Location Agreements

Location agreements in South Korea run under the Korean Civil Act. The Cultural Heritage Protection Act adds more rules for sites like Changdeokgung Palace, Gyeongbokgung, the Gyeongju Historic Areas, and the hanok villages of Bukchon and Jeonju. Each contract must set out access windows, allowed activities, repair duties, insurance limits, and liability. The wording has to suit Korean property owners yet stay enforceable for foreign shoots.

Our team drafts agreements in Korean and English, tuned to the location and the size of the unit. We price fees against current Seoul, Busan, and Jeju benchmarks, not catalogue numbers. Heritage sites, locations near the DMZ, and high-rise interiors in Gangnam and Yeouido each carry their own clauses. We know which ones owners will accept and which ones need a rewrite.

Execution is where the work shows. We file with district offices for the traffic and noise permits tied to each agreement. We also run damage deposits and repair walkthroughs so locations stay ready for future shoots. Our team keeps a clean record of every signature and rider for E&O review. Fast city redevelopment in Seoul can shrink access windows without warning.

To guard against sudden change, our team builds in backup dates and cancellation terms. For UNESCO-listed and sensitive cultural sites, we pair the legal forms with heritage compliance reviews so nothing surfaces on the day. The result is a location file that travels and holds up to inspection. It gives directors the confidence to commit to the frame.

Fee structure sits at the heart of each deal. We set location rates in Korean Won and flag where the 10% VAT applies, so the production office sees the true cost. Payment terms, deposits, and damage bonds are written into every agreement before signing. We hold the deposit schedule against the shoot dates and release it once the owner signs off the wrap walkthrough, which keeps cash flow clean and owners willing to host the next crew.

For contracts that carry real risk, we bring in the right Korean legal hands. We source property and entertainment lawyers who know the Korean Civil Act, the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, and the clauses owners near the DMZ or in fast-redeveloping Seoul districts will accept. They draft and review in Korean and English, so both sides read one text. Every signed agreement, rider, and release is then filed into a single record the production can hand to its E&O reviewers.