Introduction to Korea KC Safety Certification

As of September 2011, 23 government departments and 8 mandatory certification systems require the use of the KC mark. Therefore, the KC mark serves as Korea’s unified certification mark.

The KC mark is divided into two certification categories: Electrical Product Safety Certification (Safety)and Radio Communication Equipment Conformity Certification (RRA).

KC Safety Certification

The legal basis for KC Safety Certification comes from:

- Korea’s Basic Product Safety Law

- Special Act on Safety of Children’s Products

- Electrical Appliances and Household Goods Safety Management Act

- Other related regulations

According to the Electrical Appliances and Household Goods Safety Management Act, product conformity assessment is classified into three categories based on safety risk level:

1. Safety Certification (High-risk electrical appliances)

 - Refers to electrical appliances using AC or DC power of 1,000 volts or less.

 - Applicable products: vacuum cleaners, rice cookers, humidifiers, lithium batteries, etc.

 - Only the actual manufacturercan apply for this certification.

2. Safety Confirmation (Medium-risk electrical appliances)

 - Applies to electrical appliances using 1,000 volts or lessof AC or DC power.

 - Components of storage equipment should use 1,500 volts or lessof AC or DC power.

 - Applicable products: water purifiers, vending machines, televisions, CD players, monitors, projectors, shredders, laptops, etc.

3. Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (sdoc) (Low-risk electrical appliances)

 - Applies to appliances using 1,000 volts or lessof AC or DC power.

 - Applicable products: electronic watches, satellite receivers, video cameras, audio processors, etc.

Assessment Requirements:

- Safety Certification: requires sample testing andfactory inspection.

- Safety Confirmation: requires third-party testing only.

- SDoC: manufacturer or importer signs a self-declaration based on qualified test reports.

If a client holds a cb test report and certificate issued by an organization that has signed an MOU with a local Korean laboratory, under certain conditions, KC Safety certification can be applied for through a certificate transfer processwithout sending samples to Korea.

All KC Safety certification bodies are accredited by the Korean Accreditation System (KAS), such as KTLand KTC.

Labeling Requirements

According to Section 7, Articles 57–59 of the Electrical Appliances and Household Goods Safety Management Act, electrical products that have obtained safety certification or safety confirmation must be marked with the KC mark and include the following information on the product and packaging:

1. KC Mark

2. Safety certification number or safety confirmation report number

3. Manufacturer’s name or importer’s name

4. Product name

5. Product model number

6. Rated specifications

7. Date of manufacture (can be indicated by date, batch number, or another coding system)

8. After-sales service contact information (commonly an A/S hotline)

China JJR Testing Laboratory provides Korea kc certification testing services.