SOC 2 attestation in South Korea

SOC 2 attestation in South Korea at a glance

SOC 2 is an attestation, so the report comes from a licensed CPA firm and not from a certification body. AICPA describes it as an examination of a service organisation's controls against criteria for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality or privacy, and says customers often request it. In South Korea the domestic frame differs: the Network Act's national certification applies to listed entities, and Article 26 of the Personal Information Protection Act has controllers supervise their processors, which pushes customers to ask suppliers for assurance. Neither names SOC 2. Software and cloud providers selling abroad, data hosts and financial technology suppliers are typical applicants. Sterling's Tokyo office prepares the controls, policies, evidence and readiness review, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included with the engagement. Sterling does not attest; the CPA firm does.

Who needs SOC 2 in South Korea, and what happens without it

In South Korea the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Software and cloud providers selling abroadAICPA says customers often request SOC 2 reports from service organisations.
• Providers of data hosting and processingArticle 26 of the Personal Information Protection Act has the controller supervise entrusted processors, which drives supplier due diligence.
• Financial technology suppliersThe Electronic Financial Transactions Act brings an information security officer duty that customers test through supplier assurance.
• Companies holding the national ISMS certificationThe Network Act's certification is domestic, and overseas customers often ask for a report in a familiar format.

SOC 2 requirements in South Korea

Strip away the vocabulary and SOC 2 asks a service organisation to report on six things about the controls behind its service.

In South Korea these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: SOC 2 explained →

How to get a SOC 2 report in South Korea

One team from the Tokyo office carries the work from scoping to report. Clients across South Korea are served from Sterling's Tokyo office, on-site where the work needs it and remotely otherwise.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against SOC 2 and the South Korean requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
5. The independent examination and reportA licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the report. Sterling supports the examination.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• SOC 2 gap analysis
• SOC 2 implementation plan

How long does SOC 2 attestation take in South Korea?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In South Korea these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Trust services criteria in scope
• Number of systems, teams and sites
• Existing ISO/IEC 27001 or ISMS-P evidence
• CPA firm scheduling around the Seollal and Chuseok holiday periods

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• What drives the SOC 2 timeline
• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does SOC 2 attestation cost in South Korea?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the CPA firm’s fees, which are quoted separately. In South Korea these factors move both.

• Trust services criteria and systems in scope
• Control implementation and tooling
• CPA firm fees quoted separately from consulting
• Integration with ISO/IEC 27001 work

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of SOC 2

SOC 2 consultants and auditors in South Korea

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; a licensed CPA firm then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers SOC 2 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in South Korea are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

SOC 2 in South Korea: questions clients ask

More on SOC 2 for South Korean organisations

• SOC 2: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement SOC 2
• Accounting and professional services: SOC 2 for the sector
• BPO and shared services: SOC 2 for the sector
• Fintech and payments: SOC 2 for the sector
• Healthcare IT and health BPO: SOC 2 for the sector
• HR, payroll and staffing: SOC 2 for the sector
• MSPs and data centres: SOC 2 for the sector
• SaaS and technology: SOC 2 for the sector
• SOC 2 attestation in South Korea and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards South Korean businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in South Korea often combine SOC 2 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 22 standards Sterling delivers in South Korea →