Korean official documents combine Hangul, Latin entries, numbers, codes, seals, tables and agency-specific terms. A good translation keeps not only the content but the structure of the document, the links between data and its official purpose.
Family status, resident registration and foreigner registration in South Korea are proved by different systems. The 가족관계증명서 shows family relationships, the 주민등록등본 information on the registered household, and the 외국인등록 사실증명 the fact of foreigner registration. They usually cannot substitute for one another, so we first establish exactly what the ministry, university, bank, court, embassy or private organisation is asking for.
Main directions of Korean translation
Korean into Georgian
- Family register certificates
- Resident and foreigner registration
- University documents
- Medical records and company certificates
- Contracts and court materials
Georgian into Korean
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Criminal record certificates
- Diplomas and transcripts
- Powers of attorney
- Bank and company documents
Certification for Korean cases
- Prepared for notarization
- Apostille or legalization order agreed in advance
- Apostille page translated with the document
- Electronic or paper delivery
- For universities, employers, immigration and banks
The Korean language and its writing
Modern Korean is written in Hangul (한글). Official documents sometimes also use Hanja (한자), especially in older records, name explanations, legal or academic material, and foreigners' data is often given in Latin letters too. The translator must tell which form is the official data and which is only an auxiliary transcription.
In a Korean sentence the verb often comes last, and official style is very different from everyday speech. For contracts, judgments, medical reports and administrative certificates we look for the functional equivalent of a term rather than a literal one, so the Georgian text makes clear who issued the document, what it confirms, which date and person it concerns and whether its use is restricted.
Korean names, surnames and Latin spelling
In Korean names the surname usually comes first, then the given name. The passport may use a Latin form that does not match a Georgian rendering of the Korean pronunciation, so the main reference for an official translation is the Latin entry in the passport or identity document. The Hangul form is checked alongside, but an established official spelling is never changed.
Hyphens, omissions, capitals, maiden names and differences between countries' documents need care. If one document says KIM MINSEO, another KIM MIN-SEO and the Korean reads 김민서, the difference is assessed in advance and noted if needed. The Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism notes that the common pattern is a one-syllable surname followed by a two-syllable given name, but some people abroad move the surname to the end - so position alone cannot tell which part is the surname.
Family register certificates (가족관계등록부)
The Korean family relations register issues several different certificates. The 가족관계증명서 shows a person's parents, spouse and children within the chosen form; the 기본증명서 (basic certificate) covers birth, death, nationality and other core statuses; the 혼인관계증명서 concerns marriage and the spouse. There are also adoption certificates.
Each can be issued in a general, detailed or specific version. The general version shows only current essential information, the detailed one a wider history and the specific one selected data. The translation states the exact type, because the recipient may need the detailed form. The Supreme Court's official catalogue also lists an English Certificate of Family Relations, but its content does not always cover everything in the Korean detailed certificate, so a full Georgian translation of the Korean original may still be required.
Resident registration, alien registration and HiKorea
The 주민등록등본 usually shows the members of one household and their registration data, while the 주민등록초본 focuses on one person and their registration history. The distinction matters when the request concerns the current address, former addresses, household composition or one person's record. If the resident registration number is partly masked, the translation never invents or restores the missing digits.
For foreigners living in Korea long term, documents include the Residence Card (외국인등록증) and the certificate of alien registration (외국인등록 사실증명), which may show the registration number, nationality, status, address and registration period. HiKorea is the main official immigration platform. Visa and residence codes - study, work or family - are copied exactly, because one letter or digit changes the legal status.
Notarization, e-Apostille and the right order
In Georgia a Korean translation for official use is often notarized. This certifies the translator's signature, not that the Korean document was issued - so it cannot replace an apostille, consular certification or other proof of the original.
Korea's official e-Apostille portal combines application and verification and lists eligible documents, including the Family Relation Certificate, the Marriage Relation Certificate, business and tax certificates, police replies and education documents. Being on the list does not mean any uploaded copy will receive an apostille; an official issuer, a proper application and certificate validation data are needed. A common sequence is: obtain the certificate, add the apostille if needed, translate the document and apostille together, then certify the translation. Private documents, notarial acts and specific agencies may require a different chain. See apostille and legalization.
Apostille, notarization and the formal presentation of the translation are independent stages. Completing one does not cancel the others.
Company documents, contracts and finance
Common Korean business documents are the 사업자등록증명 (business registration certificate) and the 법인등기사항증명서 (certificate of registered corporate details), showing the company name, representative, business number, legal address, activities, capital, directors and registered changes. The official company name, trade brand and English name are kept apart, and an officially used English form is compared with the Korean one; an invented "English translation" can cause trouble at a bank, in a contract or a tender.
