Custom software development in South Korea

With two people doing the work, the person you scope the project with is the person who writes the code. Decisions do not get lost between a sales team and a delivery team, and we take on fewer projects at once so each one gets finished properly.

Being in Korea matters when your users are Korean. Payment gateways, KakaoTalk notifications, Kakao and Naver login, Korean-language interfaces and Naver search registration are routine parts of our work, not research projects.

Many of our clients come back after the first build for upgrades and further development. We design the first version so it can grow that way.

A Korean subsidiary often sits between two worlds: headquarters reads reports in English, local staff work in Korean, and Korean e-tax invoices and HR records have to be issued and kept the Korean way. Packaged Korean ERP and HR software is built for Korean users first, and global ERP rarely connects to Korean e-tax invoicing without extra work.

We build the system around that split: English screens and reports for headquarters, Korean screens for local staff, and connections to Korean e-tax invoice providers, banks or the groupware you already use. You discuss it in English with our founder, who also builds it.

We choose the stack for the project. Most builds use Next.js, React and TypeScript with Prisma and PostgreSQL. When the requirements call for it we use other tools; Haru, for example, runs on Spring Boot (Java) with MySQL and WebSocket, the EMECS analysis program uses Python, and CTBUH Korea integrates an OJS (PHP) journal system.

For AI features we connect external models such as ChatGPT and Claude through their APIs, and use local models where data should stay on your own machines. External AI usage is billed at cost by volume, separately from the build fee.

Every project starts with a written brief and a consultation, then a formal quote in KRW that lists the deliverables; we can bill in USD or receive an overseas transfer. The contract splits payment into a deposit, interim and final payments, with the ratio written in. During the build, the quote, contract, schedule and documents are in one client portal.

After launch, hosting and maintenance are a separate contract. Taking over an existing codebase works the same way: we inspect the code and materials first, then define what we will change in the quote.

Korea runs on Korea Standard Time (UTC+9) with no daylight saving. We keep communication written first, so a question asked at the end of your day has an answer when you start the next one, and schedule calls in the overlap.

Korean public holidays such as Seollal and Chuseok can affect a schedule, so we flag them when we plan milestones. When you or your team are in Korea, we meet in person; workflow discovery, integration or training on site is agreed before the visit.

We do not publish one price for custom software, because the cost follows the features, integrations and data migration the system needs. The estimate tool outlines the scope as you pick the type of project and features; after a consultation you receive a formal quote.

Quotes are in KRW. VAT (10%) is not included, hosting is billed separately from the build, and third-party costs such as payment fees, SMS, KakaoTalk messages and AI usage are billed at cost.