Korea Resource Circulation Service Agency (KORA)

What Korea Resource Circulation Service Agency (KORA) does

Korea Resource Circulation Service Agency (KORA), legally known as 한국순환자원유통지원센터, is a quasi-governmental agency established in 2016 under the Recycling Promotion Act to implement Korea's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for packaging waste. Operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment (환경부), KORA manages the centralized framework that requires producers to recycle packaging materials, administers compliance with statutory recycling obligations, and publishes packaging recycling statistics. The agency serves 1,500+ recycling member companies—primarily packaging waste producers and recycling industry operators—and covers six core material streams: metal cans, carton packs, PET bottles, plastic packaging, glass bottles, and expanded polystyrene (EPS).

KORA's core technology is the Distribution Support System (유통지원시스템), a web-based portal at webcrm.kora.or.kr, through which member companies submit compliance reports, manage recycling obligations, and access member profiles. The platform is complemented by a packaging recycling statistics archive, member company management modules, and public engagement tools including Q&A/grievance systems and publications. The agency's physical infrastructure comprises a Seoul head office in Seodaemun-gu and four regional branch offices (Metropolitan, Joongbu, Yeongnam, Honam), plus a Circulation Resources Promotion Center.

KORA's revenue model is government-funded rather than commercial; as a designated EPR implementation agency, it is financed through government budgets and EPR-related fees from member companies. Its go-to-market is policy-driven and institutional, targeting obligated producers and recyclers through regulatory compliance mechanisms rather than commercial sales channels. Strategic partnerships with the Korea Environmental Corporation (KECO), Korea Packaging Recycling Cooperative (KPRC), KEITI, and the International EPR Platform support coordinated environmental policy execution. In 2026, KORA launched circular economy overseas expansion support programs and broadened EPR participation requirements.

Name

Korea Resource Circulation Service Agency (KORA)

Legal name

한국순환자원유통지원센터 (Korea Resource Circulation Service Agency)

Website

https://kora.or.kr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

KORA is a quasi-governmental agency that implements Korea's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for packaging waste, serving 1,500+ member companies across six material streams through a web-based compliance portal and five regional branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Services

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH), Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Compliance (RCRA, Universal Waste, Waste Characterization/Manifests) (EUAHABAC)

Keywords

• Extended producer responsibility
• Packaging recycling services
• Resource circulation management
• Waste recycling compliance
• Circular economy policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. EPR Scheme Implementation: KORA functions as a government agency implementing Extended Producer Responsibility policies in Korea, managing recycling obligation compliance, and supporting the packaging recycling ecosystem through regulatory frameworks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KORA is a government-affiliated organization implementing South Korea's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for packaging waste. It provides recycling compliance services for metal cans, carton packs, PET bottles, plastic packaging, glass bottles, and expanded polystyrene, while managing a member company registration system, recycling statistics platform, and regulatory enforcement framework on behalf of the Ministry of Environment.

Product overview

KORA operates as Korea's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) agency managing a comprehensive packaging recycling system. The core offering is the EPR 제도 (EPR System) supported by six material-specific recycling services covering metal cans, carton packs, PET bottles, plastic packaging, glass bottles, and expanded polystyrene. These are complemented by auxiliary services including the 유통지원시스템 (Distribution Support System) web portal for member compliance management, packaging recycling statistics database, member company management, and public engagement tools such as publications, Q&A services, and grievance systems. The organization also provides supporting resources like bid announcements, recruitment notices, and promotional videos to facilitate resource circulation society development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) System A regulatory framework that mandates producers to recycle packaging waste, including policy guidance, compliance procedures, and enforcement mechanisms for obligated producers and member companies in Korea.
• Metal Can Recycling Service (금속캔 재활용) Recycling service for metal cans under EPR packaging waste management, providing collection and processing infrastructure for metal can materials from obligated producers.
• Carton Pack Recycling Service (종이팩 재활용) Recycling service for carton pack packaging materials, supporting collection and recycling processes for paper-based packaging from obligated producers.
• PET Bottle Recycling Service (페트병 재활용) Recycling service for PET bottles under EPR packaging waste management, facilitating collection and material recovery for obligated producers.
• Plastic Packaging Recycling Service (플라스틱포장재 재활용) Recycling service for plastic packaging materials, including both single-material and multi-material plastic packaging, supporting EPR compliance for obligated producers.
• Glass Bottle Recycling Service (유리병 재활용) Recycling service for glass bottles under EPR packaging waste management, providing collection and recycling infrastructure for obligated producers.
• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Recycling Service (발포합성수지 재활용) Recycling service for expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging materials under EPR scheme, handling collection and processing for obligated producers.
• Distribution Support System (유통지원시스템) Online portal system (webcrm.kora.or.kr) for EPR compliance management, providing login access for member companies to submit performance reports and manage recycling obligations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Central role in Korea's packaging recycling ecosystem

