What Is the .kr Domain? South Korea's ccTLD Explained
The .kr domain is South Korea's ccTLD, run by KISA. Learn how .co.kr and direct .kr differ, the Korea address requirement, and Hangul IDN support.
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The .kr domain is the official country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) for South Korea, administered by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). Like Japan's .jp, .kr is not one flat namespace — it runs a category-based second-level structure (.co.kr, .or.kr, .ac.kr, and more) alongside direct registration under .kr itself, and every path requires a genuine Korean address. This page covers how the structure works, the local-presence rule that governs it, and who actually benefits from a .kr name.
.kr at a glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country-code TLD (ccTLD) for South Korea |
| Registry operator | Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), sponsoring org listed as Korea Network Information Center (KRNIC) |
| Year delegated | 1986 |
| IDN support | Yes — Hangul (Korean-script) domain names, supported directly under .kr since 2006 |
| DNSSEC | Supported |
| Registration restrictions | Korea address required for both second-level categories (.co.kr, etc.) and direct .kr registration |
| Best for | Korea-based businesses, organizations, and individuals; government and educational entities via their dedicated categories |
What is .kr?
.kr is the ccTLD assigned to South Korea under ISO 3166-1 (country code KR), delegated through the IANA root-zone database, which lists KISA as registry operator and the Korea Network Information Center (KRNIC) — KISA's domain-registry function — as sponsoring organization. As a ccTLD, .kr operates under Korean domain-name policy rather than a standard ICANN registry agreement.
Google does not treat .kr as one of the ccTLDs it re-classifies as generic (that list — .ad, .ai, .as, .bz, .cc, .cd, .co, .dj, .fm, .io, .la, .me, .ms, .nu, .sc, .sr, .su, .tv, .tk, .ws — is published in Google Search Central's guidance on managing multi-regional sites). .kr is absent from it, so Google reads a .kr site as targeted at South Korea specifically.
History of .kr
.kr was delegated in 1986, one of the earlier ccTLDs in the DNS root. For most of its history, registrations sat under category-specific second levels — commercial names under .co.kr, nonprofits under .or.kr, network providers under .ne.kr, government under .go.kr, education under .ac.kr, and personal sites under .pe.kr — with the actual name registered one level deeper (e.g. yourname.co.kr).
Direct registration straight under .kr (e.g. yourname.kr, rather than under a category) became possible from September 2006, rolled out first through a phased sunrise for government bodies and trademark holders, and initially available for Hangul internationalized domain names. That gave Korean-script branding a native second-level home directly beneath the ccTLD, alongside the older ASCII category system. Registration rules have continued to be updated since — KISA's Domain Name Management Rules set the current eligibility standards for every category.
How people use .kr
- Korean commercial organizations and individuals, via
.co.kr, the most widely used category. - Government and public-sector bodies, via
.go.kr, and local government portals, via geographic subdomains like.seoul.kror.busan.kr. - Educational institutions, via
.ac.kr. - Nonprofits and network providers, via
.or.krand.ne.krrespectively. - Individuals, via
.pe.kr, a category reserved specifically for personal sites. - Brands wanting a native Hangul address, since Korean-script names are supported directly under .kr.
Who it's not ideal for: anyone without a Korean address — every category and the direct-.kr path both require one — and brands that want a single flat name with no category label, since much of the .kr namespace is still organized by second-level category.
Notable sites using .kr
- korea.kr — the Republic of Korea's official government policy-briefing portal, operated under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, registered directly under .kr.
- lg.co.kr — LG Corporation's official Korean corporate site, using the
.co.krcommercial category.
.kr vs other domains
| Factor | .kr | .com | .co.kr (KR commercial category) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | ccTLD, direct second-level | Legacy gTLD | ccTLD, category-specific second level |
| Eligibility | Korea address required | Open, no restriction | Korea address required, commercial category |
| Geo signal to Google | Korea-targeted | Generic | Korea-targeted |
| Best fit | Hangul-first brands, flat naming | Global, sector-neutral brand | Established Korean businesses |
Choose .com for a globally neutral default with no eligibility hurdles. Choose direct .kr when a flat, Korea-facing name — especially in Hangul — fits your brand. Choose .co.kr when you want the long-established, instantly recognizable "Korean company" category most local businesses still use.
Why choose .kr?
- Clear Korea-market signal. For businesses genuinely serving South Korean users, .kr (in either form) is a direct statement of local presence.
- Native Hangul support. Korean-script domains registered directly under .kr give brands a fully native-language address.
- Category clarity. The second-level system (.co.kr, .or.kr, .ac.kr, .go.kr) lets visitors infer an organization's type from the URL itself.
- Long-established namespace. Delegated in 1986 and used by government and major corporate sites, .kr carries institutional legitimacy.
Things to consider
- A Korean address is mandatory everywhere in the namespace. There is no anywhere-in-the-world registration path for .kr or any of its second-level categories.
- The category system takes some explaining to non-Korean audiences. Newcomers may not immediately grasp why
.co.krand.krcoexist. - Geo-targeted, not global. Search engines read .kr as Korea-specific, a constraint for sites chasing an international audience.
- Category eligibility varies.
.go.kris government-only,.ac.kreducation-only, and.pe.krindividuals-only — pick the wrong category and you won't qualify.
