sell and get paid
You list products and set prices. We answer Korean-language customer calls, file VAT, and remit your proceeds after each Coupang payout.
Seller of Record (Merchant of Record)
If you know Merchant of Record (MoR) from software, it is the same role: the legal seller that takes the payment and files the tax. MoR platforms handle digital goods; we do it for physical goods, which is why import comes first — and why we say Seller of Record.
Other ways in
Spark needs no company of your own. If you want your own Korean entity, from day one or later, or want to sell cross-border without importing, these may fit better.
Your own Korean entity
Set up your own Korean company (유한회사). Any brand can start here, and Spark Subscription sellers can move their Coupang store to it.
See entity setupBlaze — Full managed operations on your own Korean entity
We run your own Korean entity as its operating agent: administration, commerce operations, and growth marketing on Coupang and other Korean channels. Quoted per client.
See BlazeDirect — Cross-border selling on Coupang
We run your store on Coupang Global Fulfillment (CGF), Coupang's cross-border program. Shoppers import for personal use, so nobody imports in bulk. For brands shipping from the US, Europe, Japan, mainland China or Hong Kong.
See DirectCommon questions
No. Our Korean entity is the importer and the legal seller, so you can import and sell in Korea without forming anything here.
Only sellers in mainland China approved through Coupang's seller program. It is a risk limit, not a nationality rule: every subscription store sits on our one Korean entity, so we accept subscription sellers only where Coupang screens them first. Other brands can use a Spark Project for trade buyers, events or a one-off import. Brands shipping from the US, Europe, Japan, mainland China or Hong Kong can also sell cross-border with Direct.
Our Korean entity is the importer, so for customs and tax purposes it holds legal title to the goods it imports and sells. Commercially, the goods remain your business: you set the price; unsold stock is returned to you, re-exported or disposed of at your cost; and you are paid for what sells — sales minus platform fees, logistics, advertising, duties and taxes, and our fees. We are not a distributor: we don't set prices, take inventory risk or keep a margin. We charge our service fees, published for Spark Subscription and quoted for each Spark Project.
On Spark Subscription, Coupang pays your store's sales into our account after deducting its own fees: sales commission, Rocket Growth fulfillment and storage, and ads. We deduct the Korean VAT on the sales and our commission, then remit the rest to your company's bank account in US dollars within five business days, with a statement of each deduction. The fixed fee is prepaid separately. On a Spark Project, we deduct VAT, our fees and anything we advanced, and pay you on the schedule in the project order. For sales to trade buyers, we pay out once the buyer has paid us; a buyer's unpaid invoice stays your risk.
On Spark Subscription the default is DAP: you pay freight and insurance to Korea, and we pay the import duty and import VAT at customs. You then repay that amount plus an advance fee of 3% of what we advanced. If you would rather pay duties and taxes up front yourself (DDP), we can agree that in writing. On a Spark Project, the project order sets DAP or DDP.
Yes, as a Spark Project. If a Korean partner already sells for you but can't be the importer, we import the goods and hand them to the partner after clearance. The reverse we don't do: we never act as seller for goods we didn't import, because the import and sales records have to match.
Yes, as a Spark Project. We import the stock as importer. Selling at the event under our entity — card payments, receipts, VAT and settlement — is project-based, scoped per project, so we confirm feasibility and timing for your event. Start early: customs clearance and payment set-up both take time.
Not as a standard service under our entity. Spark Subscription is a Coupang store, and Spark Project covers trade buyers, events and one-off imports. If you have a specific channel in mind, ask us and we'll tell you plainly what is possible. With Blaze, on your own Korean entity, you can sell on Naver, Kakao, SSG, Gmarket, 11st and others.
Per project. Depending on the job, a quote can combine a handling fee per import, storage, delivery to buyers, an event fee, payment terminals or a share of sales. We don't publish a rate card because the goods, duties, compliance work and money flow differ every time.
Yes, whenever you choose. Spark Subscription sellers can set up their own Korean company and move their Coupang store to it; project brands can do the same. Entity setup is a separate service. Blaze can then run the business on your entity, quoted per client.
You are. Under our agreement, you are responsible for product compliance and indemnify us. That covers certifications such as KC, Korean labels and product claims. We check import requirements in good faith and flag what we find, but that check is not a guarantee. If you need KC certification, we offer it as a separate service.
Tell us what needs to get into Korea.
Share the products, the buyers or the event, and your dates. We'll tell you plainly whether Spark fits, which kind, and what it takes.