Founders in South Korea running a U.S. LLC, often a small studio selling through an app store or a freelancer invoicing U.S. clients, still need the same signed paperwork as any other LLC: an operating agreement, a membership certificate, Form 1583 and ownership documents for a bank or publisher. None of it requires a trip to the United States.
This guide stays on the U.S. paperwork. Whether an LLC is the right structure for your studio or practice, including how income is taxed at home, is a question for your own accountant or attorney.
Why founders in Seoul add a U.S. LLC
A game studio, a software team or an independent creator based in Seoul or Busan sometimes forms a U.S. LLC so a publisher, an app store or a U.S. client can pay a domestic entity rather than wire money abroad. Whether that structure suits your situation is a question for your own advisers.
What gets signed once the filing goes through
- An operating agreement, signed by the members named in the filing.
- A membership certificate, used when a bank or publisher asks who owns the company.
- A resolution naming who can open accounts and sign distribution or publishing agreements.
- Form 1583, notarized, for anyone receiving mail at a U.S. address.
The U.S. LLC support for foreign founders explains the order these are usually signed in.
Proving ownership to a bank, publisher or payment platform
Publishers, platforms and banks that pay out to a U.S. LLC generally want to see who owns it before releasing funds or opening an account. A notarized ownership letter, written to match the recipient's own request, usually moves faster than an email explanation. The corporate ownership documents service prepares that letter alongside the membership certificate. Our guide on whether an operating agreement needs to be notarized covers when a plain signature is enough and when a bank asks for more.
Form 1583 and a U.S. address
App stores, publishers and some banks want a U.S. mailing address on file rather than a residential or registered agent address. A virtual mailbox fills that role, but it cannot accept mail until Form 1583 is signed in front of a notary. The most common holdup is a company name on the form that does not exactly match the LLC filing. The Form 1583 and virtual mailbox service handles the notarized session and checks the form before it ships.
When a studio grows beyond one founder
A one-person studio that brings on a co-founder, a publisher that asks for a revenue-share agreement to be signed by a specific officer, or a bank that wants an updated signer list after a team change, all of these call for a fresh resolution or an amended membership certificate. Signing and notarizing the update as soon as it happens keeps the paperwork matching whoever is actually running the company, rather than leaving a publisher to sort out an outdated certificate later.
What a Steam or app store review can ask for
A platform reviewing a new developer account sometimes asks for more than a certificate: a copy of the formation document, proof that the mailing address on file is active, and occasionally a short letter confirming who controls the account. Having that set ready as matching scans, rather than assembling it piece by piece during a review, tends to shorten the back and forth considerably.
Signing from South Korea
- Pick a time that works on both ends. A late session in Seoul often lands during a working day in New Jersey.
- Check your ID against your filing. A passport name that reads differently from the LLC paperwork is the fastest way to get a document bounced back.
- Ask about wet-ink originals early. Some publishing or banking partners still want a paper signature, which can be arranged and shipped by courier.
- Keep a single folder of current documents. The latest operating agreement, certificate and resolution in one place saves time whenever a new publisher or platform asks for proof.
Our guide on notarizing U.S. documents from South Korea compares the embassy, a local notary and an online session.
How TR Signing Group handles it
TR Signing Group prepares and notarizes the documents around a U.S. LLC for founders based in South Korea: operating agreements, membership certificates, resolutions, Form 1583 and ownership letters written for a bank or publisher. Sessions are scheduled around Korea hours, and wet-ink originals ship internationally when a partner insists on paper. Start with the U.S. LLC support for foreign founders, or request a quote describing what your bank or publisher asked for. TRSG does not give tax or legal advice.
Ready when you are
Services for this guide
U.S. LLC Support for Foreign Founders
Foreign founders: we coordinate your U.S. or Wyoming LLC formation and execute the documents around it: operating agreement, membership certificate, Form 1583, ownership declarations, apostille.
USPS Form 1583 / Virtual Mailbox
Get your USPS Form 1583 notarized online and validated by your virtual mailbox provider the first time, from anywhere in the world. IDs checked before the session, form returned promptly.
Corporate Ownership Documents
Bank-account ownership documentation, notarized: sole shareholder declarations, ownership confirmations, membership certificates and shareholder documents for banks, payment providers and partners. Sole shareholder declarations, ownership confirmations, membership certificates and shareholder documents executed and notarized for banks, payment providers and partners in the U.S. and abroad.
Print / Wet Ink / Scanback / Mail
We print your document in the U.S., handle wet-ink signing and notarization, scan it back the same day and mail the originals with tracking. For clients abroad and busy professionals.
Not sure which one? Book a free 15-minute video call
Questions we hear often
Can a solo founder in Seoul handle all of this without a U.S. trip?
In most cases, yes. Remote online notarization covers the documents that come up most often.
Why would a publisher ask for a membership certificate?
Publishers and payment platforms want to confirm who owns the company before releasing payments; the certificate answers that directly.
What if my Korean passport romanization does not match my LLC filing?
Fix the mismatch before signing anything further. TRSG can flag it ahead of your session so the document is not rejected later.
Do I need Form 1583 if I only sell through an app store?
If the app store or a payment partner asks for a U.S. mailing address, yes, since the mailbox provider requires a notarized form before activating the box.
Does TRSG help decide whether a U.S. LLC fits my studio?
No. TRSG executes the paperwork. That decision belongs with your accountant or attorney.
Notary and document-execution services only. TR Signing Group does not provide legal, tax or immigration advice and is not affiliated with USCIS or any government agency.