Korean Journal of Psychology: General

Korean Psychological Association

The Korean Psychological Association was established in 1946 and has 15 divisions covering various fields of psychology: clinical psychology, counseling psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, social and personality psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive and biological psychology, cultural and social issues psychology, health psychology, woman psychology, consumer and advertising psychology, school psychology, forensic psychology, addiction psychology, coaching psychology, and psychological measurement and assessment.

The Korean Psychological Association contributes to the improvement of quality of life of the poeple and the mature development of society based on psychology. Its goals include enhancing members’ professional competence, promoting their rights and interests, and fostering professional ethics. The association conducts psychological research and academic activities, publishes and disseminates academic journals, supports members' research activities, promotes international academic exchanges, and initiates projects to enhance members' knowledge and skills.

Direct link to the Korean Psychological Association website: https://www.koreanpsychology.or.kr/

Korean Psychological Association: Articles of Incorporation

Chapter 1 General Principles

Article 1 (Purpose)

The purpose of this corporation is to contribute to the general welfare of society in accordance with the provisions of Article 32 of the Civil Code and the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Public Interest Corporations. It aims to contribute to the improvement of quality of life of the people and the mature development of society based on psychology. Additionally, it seeks to enhance members’ professional competence, promote their rights and interests, and foster professional ethics.

Article 2 (Name)

The name of this corporation is the Korean Psychological Association.

Article 3 (Location of the Office) 

The office of this corporation is located in Seoul Metropolitan City.

Article 4 (Business)

⓵ This corporation engages in the following business activities to achieve the purpose stated in Article 1.

1. Psychological research and academic activities

2. Journal publication and distribution business

3. Supporting members' research activities

4. International academic exchange program

5. Business for improving members' knowledge and skills

⓶ To cover the expenses of the purposeful business specified in Article 1, the following revenue-generating activities are conducted.

1. Type of certification

① Clinical psychologist

② Counseling psychologist (Levels 1 and 2)

③ Developmental psychologist (Levels 1 and 2)

④ Organizational psychologist (psychologist, therapist)

⑤ Criminal psychologist (Levels 1 and 2)

⑥ Health psychologist

⑦ Cognitive learning psychologist (Levels 1 and 2)

⑧ School psychologist (Levels 1 and 2)

⑨ Addiction psychologist (psychologist, therapist)

⑩ Coaching psychologist (Levels 1, 2, and 3)

⑪ General psychologist

2. Real estate rental business 

Article 5 (Beneficiaries of Corporate Contributions)

① Benefits provided to beneficiaries in serving the purposes of this corporation shall be provided free of charge. However, under unavoidable circumstances, beneficiaries may bear some of these costs with the approval of the relevant governing authority.

② Beneficiaries shall receive benefits from the business of a proper purpose without discrimination based on their place of birth, alma mater, workplace, occupation, or other social status.

Chapter 2. Member

Article 6 (Qualification and Types of Members) 

Anyone who wishes to become a member of this corporation must agree to its purpose, submit the designated application form, and receive approval from the board of directors through a qualification review. However, membership at the time of the founding assembly will be determined by the founding assembly regarding the selection of members.

① Members of this corporation are divided into regular, special, lifetime, associate, and institutional members.

② The qualifications, rights, and obligations based on membership type are governed by the operating regulations of the Korean Psychological Association.

Article 7 (Rights of Members)

① Members have rights specified in these articles of association.

② Members may exercise their voting rights through written documents or representatives.

Article 7.2 (Member’s Obligations)

All members, except lifetime members, are obligated to pay membership fees, comply with the articles of incorporation and regulations, and adhere to the decisions made by the general meeting, board of directors, and operating committee.

Article 7.3 (Suspension of Membership)

Members who fail to pay their membership fees within the designated payment period each year will have their membership status and rights suspended until the fees are fully paid.

Article 8 (Membership Withdrawal)

Members of this corporation may voluntarily withdraw.

