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- Foreign investment zones refer to specially designated areas where the State government provides various incentives, such as the reduction and exemption of taxes and rents, and mitigates administrative regulation to induce investments of a specific minimum level or larger that contribute to the Korean economy through the advancement of the industry, technology transfer, job creation, etc. There are four types of foreign investment zones: complex-type, individual-type, research and development-type (R&D-type), and service-type.

- Foreign investment zones are divided into ① complex-type foreign investment zone, ② individual-type foreign investment zone, ③ R&D-type foreign investment zone, and ④ service-type foreign investment zone (refer to Subparagraph 1 through 4 of Article 18 (1) of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act).

- A complex foreign investment zone means an area designated for exclusive lease or transfer to a foreign-invested company from among national industrial complexes under Article 6 of the Industrial Sites and Development Act and general industrial complexes under Article 7 of the Industrial Location and Development Act (Subparagraph 1 of Article 18 (1) of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act and Subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Guidelines for Operation of Foreign Investment Zone).

- An individual foreign investment zone means an area designated as a foreign investor desires to invest when a foreign investor makes a foreign investment under Article 25 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act (Subparagraph 2 of Article 18 (1) of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act and Subparagraph 2 of Article 2 of the Guidelines for Operation of Foreign Investment Zone).

- An R&D–type foreign investment zone refers to an area designated for exclusive lease or transfer to a foreign-invested company performing R&D among the special research and development zones under Subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Special Act on the Promotion of Special Research and Development Zones, industrial technology complexes under Subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Act on Special Cases concerning the Support of Industrial Technology Complexes, knowledge industry centers under Subparagraph 13 of Article 2 of the Industrial Cluster Development and Factory Establishment Act, and high tech medical complexes under Subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Special Act on the Designation and Support of High-tech Medical Complexes (Subparagraph 3 of Article 18 (1) of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act and Article 25 (2) of the Enforcement Decree of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act).

- A service-type foreign investment zone means a service with high added value such as finance, which is designated after a consultation with the head of the related central administrative agency to lease or transfer to a foreign-invested company providing services prescribed in Article 25 (3) of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act (former part of Subparagraph 4 of Article 18 (1) of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act and Subparagraph 3 of Article 2 of the Guidelines for Operation of Foreign Investment Zone).

- In such cases, if deemed necessary for attracting foreign investment, it may be leased or transferred to an enterprise of the same type of business as a foreign-invested company within the scope of not more than 50% of the total designated area (the area of the total floor area of each floor in the case of a building) (latter part of Subparagraph 4 of Article 18 (1) of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act and Article 25 (4) of the Enforcement Decree of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act).

- The main contents of support for foreign-invested companies moving into foreign investment zones under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act shall be as follows.