🇰🇷 Asia · Korea

Korea KC Certification Guide

The KC certification system (Korea Certification) is managed by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS). Wireless, safety and EMC are all unified under the KC system. Testing must be done in Korean recognized laboratories or via CB report MOU mutual recognition.

Certification Overview

Certification	Regulator	Scope	Mandatory
KC RF	National Radio Research Agency (RRA)	Products with wireless transmitters	Mandatory
KC Safety	KATS/KTC/KTL/KTR	Mains-powered / battery-powered products	Mandatory
KC EMC	National Radio Research Agency (RRA)	All electronic devices	Mandatory
KEMCO Energy Efficiency	Korea Energy Agency	External power supplies, home appliances, etc.	Mandatory / Voluntary

CB reports can accelerate KC Safety! If you have a CB report + IEC 62368-1, most safety testing can be skipped, significantly saving time and cost. But Korea will still assess whether the CB report is sufficient and may require supplementary differences testing.

Three KC Safety Certification Modes

Identifying which mode your product falls into is critical — the cost differences are large

Mode	Applicable products	Certification method	Factory inspection	Timeline
Safety Certification (S-Mark)	Safety-critical products (power adapters, chargers, etc.)	Third-party mandatory certification	Required	4-8 weeks+
Safety Confirmation (Self-regulatory)	General consumer electronics (Bluetooth earphones, speakers, etc.)	Self-declaration + third-party test report	Not required	4-8 weeks
Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC)	Low-risk products	Self-declaration	Not required	1-2 weeks

KC RF Wireless Certification

Applicable Standards

Radio Equipment Technical Standards (RRA notice), referencing international standards such as ETSI EN 300 328 / EN 300 440

Test Items

Transmit power / frequency tolerance, occupied bandwidth, spurious emissions, receiver performance, SAR (where applicable)

Key Information

Sample quantity	1-2 units
Certification timeline	3-5 weeks
Certificate validity	Long-term valid
Korean representative	Required (local agent / importer)
Factory inspection	Not required (for the wireless part)

KC Safety Certification Standards

KC 62368-1

Audio/video and IT equipment safety, corresponding to IEC 62368-1. Tests: electrical strength, insulation resistance, touch current, temperature rise, abnormal tests, fire safety.

KC 60335 series

Home appliance safety. Tests: electrical strength, insulation, temperature rise, abnormal tests, mechanical protection.

KC 62133

Lithium battery safety. Tests: cell / battery pack safety tests. Essential for battery-powered products.

Environment & Energy Efficiency

Regulation	Restrictions / requirements	Scope
KC RoHS	Lead/mercury/cadmium/hexavalent chromium/PBBs/PBDEs	Electrical and electronic products, similar to EU RoHS
Recycling Act	Electronic waste recycling	Electrical and electronic products, requires registration
Energy Efficiency Management Act	Minimum efficiency standards, standby power limits	Mandatory for external power adapters, partially mandatory for home appliances

Other Key Requirements

KC mark

The KC mark and certification number must be affixed to the product, packaging and instruction manual, with strict requirements on size and format.

Korean manual

The manual and safety warnings must include Korean. English alone is not acceptable.

Korean representative

Both KC Safety and KC RF require a Korean local representative / importer.

Plug / voltage

CEE 7 / Type F variant (two round pins) at 220V/60Hz.

Antenna information

The antenna information of wireless products must be declared accurately; antenna changes require re-certification.

Battery note

Products containing batteries additionally require lithium battery safety test reports. Korea's battery safety requirements are becoming stricter.

FAQs

How do I distinguish KC Safety Certification from Safety Confirmation?

Most consumer electronics (Bluetooth earphones, speakers, cameras, etc.) fall under "Safety Confirmation", which requires testing + self-declaration. Power adapters, battery chargers, etc. may fall under "Safety Certification", requiring third-party certification + factory inspection. Check the product list in the KC notice for specifics.

How much can a CB report save?

If a CB report + IEC 62368-1 covers the KC standard requirements, most safety testing can be skipped, significantly saving time and cost. But Korea will still assess whether the CB report is sufficient and may require supplementary differences testing.

Must all three KC certifications (RF/EMC/Safety) be done together?

Not necessarily. They can be done separately, but given the convenience of sample and document preparation, it is usually more efficient to do them together.

What are the lithium battery requirements for KC certification?

KC Safety Confirmation generally does not include a mandatory KC 62133 certification requirement for lithium batteries (except for battery products and power banks). However, the RRA may require battery safety documentation during wireless product review. We recommend proactively preparing KC 62133 or IEC 62133 reports for products containing batteries.

Need KC certification?

Tell us your product type and we'll confirm the safety certification mode and an efficient certification route

📞 Free Consultation