Article 9 (Disciplinary Actions such as Expulsion of Members)

As a member of this corporation, if one engages in acts that are detrimental to the purposes of the corporation or bring damage to its reputation and honor, the chairman of the board may impose disciplinary measures, including removal, through a decision by the board of directors after deliberation by the Sanctions and Ethics Committee.

Chapter 3 Executives

Article 10 (Types and Number of Executives) 

This corporation shall appoint the following executives.

1. Directors: 5 individuals (including 1 chief director)

2. Auditor: 2

Article 11 (Term of Office for Executives)

① The term of office for directors and auditors is two years. However, the term of office for half of the initial executive officers is determined to be the corresponding period of half of their term.

② When a vacancy occurs during the term of an executive, the board of directors shall fill the vacancy through an election, and the term of office for the elected executive shall be the remaining period of the predecessor's term.

Article 12 (Appointment Method of Executives)

① Executives are elected at the general assembly and assume office after approval by the relevant governing authority.

② Dismissal of an executive before the end of their term shall be voted on by the board of directors and approved by the supervisory authority.

Article 13 (Election Method of the Chief Director and their Term of Office)

① The chief director is elected at the general meeting and assumes office after approval by the relevant governing authority.

② The term of office for the chief director is defined as the period during which they serve as a director.

Article 14 (Duties of Chief Director and Directors)

As an executive who registers executives with the jurisdictional court registry and is responsible for making final or sealing in relation to corporate affairs, the duties of the chief director and directors include the following:

① The chief director represents the corporation and oversees its operations.

② The directors attend board meetings to make decisions regarding the corporation's business and handle matters delegated to them by the board or chief director.

Article 15 (Appointment of an Acting Chief Director)

① When the chief director experiences an accident or the position becomes vacant, the board of directors appoints an acting chief director.

② The board of directors for the appointment mentioned in Paragraph 1 shall be convened upon the request of the majority of registered directors, and under the chairmanship of the oldest attending director, the board of directors shall appoint an acting chief director with the approval of the majority of attending directors.

Article 16 (Auditor’s Duties) 

Auditors do not register as executives at the competent court registry office, and their duties are as follows.

1. Monitoring property of the corporation (monitoring the corporation's property situation).

2. Investigating the operations and tasks of the general assembly and board of directors.

3. Demanding rectification of irregularities or illegalities found in the audit results under Paragraphs 1 and 2 at the board of directors or general meetings and reporting the matter to the governing authority if not corrected.

4. Requesting the convening of a general meeting or board of directors to make a report regarding Paragraph 3.

5. Expressing opinions to the chief director, general meeting, and board of directors regarding the financial status of the corporation or matters related to the operation and tasks of the general meeting or board of directors.

6. Signing or sealing the minutes of the general and the board meetings.

Chapter 4 General Meeting

Article 17 (Functions of General Meeting)

The general meeting decides on the following matters:

1. Matters concerning the election of executives

2. Matters related to amendment of the articles of incorporation

3. Approval of budgets and closing

4. Approval of business plans

5. Other important matters

Article 18 (Classification and Hosting of General Meetings)

⓵ The general meeting is divided into a regular general meeting and an extraordinary general meeting.

⓶ The regular general meeting is held once a year, and the date of the meeting is determined by the operating regulations.

⓷ When the chief director acknowledges the necessity, an extraordinary general meeting can be convened at any time.

⓸ The chief director notifies members of the meeting agenda, date, and location seven days prior to the meeting.

⓹ The general meeting can vote only on the matters notified in Paragraph 4.

⑥ The chairman of the general meeting is assumed by the chief director.

Article 19 (Quorum for Voting at a General Meeting)

⓵ The general meeting will commence with the attendance of a majority of registered regular members.

⓶ The motion shall be approved by a majority vote of attending regular members.

⓷ In the case of an equal number of votes, the chairperson makes the decision.

  ④ In the case of Article 7, Paragraph 2, the member in question shall be considered present.

