- Singapore: 17% headline corporate tax, fast incorporation, regional hub.
- Japan: largest market; a founder’s business manager visa now needs substantial capital.
- Korea: 10–25% tax plus local tax; D-8 investor visa from KRW 100 million.
- Choose by where your customers are, not by the headline tax rate.
Founders looking at Asia usually shortlist the same three countries. Each is open to foreign owners and well run; each offers a different trade-off between tax, market size and the cost of living there yourself.
| South Korea | Singapore | Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline corporate tax | 10–25% + local tax | 17% | about 30% effective |
| Minimum capital | None by law | None in practice | None by law |
| Founder visa | D-8: KRW 100m per investor | EntrePass and other passes | Business manager: high capital threshold |
| Incorporation | 2–3 weeks | Days | Several weeks |
| Market | 52 million, highly digital | Regional hub | 125 million, domestic |
Simplified comparison. Each country has incentives and conditions not shown here.
Singapore: the efficient hub
Fast incorporation, low headline tax and a deep financial sector make Singapore the default regional holding and treasury location. It is less of a market in itself: Singapore companies usually sell into the rest of Asia.
Japan: the big domestic market
Japan offers scale and loyal customers, with a higher cost of entry for founders who want to move there: the business manager visa has become considerably more demanding on capital.
South Korea: speed and a reachable visa
Korea combines a large, fast, intensely digital market with a progressive corporate tax that is light on small companies — 11% on the first KRW 200 million including local tax — and an investor visa from KRW 100 million. For a founder who wants to live where the customers are, that is a rare combination.
Choose by where your customers are, not by the headline tax rate.
Questions readers ask
Is it easier to set up a company in Korea or Singapore?
Singapore is faster to incorporate; Korea offers a larger domestic market and a reachable investor visa.
Which has lower corporate tax?
Singapore’s 17% headline rate is lower than Korea’s top rate, but Korea taxes the first KRW 200 million of profit at 11% including local tax.
Can I live in Korea as a company owner?
Yes, on the D-8 investor visa with at least KRW 100 million invested per investor.
Which country is best for an Asian holding company?
Often Singapore; for a business that sells in Korea, a Korean company is usually simpler.