Despite its small size, South Korea is one of the most technologically and electronically advanced places in the world. Most foreign manufacturers dream of being able to sell their products in this country. It is not so difficult if you strictly follow the modern rules of standardization and certification of South Korea.
KC Certification is a mandatory and self-regulated safety verification scheme under Korean laws that control the electrical appliance market. Such a certificate confirms the safety of production and sale of equipment. The development of standards and regulations in the country is overseen by the Korea Technology and Standards Agency (KATS). At the moment, there are more than 20,000 standards (KS) that foreign manufacturers must follow. Most of them are written in Korean.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE KC MARK?
Korea Certification focuses on the prevention and reduction of safety, health, or environmental risks. KC certification is a mandatory certification for electronic and electrical products. All legal entities or individuals, both in the country and abroad, who are engaged in the production, assembly, and processing of electrical appliances can apply. The list of required documents includes: Application;
Product label;
Description of equipment;
List of all product details;
List of derived models;
Wiring diagram and location;
Parts certificate;
Specification of transformers and inductors;
CB certificate and protocol.
The certification process requires several steps: • Preparation of documents, filling out an application and sending a sample; • Carrying out tests of samples; • Preparation of a test report; • In some cases, an audit of the production factory is carried out; • Obtaining a certificate if approved.
WHY IS KC MARK IMPORTANT?
Despite the small size of the country, South Korea has become home to many global brands in the electronic equipment industry. Many manufacturers are seeking to gain access to the Korean market as this will significantly increase the number of consumers, as well as gain a competitive advantage. KC Mark Certification is a mandatory condition that an electrical appliance seller must fulfill.
KC MARK CERTIFICATION – MARKING
The KC marking appeared in 2009 when Korean authorities decided to combine several different markings at once into one system. This not only simplified the process of obtaining a certificate for manufacturers but also reduced the time and cost for both parties. If your product meets IEC international standards, it will not be difficult for you to get KC Mark, as their requirements are not very different.
Once all tests have been passed and your product has been certified, the KC label, along with certain additional information, must be affixed to your equipment. Requirements may vary by product category.
Mandatory information on the label includes: • KC logo; • Model and name of the device; • Date of manufacture; • Rated voltage.
DURATION OF THE KC CERTIFICATION
The time it takes to get a KC certificate depends on several factors:
The speed of preparing a list of documents.
Product testing. Depending on the category of electrical equipment, this process can take from several weeks to a couple of months.
In some cases, the requirements for obtaining a certificate include an audit of the factory where the electrical appliance is manufactured.
Usually, the process takes about 4 months if the applicant did not make mistakes when filling out the documents or serious errors were not detected during the testing of the equipment.
KC CERTIFICATION AUTHORITIES
KATS is a Korean organization that sets the KS certification rules for foreign electrical equipment manufacturers if they want to sell their products in South Korea. This is one of the most important functions of the agency, although in fact the list of their duties is quite long and concerns standardization, certification, and the influence of foreign companies on the market in the country. Industrial Product Safety Management and Supervision Law and Electrical Appliance Safety Law are used for electrical equipment that is tested for certification.
Permission to conduct tests have: • Korean Institute of Testing and Research (KTR) • Korean Testing Laboratory (KTL) • Korean Test Certification (KTC)
HOW 360COMPLIANCE CAN HELP YOU?
Getting KC certification allows you to enter the Korean market. Despite the clear requirements of the Korean authorities, the applicant may make a mistake, due to which the process may be greatly delayed and require additional financial costs. To avoid such problems, manufacturers can trust specialists in the field of certification of electronic equipment.
360compliance experts are familiar with all the nuances of Korean law and have enough experience to help you get the KC label the first time. We offer assistance at every stage of certification, from the preparation of documents to the assistance in conducting the necessary product tests. With 360compliance, you will be able to enter the South Korean market faster. Please contact 360compliance if you have any questions.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
