위홈

Policy

Home Sharing Certification Endorsed by the Government

Certification

Wehome is the only government-certified legal home sharing platform. It offers legal accommodation for both Koreans and foreigners. Notably, home sharing for Korean nationals is currently only possible through Wehome.

 

The Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea has officially designated Wehome as an ICT Regulatory Sandbox Verified Enterprise, starting formal service from July 15, 2020. The home sharing pilot project is currently underway in the Seoul and Busan areas. For more details, please check the [ICT Regulatory Sandbox Verification – Verification No. 2019-21-a-1]

Wehome over Airbnb in Korea

Safety, Money Saving, Local Experience

Background

The official law governing urban home sharing (shared accommodation) in Korea is based on the Tourism Promotion Act, specifically the Foreigners’ Accommodation Business (외국인관광도시민박업). This law is designed to introduce Korean culture to foreign tourists, providing accommodation facilities suitable for lodging and offering meals. It applies exclusively to foreign tourists, meaning that domestic home sharing under this business is illegal.

Efforts to amend the law have been made in the National Assembly but have not progressed due to various controversies. Home sharing in Korea has continued to grow anomalously outside the regulatory framework. Global platforms like Airbnb do not comply with Korean law and are strengthening their market monopoly. According to Congressman Moon Jin-seok, 90% of Airbnb’s listings are unregistered (excluding rural guesthouses, hanok experience businesses, lodging businesses, and hostels). Problems due to Airbnb’s unregistered properties and illegal business brokering are severe, including issues with national safety, fostering criminals, administrative waste, and tax evasion. [Response from Congressman Moon Jin-seok’s parliamentary audit of Airbnb]

 

To create a breakthrough for the legalization of shared accommodation in Korea, the government has initiated a shared accommodation pilot project. The government designated Wehome as an ICT Regulatory Sandbox Verified Enterprise to conduct limited, market-driven demonstrations for the legalization of home sharing. The shared accommodation pilot project is a system that allows Koreans to legally participate in home sharing within government-set conditions. The government’s policy is to proceed with legalization based on the market information and data gathered through the shared accommodation pilot project.

 

Wehome is a government-certified legal home sharing platform for both Koreans and foreigners. Wehome is committed to activating shared accommodation within the regulatory framework to ensure that anyone can use it with confidence.

Apply for the certification

1. Existing Foreigners' Accommodation Business hosts

For those currently engaged in the Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business (외국인관광도시민박업), you can apply for the special case through Wehome by completing the property registration on the site and uploading your designation certificate. For more details and application procedures, please refer to [Wehome Home Sharing Special Case Guide – Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business]. Apply for the special case of Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business here.

2. New hosts without an existing business license

This is targeted at new hosts who are not registered with the existing Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business (외도민업) and wish to start home sharing through Wehome. New hosts must register their property and then undergo a review by the Wehome team, after which their home sharing business registration will be processed. New hosts are required to submit a business registration certificate in the host’s name. You can upload an existing business registration certificate in the host’s name or use the Wehome Home Sharing Business registration to obtain a simplified business registration certificate from the tax office.

For more details, please refer to [Wehome Home Sharing Special Case Guide – New Hosts]. Apply for the special case for new non-Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business hosts here.

All Hosts and Properties of Wehome are Verified

Verification process of the certification

Wehome reviews applications for the special case to ensure they meet the conditions required by the ICT Regulatory Sandbox pilot project, which operates under minimal regulations. Based on the application details, Wehome conducts an internal review to make a final decision on registration. Once designated, a special case certificate is issued to the host.

  • Hosts registered under the Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business (외도민업) can legally host Korean nationals through Wehome after receiving their special case certificate, completing guidance on legal domestic home sharing, and synchronizing their calendars on other platforms.
  • New hosts not registered under the Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business need to submit the required documents and register their business. An existing business registration certificate in the host’s name can be used as a substitute.

Operation policy to keep the right of certification

Hosts participating in the shared accommodation pilot project must adhere to the special conditions set by the government and maintain the operational policies of Wehome. The accommodation listings on Wehome’s platform must include information about “legal accommodation for domestic guests” and must enable normal booking processes through Wehome. For hosts under the Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business (외도민업) special case, reservations for Korean nationals are only legally protected when made through Wehome. Accommodations for Korean nationals booked through other platforms like Airbnb and Agoda are illegal and can lead to the cancellation of the special case status.

New special case hosts not registered under the Foreign Tourist Urban Accommodation Business will only receive legal protection for bookings made through Wehome for both domestic and international guests. Bookings made through other platforms or direct transactions fall outside the special case provisions and are not legally protected, which can also lead to cancellation of the special case status. However, these hosts can still accept bookings from international guests through Airbnb using open hosting.

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