Based on current regulations, various types of telecommunications and ICT devices are required to obtain type approval certificates before entering and being marketed South Korea. Therefore, it is important for manufacturers to understand the process of type approval certification for telecommunications and ICT devices in South Korea. The type approval certification in South Korea commonly known as KC certification. KC certification is a mandatory certification scheme that cover various type of products, including telecommunications and ICT devices.
In this article we will discuss all about South Korea KC certification for telecommunications and ICT devices before being marketed in South Korea.
Type approval certification in South Korea
Before manufacturers importing their telecommunications devices to South Korea, they need to prepare type approval certification first. In South Korea, the type approval certification is called KC certification. As its name, KC stands for “Korea Certification”. The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) is South Korea’s national institution under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) that responsible on managing national technical standards and KC certification.
KC certification covers many product categories, such as electronics, home appliances, toys and including the telecommunications devices under the broadcasting and communications product category. KC certificate for telecommunications devices under the broadcasting and communications equipment category will be issued by National Radio Research Agency (RRA).
RRA is South Korea’s national institution under the Ministry of Science and ICT that responsible to research of radio resources and radio wave environments in South Korea. Besides, RRA also bear to the type approval certification, testing and conducts follow-up management of broadcasting and communications equipment.
For KC certification of telecommunication devices, most of them will be approved through the Conformity of Certification (CoC) scheme conducted by RRA. However, the KC certification scheme will also depend on the type of product and type of technology used. Here are the three schemes of KC certification for broadcasting and communications equipment:
- Conformity of Certification (Type Approval): This is most common certification scheme for broadcasting and communications equipment, includes Bluetooth, WiFi and 4G LTE/5G NR devices.
- Registration of Conformity (Registration): This scheme is applicable for broadcasting and communications equipment that do not require or subject to Conformity of Certification.
- Interim of Conformity: This scheme is applicable when no specific standards exist in South Korea and the certification assessment can be done using international or other country’s standards.
Requirements of KC certification
The South Korea KC certification should be processed through local testing method. Here is a list of the required documents for KC certification under local testing method:
- Application form specified by RRA Office
- Antenna specification
- Part location and part number
- User manual
- Testing guide and testing software
- Appearance drawing
- Part arrangement diagram
- Circuit diagram
- Letter of representation
Since local testing is required for KC certification, then test samples need to be prepared. In general, broadcasting and communications equipment need to conduct RF and EMC testing before applying KC certification. However, SAR testing is also mandatory for some types of equipment. Therefore, test sample configuration usually must be 01 conducted sample, 01 normal sample and 01 radiated sample.
Applicants of KC certification
The policies of certificate holders may different in each target country. For South Korea, the KC certification for broadcasting and communications equipment can be submitted by manufacturers or local importers. Each certificate holder option will give its functionality and benefit.
Manufacturers can be certificate holders for KC certification. Not only local manufacturers but also includes the foreign manufacturers, which not a registered company in South Korea. Once KC certificate is issued under the manufacturer names, then manufacturers can authorize the importers to use it. For KC certificate is issued under the local importer names, it may applicable for that one importer holding the certificate.
Lead time of KC certification
The lead time of South Korea KC certification may varies depending on the applicable certification scheme. Since the most common certification scheme for KC certification is Conformity of Certification (CoC) which also require local testing, then the lead time will relatively longer. In average, the lead time of KC certification based on local testing method is around 6-8 weeks.
Label requirements of KC certification
After manufacturer or importer obtain the KC certificate, it is mandatory to affix the compliance marks. For South Kore type approval, the compliance label is known as “KC Mark”. As its name, KC Mark stands for “Korea Certification Mark”.
- KC logo
- R = The identifier for broadcasting and communication equipment
- X = This must be filled with certification scheme code, which can be: “С = Certification”, “R = Registration”, or “I = Interim”
- ABC = The applicant identification code given by RRA
- YYYYYYYYYYYY = The applicant’s “Product Identification Code”
KC Mark must be affixed to the product with generally the minimum size is 5mm. However, the size of the KC Mark can be adjusted to be align with product’s dimension.
Validity of KC certification
The validity of South Korea KC certificates is permanent. However, if there is a significant modification, especially to the RF feature, re-apply for a new testing and certification may require. Therefore, once the telecommunication devices is certified, the KC certificate will be valid permanently, no need to be worried by the renewal requirement.
Example of KC certification
Several information related to the telecommunication devices and applicants will be mentioned in the KC certificates. For more details, you may check the following example of the issued KC certificate.
Conclusion
Navigating South Korea type approval certification is not easy, there are many things we need to know before starting the whole process. Usually, some manufacturers face difficulty to navigate South Korea type approval due to knowledge limitation and language barriers to the whole type approval process in South Korea.
To avoid these issues happening, the existence of a type approval service partner is important for manufacturers. You can consult with our expert team about South Korea KC certification by drop an email to info@narmadi.com for further assistance.
