So you want to run your first Naver ad? Brave soul. Naver is Korea’s Google—except with way more walls, more paperwork, and far fewer English instructions. For marketers used to spinning up a Google Ads campaign in ten minutes, the Naver Ads experience feels less like self-serve and more like a hazing ritual.
Still, if you want to advertise in Korea, you can’t ignore Naver. It controls over 60% of search market share, and Korean shoppers actually click its ads, because they trust Naver’s ecosystem. The good news: it’s possible. The bad news: without local help, it’s an obstacle course of forms, fees, and Korean-only interfaces.
Here’s your unofficial Naver Ads English guide—part tutorial, part reality check.
Step 1: Create a Naver Business Account
Unlike Google, you can’t just sign up with your Gmail. To open a business account you’ll need:
Korean business registration certificate
Korean tax ID
Local bank account
A phone number in your company’s name
Don’t have those? You’re not getting past step one. For foreign companies, this is where most attempts die. It’s like showing up to the club and realizing the bouncer also wants to see your family tree.
Step 2: Verify and Set Up Billing
Once you clear the paperwork, you’ll need to set up billing. Naver Ads doesn’t accept foreign cards easily. They expect a Korean bank account tied to your business entity. The process is in Korean, and you’ll need to deposit funds before running campaigns.
On Google Ads, you can start spending in ten minutes. On Naver, expect at least a week, maybe two, before you even see your account balance.
Step 3: Build Your First Campaign
Naver Ads campaigns are structured like Google’s circa 2006:
Campaign level = budget + type (search, display, shopping).
Ad groups = keyword sets.
Ads = headline, description, landing page.
The catch: the entire interface is in Korean. While a partial “Naver Ads English” option exists through browser translation, don’t rely on it. Drop-downs get scrambled, and characters often don’t render correctly.
This is where you’ll need either a fluent Korean staffer or a partner who can interpret for you.
Step 4: Write Ads (in Korean)
Sorry, there’s no “auto-translate and go.” Naver requires ad copy in Korean. Not only that, but ad policies are stricter than Google’s. Words like “best” or “guaranteed” can get rejected.
If you use Google Translate, you risk embarrassing grammar mistakes that scream “foreign company.” And in Korea, trust is everything. Bad copy won’t just lower your CTR—it’ll hurt your brand.
Pro tip: invest in a professional translator, or work with a bilingual marketing team.
Step 5: Choose Keywords
Naver keywords don’t behave like Google’s. Long-tail search volume is thin; Koreans tend to search in short, chunky phrases. Keyword planner tools exist, but—you guessed it—they’re in Korean.
Targeting also differs: Naver favors exact match over broad. You’ll want to focus on a smaller set of high-intent phrases rather than casting a wide net.
Step 6: Monitor Reports (If You Can)
Naver’s reporting dashboard is… let’s call it “retro.” Metrics are there—CTR, CPC, impressions—but navigating to them feels like walking through a maze. The English translation layer is minimal at best, so you’ll need either Korean literacy or a lot of patience.
And don’t expect real-time updates like Google Ads. Reporting lags, and exporting clean data is a chore.
The Pain Factor: Why It Feels Broken
To recap:
Account setup = local paperwork nightmare.
Billing = Korean bank required.
Ads = Korean copy only.
Interface = mostly untranslated.
Reports = clunky and dated.
Running your first Naver ad in English without local support is like running a marathon in flip-flops. Technically possible, but painful and slow.
The Workaround: bAdwords Korea
Here’s where bAdwords Korea flips the script. Instead of trying to brute-force your way through the Korean bureaucracy, you can:
Sign up with your global business details.
Launch Naver Ads in English with an actual English interface.
Skip the tax ID, bank account, and local paperwork.
Get transparent dashboards and reports without waiting for an agency PDF.
In other words, you focus on the campaign, not the forms.
Final Thoughts
Advertising in Korea is too important to ignore, but too complex to DIY as a foreigner. Naver Ads hold the keys to millions of customers—but those keys are buried under red tape and untranslated menus.
If you want the real Korea advertising tutorial, it’s this: Naver is essential, but without local help, it’s a slog. That’s why solutions like bAdwords Korea matter. They make running your first Naver ad less about surviving bureaucracy and more about actually reaching customers.
Because at the end of the day, you didn’t sign up to become an expert in Korean paperwork. You signed up to sell.