Korean contracts use a strict corporate style. Party status, subject, amount, tax, payment terms, liability, confidentiality, termination and the dispute forum are rendered precisely. In invoices, bank statements and tax certificates, currency, thousands separators, VAT entries, account numbers, dates and payees are checked, with table structure kept close to the original.
Study, medical, police and legal documents
Study. Graduation certificates (졸업증명서), transcripts (성적증명서), enrolment certificates (재학증명서), diplomas and syllabuses, with the official university and faculty names, level, credits, grading system, semesters and qualification kept. Korean universities differ in what they accept - an apostilled original with a Korean translation, an English version or a document sent directly by the issuing university - so check the admission checklist first. Medical. Diagnoses, treatment histories, discharge summaries, lab and radiology results, surgery reports, prescriptions and insurance forms, where English abbreviations often sit beside Korean explanations. Drug names, doses, units, frequency, allergies and dates are rendered with particular precision. See medical translation. Police. The 범죄·수사경력회보서 relates to criminal and investigation records and is often issued for a specific purpose - entry abroad, residence, employment. The purpose, any restriction on use, validity period and certificate number are always shown. Legal. Judgments, claims, notices, settlements, arbitration documents, lawyers' letters and powers of attorney. Plaintiff, defendant, accused, applicant and interested party are kept distinct, and the operative part, deadlines, appeal rules, case number and court name are exact. See legal translation.Electronic documents, QR codes, dates and privacy
Many Korean certificates come through Government24, the electronic family register, e-Apostille and other state systems, with certificate numbers, QR codes, barcodes, electronic seals or verification instructions. The family register's authenticity page searches by issue number, and the verification window for these certificates is stated as up to three months from issue - so the certificate number, date and code location matter. Send the original PDF rather than a screenshot; a password-protected file needs the access code or an unlocked copy.
Korean dates run year, month, day (YYYY년 MM월 DD일), and addresses run from province or special city down to road, building and flat; where an official Latin address exists we compare it with the Korean. Family certificates, resident numbers, alien registration numbers, medical, banking and court materials are sensitive - send only what the task needs, and the translation always reflects exactly what the source shows.
How a Korean translation order runs
Receive the full Hangul file
We check every page, seal, attachment and the legibility of the text.
Set the recipient and purpose
Language, country of use, certification and the required form.
Check names and register data
The text is translated with subject terminology and every data point is checked separately.
Agreed delivery
An electronic file or an agreed certified paper version.
Price and turnaround for Korean translation
The cost depends on more than page count: text volume, document type, complex tables, Hanja, seals, handwritten notes, legal or medical terminology, urgency and notarization all count. A one-page passport and a dense one-page judgment are not the same work. The price is by agreement and set after we see the files. See translation prices.
Assessment and translation can start online wherever you are. Our office is at 118 Davit Aghmashenebeli Ave, Tbilisi; the form and timing of paper delivery are agreed in advance. Sending related documents together keeps names, dates and terms uniform.
Send your Korean or Georgian document as a clear PDF or photo. Once we have seen the material and its purpose, you will know the required form, the deadline and the price.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions about Korean translation
Can a Korean translation be notarized?
Yes. In Georgia a Korean translation, or a translation into Korean, can be prepared for notarization. The notary normally certifies the translator's signature, so the need for an apostille or other certification is checked separately.
Which Korean family certificate should I send?
Depending on the purpose, a 가족관계증명서, 기본증명서, 혼인관계증명서 or another certificate, in a general, detailed or specific version. Check the exact type and version with the recipient first.
Is a scan enough to start?
Usually a clear PDF or complete photo is enough to assess and start. For notarization, an apostille or final submission the original or a certified copy may be needed.
How are Korean names written in Georgian?
The reference form is the Latin entry in the passport. Hangul, the Latin entry and the Georgian rendering are checked against each other so the same person's name does not differ between documents.
How do we decide the apostille stage?
We need the issuing country, the final recipient and the required chain. Usually the international certification goes on the source or an official copy, and then the document and apostille are translated together.
Is the English version of a Korean certificate always enough?
Not always. Some Korean systems issue English certificates, but they may contain less than the Korean detailed certificate, and the recipient may require a full Georgian translation of the Korean original.
Do you translate Georgian business documents into Korean?
Yes - contracts, company extracts, charters, financial certificates, invoices, commercial offers and business correspondence.