Who this decision is for
- A global company with an established .com domain deciding where the Korean version should live before a developer starts building.
- A brand with a Korean partner or subsidiary that wants a local domain and needs to know what that means for search and control.
- An SEO or web lead who must configure hreflang and canonical tags for a new Korean section.
- A founder wondering whether to register a .kr address, and what registration requirements might apply.
The decision to make
This decision fixes how Korean pages relate to the rest of your web presence. A subfolder keeps everything under one domain and shares its authority and infrastructure. A separate domain gives a local identity and independent control but must build its own visibility. A subdomain gives technical separation while remaining part of your brand.
The trade-off is unity against independence. Central teams often prefer one domain for consistency, while Korean subsidiaries may want autonomy over content, hosting and analytics. Changing later is possible but requires redirects and care. Choose according to who will run the Korean site, not just search theory.
Options compared
| Option | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Subfolder on the main domain, such as /ko/ | One central team manages all languages and you want simple maintenance and shared brand strength. | Korean content is bound to the global platform, templates and release schedule. |
| Subdomain, such as ko.example.com | You need technical separation, such as different hosting or a distinct CMS, but keep the brand domain. | Search engines may treat it more separately, and it requires its own analytics and setup. |
| Separate Korean or .kr domain | A Korean entity operates independently and local identity or ownership matters to buyers. | Needs its own visibility building, registration checks and disciplined links back to the global brand. |
Risks to manage
- Broken language linking. Missing or inconsistent hreflang and canonical tags confuse search engines. Validate annotations across all language versions after each change.
- Registration requirements. Some country domains have eligibility rules. Confirm current requirements with the registrar and, where needed, qualified Korean advisers before planning around one.
- Split analytics and ownership. Separate domains produce separate reports and access lists. Define accounts, permissions and reporting from the start.
- Costly later migration. Moving structures after launch needs redirects and monitoring. Decide with a two-year view of who will operate the site.
Evidence to gather first
- Who will own and edit Korean content, and whether they need independence from the global release process.
- Your current domain, CMS and hosting setup, including any restrictions on adding languages or separate hosting.
- Whether a Korean legal entity, partner or distributor will operate the site and whether they need control of the domain.
- How Korean buyers find and check companies in your category, including whether local domains appear common in your market.
Recommended process
- Map ownership and goals. SWIN interviews your team about who runs Korean marketing, how quickly content changes and how separate the Korean business is.
- Compare structures. We weigh subfolder, subdomain and separate domain against your CMS, hosting, brand and staffing, and explain trade-offs in plain language.
- Recommend a structure. We give a written recommendation with the reasoning and the conditions under which we would choose differently.
- Plan URLs and language linking. We define URL patterns, hreflang and canonical rules, redirects and sitemap approach before any pages are built.
- Implement and validate. During the build we check that language annotations, indexing and redirects work as planned, then monitor after launch.
What SWIN can deliver
- Written domain and architecture recommendation with alternatives considered.
- URL pattern guide for Korean pages, including naming rules.
- Hreflang and canonical implementation plan for all language versions.
- Redirect and sitemap plan for launch or future migration.
- Ownership and access checklist for domains, hosting and analytics.