How do I export software and IT services?
Korea's software and IT services industry is increasing competitiveness in the global market based on world-class technology and rapid development speed. Korean companies are targeting overseas markets in diverse fields including games, fintech, AI solutions, SaaS, security software, and smart city platforms. This guide systematically covers understanding the unique nature of software exports (intangible goods, service contract-centric, intellectual property protection, etc.), country-specific regulations, localization strategies, and effective global sales methodologies.
Key Summary
The global software market is valued at approximately $650 billion as of 2024, with annual average growth of 11% projected through 2030, driven by rapidly increasing demand for cloud migration, AI integration, and cybersecurity. Korea's software and IT services exports totaled approximately $8 billion in 2023, with B2B enterprise software exports excluding game software growing rapidly at over 15% annually on average. Major export fields are game software (25%), security solutions (18%), financial IT solutions (15%), manufacturing ERP and MES (12%), and AI/data analytics (10%), in that order, with the US, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East as core target markets. Software companies transitioning to global SaaS models among Korean software companies are rapidly increasing, with more than 200 software companies estimated to have overseas sales exceeding 10 billion KRW as of 2025. As the software export support programs of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) are strengthened, the basis for small and medium-sized software companies' overseas expansion is further expanding.
Market Overview
The global software market is valued at approximately $650 billion as of 2024, with annual average growth of 11% projected through 2030, driven by rapidly increasing demand for cloud migration, AI integration, and cybersecurity. Korea's software and IT services exports totaled approximately $8 billion in 2023, with B2B enterprise software exports excluding game software growing rapidly at over 15% annually on average. Major export fields are game software (25%), security solutions (18%), financial IT solutions (15%), manufacturing ERP and MES (12%), and AI/data analytics (10%), in that order, with the US, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East as core target markets. Software companies transitioning to global SaaS models among Korean software companies are rapidly increasing, with more than 200 software companies estimated to have overseas sales exceeding 10 billion KRW as of 2025. As the software export support programs of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) are strengthened, the basis for small and medium-sized software companies' overseas expansion is further expanding.
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