Article 20 (Special Cases of Convening a General Meeting)

① The chief director must convene a general meeting within 20 days of receiving a demand for convocation subject to any of the following criteria:

1. When a majority of registered directors present the purpose of the meeting and request its convening

2. When the auditor requests a convocation based on Article 16, Paragraph 4

3. When more than one-third of regular members propose the purpose of the meeting and request its convening

② When the authority to convene a general meeting is vacant or has denied a convocation for more than 7 days, a general meeting may be convened with the approval of the governing authority by the affirmative votes of a majority of the registered directors or more than one-third of the regular members.

③ In the case of a general meeting under Paragraph 2, the oldest director among the attending directors presides over the meeting and appoints a chairperson.

Article 21 (Reasons for Dismissing the General Meeting Resolution)

If the president or member is subject to any of the following paragraphs, they may be ineligible to participate in general meetings:

1. In regard to the inauguration and dismissal of executives and matters concerning oneself.

2. Conflicts of interest between members and the corporation over monetary and property transactions.

Chapter 5 Board of Directors

Article 22 (Functions of the Board)

The board of directors deliberates and resolves the following matters.

1. Matters related to business executions

2. Matters related to the operation of business plans

3. Matters related to budget and settlement

4. Matters delegated at the general meeting

5. Matters pertaining to authority subject to articles of association

6. Other important matters necessary for corporate operations

Article 23 (Quorum)

① The board of directors cannot convene unless a majority of directors are present.

② The decisions of the board of directors are made by a majority vote of the attending directors. However, in the case of a tie, the chairperson makes the final decision.

③ For decision-making, the majority of attending directors must be nationals of the Republic of Korea.

④ The auditor may attend the board of executives and state their opinions.

Article 24 (Convocation of the Board)

① The board of directors is convened by the chief director, who becomes the chairperson.

② When intending to convene a meeting of the board of directors, the chief director must notify each director at least seven days prior to the meeting date, stating the purpose of the meeting, a general summary of the agenda, the date, and the location of the meeting.

③ The board of directors can only make decisions regarding the matters mentioned in Paragraph 2. However, if all registered directors are present and provide unanimous approval, they can be present for consideration when deciding on matters that have not been notified in advance.

Article 25 (Special Convocation of the Board of Directors)

① When there is a request for a convocation, the chief director must convene a board meeting within 20 days from the date of a demand subject to one of the following items.

1. When a majority of the registered members request the convening of a meeting by stating its purpose.

2. When the auditor requests a convocation based on Article 16, Paragraph 4.

② When the party with the authority to convene a board of directors is vacant or denies to do so, making it impossible to hold the meeting for seven days or more, the meeting can be convened with the approval of the governing authority by the consent of a majority of the registered directors present.

③ The board of directors’ meeting, based on Paragraph 2, designates its chairperson under the presidency of the oldest director among the attending directors.

Article 26 (Prohibition of Written Resolution)

The decision of the board of executives cannot be made by written resolution.

Chapter 6 Property and Accounting

Article 27 (Classification of Property)

① The property of this corporation is classified into core and non-core assets.

② Property subject to any of the following paragraphs shall be a core asset, and property other than a core asset shall be a non-core asset.

1. Property contributed as a core asset at the time of establishment.

2. Property acquired through donations or other means without charge.

However, property obtained with governing authority approval should be recognized as an exception due to its difficulty in being considered a core asset for donation purposes.

3. Property that is incorporated into the core asset through a resolution at the general meeting.

4. Surplus reserves in tax accounts.

③ The core assets of the corporation are as follows:

1. The core assets at the time of establishment, as listed in Annex 1.

2. The current core assets, as listed in Annex 2.

Article 28 Management of Property)

① When intending to sell, donate, lease, exchange, provide collateral, or waive the obligations or rights of the core asset specified in Article 30, Paragraph 3, approval from the board of directors and the consent of the general meeting are required, followed by obtaining permission from the governing authority.

② When a corporation acquires property through purchase, contributed acceptance, or obtained through other means, it must promptly incorporate it into its property.

③ The maintenance, preservation, and other management of core and non-core assets (excluding those specified in Paragraphs 1 and 2) shall be determined by the chief director.

