.png)
KC certification in Korea
In Korea, products need to gain approval for relevant certifications before being sold on the market, especially electrical and electronic products.
Main types of certification in Korea for electrical and electronic products: KC (Safety/EMC/RF) certification, Energy Efficiency certification.
KC Certification
KC Certification, also known as Korea Certification, is a product certification that ensures product compliance with Korean safety standards - called K Standards. KC Certification (KC Mark Korea Certification) is a mandatory safety label applied to many types of products imported and sold/used in the Korean market.
The KC Mark and corresponding KC Certificate are similar to the European CE mark and are valid for 730 different products such as auto parts, machinery and many electronic products. This test mark confirms that the product meets the relevant Korean Safety Standards.
1. KC Safety
KC Safety is a mandatory certification to sell or import products into the Korean market. It is based on Article 5 of the Electrical Equipment Safety Management Act.
KC Safety has 3 types of certification:
There are three different certification types in the KC certification system for each of the three product categories. The various certification types are product specific and differ in terms of the scope and complexity of the certification process.
Type 1: Safety Certification
Type 1 represents the most complex certification process with the most stringent requirements. Korean manufacturers or Korean importers of products requiring safety certification should apply to a certification organization to certify the safety of products according to the decree of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy of Korea. countries, conduct product testing to safety standards to determine product compliance and evaluate factories to confirm whether they continue to produce products subject to safety certification and ensure To ensure the safety of products, they must be certified for safety before leaving the warehouse. A surveillance review will then be conducted every two years and include sample testing.
List of products in type 1:
Electric wires and power supplies, electrical switches, power supply capacitors and filters, electrical product accessories, protective electrical accessories, insulating transformers, electrical appliances, electrical appliances, audio and video equipment, information and communication office equipment, lighting equipment, etc. (39 types)
Type 2: Safety Confirmation - Safety Confirmation
Manufacturers or importers of products that must be certified as safe will apply to a certification or testing organization to test the safety of a variety of products and apply for safety certification. safety confirmation after confirming whether their products meet safety standards.
Manufacturers or importers announcing safety certification for products must submit safety certification registration applications and other documents for each type of product to the certification agency before the product leaves the warehouse or before notification. mandarin. Manufacturers outside of Korea can entrust agents in Korea to declare and confirm safety.
List of products in type 2:
Electrical switches, insulating transformers, electrical appliances, audio and video equipment, information and communication office equipment, lighting, etc. (63 types)
Type 3: Supplier compliance confirmation - Supplier compliance confirmation
The manufacturer or importer must ensure and be able to demonstrate that the product meets Korean standards. In this type, manufacturers or importers can conduct internal testing or entrust third-party testing organizations to test the product before leaving the warehouse or before customs clearance.
List of products in type 3:
Electrical appliances, power tools, video and audio equipment, information and communication office equipment, lighting, etc. (71 types)
KC Certification
KC Certification, also known as Korea Certification, is a product certification that ensures product compliance with Korean safety standards - called K Standards. KC Certification (KC Mark Korea Certification) is a mandatory safety label applied to many types of products imported and sold/used in the Korean market.
The KC Mark and corresponding KC Certificate are similar to the European CE mark and are valid for 730 different products such as auto parts, machinery and many electronic products. This test mark confirms that the product meets the relevant Korean Safety Standards.
1. KC Safety
KC Safety is a mandatory certification to sell or import products into the Korean market. It is based on Article 5 of the Electrical Equipment Safety Management Act.
KC Safety has 3 types of certification:
There are three different certification types in the KC certification system for each of the three product categories. The various certification types are product specific and differ in terms of the scope and complexity of the certification process.
Type 1: Safety Certification
Type 1 represents the most complex certification process with the most stringent requirements. Korean manufacturers or Korean importers of products requiring safety certification should apply to a certification organization to certify the safety of products according to the decree of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy of Korea. countries, conduct product testing to safety standards to determine product compliance and evaluate factories to confirm whether they continue to produce products subject to safety certification and ensure To ensure the safety of products, they must be certified for safety before leaving the warehouse. A surveillance review will then be conducted every two years and include sample testing.
