A vertical GaN-based LED includes: an n-electrode; a light-emitting structure in which an n-type GaN layer, an active layer, and a p-type GaN layer are sequentially formed under the n-electrode; a p-electrode formed under the light-emitting structure; a passivation layer formed to cover the side and bottom surfaces of the light-emitting structure and expose a predetermined portion of the p-electrode, the passivation layer being formed of a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR); a plating seed layer formed under the passivation layer and the p-electrode; and a support layer formed under the plating seed layer.