Currency Reproduction Guidelines

What You Need to Know before Reproducing Currency

• Copyright of Bank of Korea banknotes and coins is owned by the Bank of Korea. Please follow the “Guidelines for the Reproduction of Bank of Korea Notes and Coins” for any reproduction of the currency.
• These guidelines are designed for the general public to comply with, in order to prevent any degradation of the integrity of the national currency due to reckless reproduction and to prevent any attempt at counterfeiting or forgery. Central banks, including the Bank of Korea, design these guidelines to encourage desirable practices concerning the reproduction of their currencies.
• The Bank of Korea closely monitors the use of any currency replicas to prevent the risks of counterfeiting and forgery. Any individual intending to create currency replicas must acquire permission from the Bank of Korea as per the guidelines below. If the replicas are no longer used, or the period of usage expires, the replicas should be destroyed at the Bank of Korea or at a venue designated by the Bank of Korea, in the presence of a Bank employee. Please refer to Section 6 of the guidelines to seek approval from the Bank of Korea.
• The Bank of Korea established its “Guidelines for the Reproduction of Bank of Korea Notes and Coins” in 1999 in order to set desirable practices for currency reproduction. The guidelines were revised in September 2024.

Guidelines for the Reproduction of Bank of Korea Notes and Coins

1. 1 Purpose
2. The purpose of the “Guidelines for the Reproduction of Bank of Korea Notes and Coins” is to set a range of desirable practices for using the design of Bank of Korea notes and coins (hereafter “the currency design”), thereby preventing any attempts at counterfeiting, or forgery, and the degradation of the integrity of the national currency due to reckless reproduction.
3. 2 Definition
4. “Reproduction” shall refer to the production or use of any tangible or intangible image derived from all or part of the currency design, or from individual design elements, such as color, dimensions, letters, or symbols that may resemble or give the general impression of genuine currency.
5. 3 General Principles
6. The currency design may be used freely under these guidelines. However, none of the following cases shall be allowed.

   A. Reproductions that may encourage counterfeiting or forgery, or mislead as genuine.
   B. Reproductions that may separate the portraits from the overall design, or distort the portraits.
   C. Reproductions that may represent obscenity, violence, gambling, hatred, or any other socially unacceptable practice, or that may undermine the integrity of the currency.


7. 4 Using Images of Banknotes and Coins
1. ① Images of banknotes on printed media, such as books, newspapers, and magazines, must meet the following conditions. Refer to Example 1

   A. The size must be either at least 50% larger or at least 25% smaller than the actual banknote, while maintaining the width-to-height ratio.
   B. The word “SPECIMEN“ or “보기“ must be marked on part of an image, excluding the portrait, in a size larger than the words “Bank of Korea“ at the top center of the front side, and in a bold color that differs distinctly from the main colors of the genuine notes, and must be plainly discernible and inseparable from the genuine note.


2. ② Paragraph 1 shall apply to images printed on a similar material to that used for genuine notes, and also to images using only parts of the design.
3. ③ Paragraph 1 shall apply to prints of banknote images on digital media, such as web pages, e-books, and videos.
   
4. ④ Paragraph 1, 2, and 3 shall not apply to the use of coin images.


5 Creating Replicas

Replicas using materials or an appearance similar to genuine currency (hereafter “currency replica“), must meet the following conditions.

   A. The size of a replica banknote must be either at least 100% larger or at least 50% smaller than the actual note, while maintaining the width-to-height ratio, and its material must be clearly distinguishable from that of a genuine note. Refer to Example 2
   B. The size of a replica coin must be either at least 50% larger or 25% smaller than the actual coin, and must not be produced using metallic materials. Refer to Example 3


8. 6 Request of Approval for Replicas
9. Reproductions are permitted without the approval of the Bank of Korea, provided that the requirements specified in Section 5 are met. However, anyone seeking to reproduce the currency in a way other than those prescribed in Section 5 must obtain prior approval for reproduction by submitting an electronic application at the Bank of Korea website containing the following information. Request of Approval for Replicas

   A. Name(s), national identification number(s)/business registration number(s), and address(es) of the users of the currency likeness or image.
   B. Purpose of the reproduction and duration of use.
   C. Image and size of the design to be used.
   D. Draft design marked with the name of the project or item, name(s) and phone number(s) of the business(es) and contact person(s), and the number of copies. Refer to Example 4
   E. Other details deemed necessary and requested by the Bank of Korea.


7 Approval for Replica Production

10. Anyone seeking approval to use a banknote replica must submit an application as specified in Section 6, along with a physical sample of the replica to the Bank of Korea for verification. The sample must maintain the same width-to-height ratio as the original banknote, and each dimension should be at least 10 mm larger than the original.

8  Approval for Use of Replicas & Their Destruction

1. ① The Bank of Korea may grant its approval provided that the request is recognized as complying with the purpose stipulated in Section 6, above.
2. ② Permission from the Bank of Korea is valid for six months from the date it is given.
3. ③ An application for an extension of the term of validity must be made to the Bank of Korea no later than seven business days prior to the expiry date. In principle, extensions shall be granted one time only, and the extended period must not exceed three months.
   
4. ④ Once the authorized period has expired, all physical items must be irreversibly destroyed at the Bank of Korea or at a location designated by the Bank. All negatives, plates, digitized storage media, or graphic files must also be irreversibly destroyed or deleted immediately after their final use.



9 Warning and Corrective Action

1. ① The Bank of Korea may issue a warning and call for corrective action to be taken against any currency reproductions in violation of these guidelines.
2. ② If appropriate measures are not taken despite warnings or requests for corrective action, the individual may be held civilly and criminally liable under the Criminal Act or the Copyright Act.



10 Full responsibility for any issues arising from the reproduction of currency beyond these guidelines lies with the reproducer.