List of products in type 1:
Electric wires and power supplies, electrical switches, power supply capacitors and filters, electrical product accessories, protective electrical accessories, insulating transformers, electrical appliances, electrical appliances, audio and video equipment, information and communication office equipment, lighting equipment, etc. (39 types)
Type 2: Safety Confirmation - Safety Confirmation
Manufacturers or importers of products that must be certified as safe will apply to a certification or testing organization to test the safety of a variety of products and apply for safety certification. safety confirmation after confirming whether their products meet safety standards.
Manufacturers or importers announcing safety certification for products must submit safety certification registration applications and other documents for each type of product to the certification agency before the product leaves the warehouse or before notification. mandarin. Manufacturers outside of Korea can entrust agents in Korea to declare and confirm safety.
List of products in type 2:
Electrical switches, insulating transformers, electrical appliances, audio and video equipment, information and communication office equipment, lighting, etc. (63 types)
Type 3: Supplier compliance confirmation - Supplier compliance confirmation
The manufacturer or importer must ensure and be able to demonstrate that the product meets Korean standards. In this type, manufacturers or importers can conduct internal testing or entrust third-party testing organizations to test the product before leaving the warehouse or before customs clearance.
List of products in type 3:
Electrical appliances, power tools, video and audio equipment, information and communication office equipment, lighting, etc. (71 types)
2. KC EMC/RF
KC EMC/RF is mandatory certification to sell or import the products into Korean market. The products which falls into this category need to have EMC/RF test. This is regulated by the Article 58 (2) of the Radio Waves Act.
This certification includes 3 types: Conformity of Certification (CoC), Conformity of Registration (CoR) and Interim of Conformity (IoC) .
Conformity of Certification (CoC):
Equipment that can be harmful for the radio environment, the broadcasting communication network, and devices that during normal operation can be affected by radio waves are subject this certification. For example, base stations, Bluetooth speakers, CDMA, PCS, WCDMA, cellular phones, IoT equipment, LoRA, LTE, LTE-A, radar equipment for ships, repeaters, RF modules, telephones, wireless keyboards, wireless LANs, wireless mousses, wireless modems, etc.
Conformity of Registration (CoR):
Broadcasting and communication equipment that is not subject to CoC is subject to registration. For example, computers and peripheral equipment, measuring instruments, industrial devices, connectors, RF Receiver only, NFC, RFID, etc.
Interim of Conformity (IoC): This scheme is used for new electrical and electronic products that do not have a conformity standard yet.
KC EMC/RF is mandatory certification to sell or import the products into Korean market. The products which falls into this category need to have EMC/RF test. This is regulated by the Article 58 (2) of the Radio Waves Act.
This certification includes 3 types: Conformity of Certification (CoC), Conformity of Registration (CoR) and Interim of Conformity (IoC) .
Conformity of Certification (CoC):
Equipment that can be harmful for the radio environment, the broadcasting communication network, and devices that during normal operation can be affected by radio waves are subject this certification. For example, base stations, Bluetooth speakers, CDMA, PCS, WCDMA, cellular phones, IoT equipment, LoRA, LTE, LTE-A, radar equipment for ships, repeaters, RF modules, telephones, wireless keyboards, wireless LANs, wireless mousses, wireless modems, etc.
Conformity of Registration (CoR):
Broadcasting and communication equipment that is not subject to CoC is subject to registration. For example, computers and peripheral equipment, measuring instruments, industrial devices, connectors, RF Receiver only, NFC, RFID, etc.
Interim of Conformity (IoC): This scheme is used for new electrical and electronic products that do not have a conformity standard yet.
After the KC Mark registration has been successfully completed, the KC logo must be marked on the product. Depending on the type of certification, the logo must be marked in either gold (10YR 6/4) or black (N 2) for Type 1 and blue (5PB 2/8) or black (N 2) for Type 2 products. This KC Mark certification label confirms certification and that the respective product complies with the Korean safety standard.
In addition to the certificate number, certain product-dependent information (e.g., model name, manufacturer’s name, support hotline and power supply details) usually need to be indicated on the KC label. This information must be in Korean (with English also being added optionally).