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• Ministry of Environment (환경부)coreOthersKORA operates under the oversight of Korea's Ministry of Environment, which establishes the EPR policy framework that KORA implements.
• Korea Environmental Corporation (한국환경공단)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKECO is a related government environmental agency that collaborates with KORA on environmental initiatives and recycling programs.
• Korea Packaging Recycling Cooperative (KPRC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPRC (한국포장재재활용사업협동조합) works with KORA on packaging recycling cooperative initiatives in Korea.
• Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEITI collaborates with KORA on environmental industry and technology initiatives supporting the circular economy.
• International EPR Platform (iepr.or.kr)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational EPR platform connecting Korean EPR initiatives with global EPR frameworks and best practices.
• Circulation Resources Information Center (순환자원정보센터)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation center providing circulation resources data and support for the recycling ecosystem.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Reloop Platform: International non-profit advocating for effective producer responsibility systems and circular economy policy. Relevant as an adjacent/ecosystem peer informing the policy and best-practice standards that KORA's EPR scheme must align with.

Direct peers

• Citeo: France's accredited Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for household packaging. Citeo is the most direct international counterpart to KORA — implementing EPR compliance, collecting fees from obligated producers, and financing packaging recycling — making it a near-perfect functional analog for benchmarking operations, scale, and EPR scheme design.
• Korea Environmental Corporation (KECO): Korea's broader state environmental implementation agency. KECO is a direct domestic peer — a government-affiliated entity under the same Ministry of Environment that executes environmental policy on the ground, making its operating model, funding structure, and oversight relationships highly comparable to KORA's.
• CONAI (Consorzio Nazionale Imballaggi): Italy's national packaging consortium running the CONAI/COREPLA/COREVE system for EPR compliance. Comparable to KORA in administering packaging waste recovery obligations across multiple material streams (plastic, paper, glass, metal, wood) on behalf of Italian producers.
• Ecoembes: Spain's PRO for packaging recycling, managing light packaging and paper/cardboard streams. Like KORA, Ecoembes operates a national EPR scheme financed by eco-modulated fees from producers and coordinates collection/sorting/recycling across regions.
• Duales System Deutschland (Green Dot): Germany's pioneering packaging PRO operating the 'Green Dot' system. DSD is structurally comparable to KORA as a national monopoly PRO administering packaging recycling fees and contracting with sorters/recyclers, with similar EPR mandate scope across multiple packaging materials.
• PRO Europe: Umbrella association of European packaging PROs. As KORA's partner via the International EPR Platform, PRO Europe is the continental counterpart coordinating cross-border EPR policy and representing PRO interests — directly comparable in mandate as a coordinating body for packaging EPR systems.
• Korea Packaging Recycling Cooperative (KPRC): Producer-side cooperative that helps Korean packaging manufacturers meet EPR obligations. KPRC is a direct stakeholder peer operating within the same packaging recycling ecosystem as KORA, handling compliance coordination from the producer perspective.

Regional players

• Japan Container and Packaging Recycling Association: Japan's designated organization administering container and packaging recycling under the Japanese Containers and Packaging Recycling Law. Closest East Asian analog to KORA in structure and EPR mandate, though operating under a different legal framework in a separate jurisdiction.
• Recycling Victoria (or equivalent state authority): Australian state-level government bodies administering container deposit and recycling schemes. Comparable as government-administered recycling oversight entities, though smaller in scale and more regional in scope than KORA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/ck4ksCwSMNA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Korea Resource Circulation Service Agency (KORA)