How to Advertise in Korea Without a Local Company

advertise in Korea, Kakao ads for foreigners, Naver ads without Korean company

If you’ve ever tried to advertise in Korea, you already know the wall you’ll run into: Kakao and Naver don’t exactly roll out the red carpet for foreigners. These platforms are the lifeblood of Korean digital marketing—KakaoTalk is practically the country’s operating system, and Naver’s search dominance makes Google look like a niche hobby. But if you don’t have a Korean business license, tax ID, and a local bank account, you’re locked out before you’ve even typed your first ad.

And the list doesn’t stop there. To run Kakao ads for foreigners or even attempt Naver ads without a Korean company, you’ll also need a Korean phone number registered under the company name, the ability to read and type Korean, and the patience to navigate sign-up flows that make IRS paperwork feel like a children’s coloring book. In short: the “DIY” route is a maze of bureaucracy where international brands almost always hit a dead end.

That’s where bAdwords Korea steps in. Think of it as a back door that’s not shady, just smarter. bAdwords bridges the gap by giving global businesses a compliant, managed way to advertise in Korea—on both Kakao and Naver—without setting up a subsidiary, filing taxes, or deciphering endless forms.

You focus on your campaigns and creative. bAdwords handles the licenses, the logins, and the labyrinth.

In other words: Korea’s walls stay high, but with bAdwords, you get the keys to the gate.