Who can register a .kr domain?
Registration restrictions: Korea address required. Per KISA's Domain Name Management Rules, "the applicants and the registrants shall have addresses in the Republic of Korea" — this applies to both category-specific second-level registrations (.co.kr, .or.kr, .ne.kr, .re.kr, and others open to "corporations or individuals") and direct registration under .kr. Specialized categories layer on further eligibility: .or.kr for nonprofits, .pe.kr for individuals only, .ac.kr for educational institutions, and .go.kr for government entities exclusively.
DNSSEC is supported at the registry level. Because .kr is a nationally governed ccTLD, KISA's own published rules — not an ICANN registry agreement — are the authoritative source for current eligibility.
.kr pricing and value
.kr pricing follows general-ccTLD dynamics rather than a fixed number: first-year and renewal pricing commonly differ, and pricing can vary by category — direct .kr and .co.kr registrations are typically priced and positioned differently by registrars given their different structures and demand. Short or high-demand names in either form may carry premium pricing. This page intentionally quotes no specific figures — check current rates at the point of registration.
Reputation and email deliverability
.kr carries a solid, institutionally credible reputation, reinforced by its local-presence requirement and long-standing use across Korean government, education, and corporate sites — the address requirement itself limits the throwaway-registration pattern seen on some unrestricted new gTLDs. For email deliverability, the extension itself is rarely the deciding factor; proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration matters more than the TLD. The main practical consideration is audience fit: a .kr address reads as distinctly Korea-facing.
Branding and naming tips
- Pick the right category first. A commercial brand belongs under
.co.kror direct.kr, not.or.kror.ac.kr— matching category to entity type avoids eligibility rejection. - Consider a Hangul name. Korean-script registration directly under .kr can strengthen recall and trust with a Korean-language audience.
- Confirm your Korea address in advance. Both direct .kr and the category system require it — verify before you fall in love with a specific name.
- Decide between .co.kr and direct .kr early. .co.kr is the long-established default for Korean businesses; direct .kr suits flatter, Hangul-first branding.
How to register a .kr domain
- Confirm eligibility — a Korean address, and the right category if you're registering under .co.kr, .or.kr, .ac.kr, or another second level.
- Search for your desired name in your chosen category or directly under .kr.
- Register and complete KISA's eligibility verification.
- Configure DNS to point your site or email.
Frequently asked questions
Can anyone register a .kr domain?
No. KISA's Domain Name Management Rules require that applicants and registrants have an address in the Republic of Korea for both second-level categories like .co.kr and direct registration under .kr. There is no open, anywhere-in-the-world registration path.
What is the difference between .co.kr and direct .kr?
Both require a Korean address. .co.kr is a category-specific second level for commercial organizations or individuals, registered at the third level (yourname.co.kr). Direct registration under .kr places the name straight after the TLD (yourname.kr) and has been available since 2006, initially for Hangul internationalized names.
Does a .kr domain affect SEO?
Google treats .kr as a country-targeted ccTLD for South Korea, not a generic extension, so it signals to search engines that a site is meant for a Korean audience. That helps Korea-focused sites rank locally but works against sites built for a global audience.
Who runs the .kr domain?
The Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) is the registry operator for .kr, with the Korea Network Information Center (KRNIC) function under KISA listed as the sponsoring organization in the IANA root-zone database. KISA sets and publishes the Domain Name Management Rules that govern eligibility.
Related resources
- What is a TLD?
- ccTLD market share by registration volume
- Domain terminology guide
- Glossary: ccTLD, IDN, registrar, ICANN, DNSSEC
- Compare TLDs: .com, .cn, .jp, .in
Sources and further reading
- IANA — Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA)
- Google Search Central — Google Search Central's guidance on managing multi-regional sites
- krnic.or.kr — Domain Name Management Rules
- korea.kr — korea.kr
- lg.co.kr — lg.co.kr
Related keywords
- KISA registry
- .co.kr vs direct .kr
- Korea local presence domain
- Hangul IDN .kr
- KRNIC domain rules
- what is .kr
- .kr domain
- .kr TLD
Contributors
Aileen Wright is a student in her twenties living in New York City, where the distance between a museum wall and a library reading room is a short walk and a long afternoon. She came to name writing through art and history — the way a single portrait, coin, or manuscript margin can carry a name across centuries and change its meaning on the way.
Most weeks you can find her in Central Park with a paperback, or in the quiet of a public reading room chasing down where a name actually comes from rather than what a name-list says it means. She is also teaching herself to code, which has made her oddly precise about spelling, sorting, and the small details that decide whether a name ages well.
For Namefi she writes about the history and culture behind domain names, the stories brands carry as they rename, and the difference between a good story and a verified source.
Victor Zhou is a technology founder and standards editor focused on digital identity and trust. He founded Namefi, edits Ethereum Improvement Proposals, and previously led smart-contract architecture work at Google Labs.
His work sits at the intersection of naming, ownership, and the systems people use to establish identity online. That perspective makes him especially interested in the way names move between personal meaning, public recognition, and digital infrastructure.
For Namefi, Victor edits and writes about domains as durable digital identity: how names become ownable onchain assets, how tokenization changes custody and trust, and what naming can learn from the systems people use to establish identity online.