South Korea KC Certificate Services

General Information:

Electrical and electronic products are subject to mandatory KC Certification. The KC certification scheme includes safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and radio Frequency (RF) requirements.

Under the KC Safety certification scheme many types of equipment require safety approval. Electrical and electronic equipment are categorized into Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3:

Type 1 (Mandatory Safety Certification): Consist of 53 product categories (e.g. Hazardous location, heavy machinery, firefighting equipment) that are considered as posing comparatively more danger to consumers. These products must be tested in-country by a KATS* certified laboratory, and require certification and registration by KATS*.

Type 2 (Self Declaration Certification): Consist of 93 product categories that are considered to be less dangerous to consumers (such as A/V and ITE equipment). Products under this category do not require in-country testing, but do require certification an registration by KATS* are required to meet safety standards without factory inspection or on-going market surveillance.

Type 3 (Declaration of Conformity – DoC): Consist of 33 product categories that are considered to be not dangerous to consumers (e.g. less than 50V). Products under this category are required to meet safety standards either by in-house or third-party testing. No KATS registration or certification is required.

*KATS: Korean Agency for Technology and Standards.

All electrical and electronic equipment requires KC EMC certification. Equipment incorporating radios, RF or wireless requires KC RF certification. The national certification body for KC EMC and RF certification is the RRA (National Radio Research Agency).

Once a product has received KC certification, the KC logo and product certificate number must be labeled on the name plate of the product.

Challenges Obtaining and Maintaining KC Certification

Obtaining South Korea certifications can be tricky, and delays can occur from not going in with the right test plan, or having the right regulatory information. The following are preventable issues that can cause delays:

Initial test plan not designed to leverage base model or wireless module to the full extent
Not understanding complex certification requirements for specific product type/category
Not having in-country representative and representation to ensure compliance
Submitting incorrect forms and documents to Korean certification bodies
EMC reports are rejected due to incorrect testing to Korean national deviations
Certificate expirations cause unexpected lapse in coverage

How Can We Help?

G&M utilizes the following practices to achieve a fast and efficient KC certification:

Develop a test plan that maximizes certification coverage of current and future products based on product type, and wireless module type (if applicable)
Determine which mandatory certifications are required based on product type/category
Work with local Korean authorities to expedite certification
Review and validate EMC reports for correct test procedures
Track and alert customers of upcoming annual renewals of certificates with G&M’s proprietary Certificate Alert and Tracking System (CATS)

G&M Compliance has established partners in South Korea to ensure that the certification process is completed in a timely manner. Our compliance experts understand the regulations and technical requirements necessary to minimize the risk of certification delays or rejection. In addition we stay updated on ever-changing regulations and requirements.

For more information, additional questions, or to request a quote – Please submit an online RFQ, Contact Us, or call.

Other Korea Certifications

For electrical products, depending on the type of equipment, certifications other than KC may be required for Korea. Additional approvals such as energy efficiency (KEMCO) and medical device registration (KFDA) may apply in Korea. In addition all manufactures/importers selling products in Korea must register with the Korea Products Safety Association (KPSA) (link to http://www.ksafety.kr)

Certification Details

KC Safety Certification for Type 1 Products

Certification Mark: Yes – KC Mark
In-Country Representation: Required
In-Country Testing: Required
Expiration Details: Certificate expires 1 year after issuance
Continuing Surveillance: Factory inspection and market surveillance are required

KC Safety Certification for Type 2/3 Products

Certification Mark: Yes – KC Mark
In-Country Representation: Not Required
In-Country Testing: Not Required
Expiration Details: Certificate expires 5 years after issuance
Continuing Surveillance: No Factory inspection or market surveillance

KC EMC + RF Wireless Certification

Certification Mark: Yes – KC Mark
In-Country Representation: Not Required
In-Country Testing: Not Required
Expiration Details: No Certificate Expiration
Continuing Surveillance: No Factory Inspection and no market surveillance

Outsource Homologation Management

We have found that often times certification bottlenecks can occur within a manufacturer’s organization. As a result, we offer a service to provide internal help managing regulatory certification tasks. Because G&M is not a certification body, we are in a unique position to offer valuable regulatory expertise without any conflict of interest issues. In such cases we place G&M certification experts into our customers’ organizations to manage the certification process for them. Once on the inside, our managers can leverage G&Ms collective experience to guide certification processes in an efficient and cost-effective manner. To learn more about this service see our Homologation Management Service Page.

Certificate Alert and Tracking System (CATS)

Untimely expirations of certificates can cause delays in product deliveries. Re-certification of products will generally be treated as new submittals instead of certificate renewals. This can be time-consuming and costly. G&M provides a web-based certification tracking system that alerts users when expirations are coming, provides on-line storage of important certification documentation, and is searchable by certification specific criteria. For more information on this system see our CATS page.

South Korea KC Services