④ When there are changes in the list of core assets or assessed values, the separate attachment should be promptly modified, and the amendment procedure for the articles of incorporation must be followed.

⑤ Corporation membership fees, financial income, and outcomes should be determined by the regulations (matters related to corporate membership fees, financial income, and expenses shall be stipulated in the operating regulations).

⑥ The amount of donation raised and its utilization shall be disclosed on the website of the Korean Psychological Association (http://www.koreanpsychology.or.kr) and National Tax Service by March 31 of the following year.

        Article 29 (Assessment of Property)

The assessment of all corporate property is based on fair market value at the time of acquisition. However, any property that has undergone assessment will be recorded at its reevaluated value.

Article 30 (Methods of Procuring Expenditures, etc.)

The expenses necessary for the maintenance and operation of the corporation are procured through core asset proceeds, business profits, membership fees, and other income sources.

Article 31 (Classification of Accounting)

① The corporation’s accounting is divided into accounting for the target business and profitable business.

② In the case of Paragraph 1, profits subject to corporate tax under the provisions of the Corporate Tax Act and corresponding expenses are accounted for in profitable business accounting. Other revenues and expenses are accounted for in target business accounting.
  ③ In the case of Paragraph 2, expenses that are difficult to distinguish between target business accounting and profitable business accounting shall be allocated in accordance with the provisions of the Corporate Tax Act on the Allocation of Common Expenses.

Article 32 (Principles of Accounting)

The accounting of a corporation processes all accounting transactions based on the facts of occurrence, in accordance with the principles of corporate accounting, to accurately assess the operational performance and financial position of the business.

Article 33 (Fiscal Year)

The fiscal year of the corporation complies with that of the government.

Article 34 (Non-budgetary Liabilities, etc.)

Obligations or waivers of debts require approval through a resolution by the board of directors and consent during a meeting with permission from the governing authority. However, in the case of borrowing funds (hereinafter referred to as "long-term borrowings") that cannot be repaid with income for the current fiscal year, the amount of the desired long-term borrowing shall be deemed acceptable if it is equal to or less than 5% of the total core assets after deducting the total liabilities at the time of borrowing.

Article 35 (Prohibition of Property Loans to Executives, etc.)

① The property of the corporation cannot be lent or used without fair consideration of the corporation and any person subject to any of the following items:

1. Founder of corporation.

2. Corporation’s executives.

3. A person who is related by blood to the person described in Paragraphs 1 and 2 according to Article 777 of the Civil Law or another corporation where he/she holds an executive position.

4. A person closely affiliated with the corporation in relation to property.

② Even in the case of an individual who does not fall under the provisions of each subparagraph of Paragraph 1, they may not borrow or use the corporation’s property without proper compensation unless there is a justifiable reason in accordance with the purpose of the corporation.

Article 36 (Budget of Tax Revenues and Expenditures)

The corporation’s revenue and expenditure budget are submitted to the governing authority along with the business plan one month prior to the start of each fiscal year after obtaining the decision of the board of directors and approval from the general meeting.

Chapter 7 Supplement

Article 37 (Dissolution)

When the corporation intends to dissolve, it must obtain approval from the governing authority by passing a resolution with the approval of at least three-fourths of the registered regular members at the general meeting.

Article 38 (Reversion of Property of Dissolved Corporation)

When the corporation is dissolved, the remaining property shall be vested in the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

Article 39 (Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation)

When amending the articles of incorporation of the corporation, approval from two-thirds or more of the registered directors and a resolution in a general meeting are required, and permission from the governing authority must be obtained.

Article 40 (Enforcement Regulations)

Detailed matters necessary for implementing these articles of association shall be determined by the board of directors and will require approval from the general meeting.

Article 41 Public Notice and Method

Matters prescribed by law and changes regarding the name and office location of the corporation shall be announced in the Seoul Shinmun.

Article 42 Initial Executive Term at Establishment

The executives and their terms of office at the time of the corporation's establishment are as follows:

Supplementary Regulations

Article 1 (Effective Date): These articles of association shall come into effect on the date they receive approval from the governing authority.