Key Information
What technical requirements must my product meet to enter and succeed in the Korean market?
Companies doing business in Korea need to be aware of the mandatory regulations pertaining to their product or service, other relevant mandatory and voluntary standards, as well as the measures required to demonstrate conformance.
Mandatory Requirements
The first step any company doing business in Korea must take is to find out whether their product or service is subject
to any Korean regulations. If regulated, the company needs to determine which technical regulations apply. In Korea, technical
regulations are established by relevant government ministries with jurisdiction over a particular product or service.
Each Korean regulator announces laws, technical regulations, and other rulemaking notices through their individual websites. These announcements provide enterprises with information on public hearings and consultation schedules as well as information on how to submit comments.
Companies can remain informed of changes in the Korean regulatory regime through several resources.
Voluntary Requirements
In addition to technical regulations, the second step is to understand which Korean Standards (KS)
that products sold and services provided in the Korean market are expected to meet.
Korean Standards are technically “voluntary” in that they are not enforced by the Korean government. However, some KS are referenced in Korean regulations and become mandatory. Korean Industrial Standards vary by industry sector, and foreign companies should check with relevant industry representatives and/or their clients in order to determine which Korean Standards apply to their products.
Demonstrating Compliance
Once companies doing business in Korea have determined which regulations and standards to use, the third step is to know how to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. Requirements can vary by product, by regulatory agency, and by individual organization.
For government regulations, acceptable conformity assessment measures will be included in the regulation, and businesses can check with the relevant Ministry for information on these requirements. For Korean Industrial Standards, manufacturers may be required to use the Standard Mark of conformity (popularly known as the KS Mark), and/or the KC Mark which indicate that a particular product complies with appropriate Korean standards. Other conformity assessment requirements may be required by the private sector, and companies should check with the appropriate industry representatives and/or their clients.
Learn more about the Korean conformity assessment system
Learn more about KS Mark
How can I get early warning about changes to these requirements?
