Simplification of Korea KC Certification Process

On April 1, 2026, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) issued Announcement No. 2026-56. Based on relevant revisions to the Enforcement Rules of the Electrical Appliances and Household Goods Safety Control Act, the certification system for some electrical appliances under safety management has been adjusted. Details are as follows:

Products Covered (5 Categories)

1. Vacuum Cleaners (including dry, wet, steam, high-pressure washers, etc.)

2. Electric Washing Machines, Dehydrators, All-in-one Washing Machines

3. Electric Dryers (including rotary electric dryers, hand dryers, fabric care machines, etc.)

4. Microwave Ovens (products using 300MHz ~ 30GHz frequency band)

5. Bathroom Electrical Appliances (including bidets, electric toilet seats, wastewater suction devices, etc.)

Key Changes

The above products have been converted from the original Safety Certification system to the Safety Confirmation system. Main changes include:

1．Elimination of mandatory factory inspection
Under the new system, enterprises no longer need time- and labor-consuming on-site factory audits for certification applications.

2．Simplified process & shorter certification lead time
Removal of the factory inspection step greatly improves certification efficiency and significantly shortens time-to-market for Korea.

3．Exemption from annual surveillance (factory audit + sample testing)
Enterprises are no longer required to conduct annual reviews including factory inspections and supervisory sampling, reducing ongoing compliance burdens. Regulatory focus will shift to product design and testing compliance.

Transitional Measures

1. Before the new regulation takes effect:

①　Products already certified under Safety Certification, Safety Test, or exempted from Safety Certification shall be deemed to have completed Safety Confirmation notification or corresponding exemption.

②　Products under application for Safety Certification or Safety Test shall be deemed to be undergoing Safety Confirmation notification or Safety Test.

2. Existing certifications remain valid
No additional costs or process interruptions will result from the system adjustment.