New regime of KC Certification under the RADIO WAVES ACT

Under Article 58-2 (1) of the RADIO WAVES ACT (전파법), anyone intending to import broadcasting and communications equipment, or machinery that causes or is affected by electromagnetic interference (as listed in Table 1 of the NOTIFICATION ON CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT OF BROADCASTING AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, ETC.) must verify that the equipment complies with the relevant conformity assessment standards and obtain the appropriate KC Certification specified in Table 1 of the Notification. If the equipment’s manufacturer has already completed the KC Certification, it is valid for all importers in Korea. Therefore, importers should confirm whether the manufacturer has completed the KC Certification before importing the equipment.

 

Before the RADIO WAVES ACT was amended by Act No. 20067 on January 23, 2024, there were three types of KC Certification: Conformity Certification, Conformity Registration, and Interim Certification. Interim Certification allows for the manufacture, import, and sale of relevant equipment under certain conditions when conducting a conformity assessment is impractical due to a lack of technical requirements or other reasons. As a result, most equipment fell under Conformity Certification or Conformity Registration.

 

Equipment that has completed Conformity Certification or Conformity Registration is listed on the National Radio Research Agency's website (www.rra.go.kr), where certification and registration details can be searched on a single webpage. This is because, despite the different categories of conformity assessment, the same Conformity Registration procedures apply whether the equipment requires testing by a designated testing body or only a self-test.

대상기자재 Relevant Equipment	적합성평가기준 적용분야 Classification of Conformity Assessment Standards					적합성평가 유형 Type of Conformity Assessment			기기 부호 Equipment Code	기타 사항 Other Matters
	전자파 적합성 Electromagnetic Compatibility	무선 Wireless	유선 Wired	전자파 인체보호 Human Protection against Electromagnetic Waves		적합 인증 Conformity Certification	적합등록 Conformity Registration
				전자파 흡수율 Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Rate	전자파 강도 Electromagnetic Wave Intensity		지정 시험 기관 Designated Testing Body	자기 시험 Self-Test

 

According to Article 58-2 of the RADIO WAVES ACT, as amended by Act No. 20067, the Self-Conformity Declaration has been introduced, and Conformity Registration is now applicable only when compliance with the relevant conformity assessment standards is verified through testing by a designated testing body. Therefore, anyone importing equipment categorized as requiring a self-test in Table 1 of the NOTIFICATION ON CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT OF BROADCASTING AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, ETC. (방송통신기자재등의 적합성평가에 관한 고시) can choose between Self-Conformity Declaration and Conformity Registration. However, for Conformity Registration, testing by a designated testing body is now mandatory.

 

While Conformity Registration involves registering conformity with the Minister of Science and ICT, Self-Conformity Declaration is a process in which the declarant directly declares to the public that the equipment has been verified to comply with conformity assessment standards through a self-test. Since no government agency is involved in the Self-Conformity Declaration, the two regimes are fundamentally different.

 

A Self-Conformity Declaration made by the equipment’s manufacturer is also valid for all importers in Korea. Like Conformity Certification and Conformity Registration, details of a Self-Conformity Declaration can be searched on the RRA’s website. However, the search webpage is different. To access information on Conformity Certification and Conformity Registration, click on the second icon (적합인증적합등록현황). For Self-Conformity Declaration, click on the fourth icon (자기적합확인현황) to reach the relevant search page.

 

Even if the equipment only requires a self-test, the manufacturer may have opted for Conformity Registration instead of a Self-Conformity Declaration. Therefore, you should first check the KC Certification status on the Conformity Certification/Conformity Registration search page. If the equipment is not found there, then check the Self-Conformity Declaration search page.

 

When reading Table 1 of the NOTIFICATION ON CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT OF BROADCASTING AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, ETC., it is incorrect to assume that a Self-Conformity Declaration applies only to equipment marked with an "O" in the Self-Test box. Even if an "O" is indicated in the Designated Testing Body box, the conditions for applying a Self-Conformity Declaration may be specified in the Other Matters box, as shown in the following example.

대상기자재 Relevant Equipment	적합성평가기준 적용분야 Classification of Conformity Assessment Standards					적합성평가 유형 Type of Conformity Assessment			기기 부호 Equipment Code	기타 사항 Other Matters
	전자파 적합성 Electromagnetic Compatibility	무선 Wireless	유선 Wired	전자파 인체보호 Human Protection against Electromagnetic Waves		적합 인증 Conformity Certification	적합등록 Conformity Registration
				전자파 흡수율 Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Rate	전자파 강도 Electromagnetic Wave Intensity		지정 시험 기관 Designated Testing Body	자기 시험 Self-Test
사. 무정전 전원장치 G. Uninterruptible power supply	○						○		IMO11	정격용량이 10㎸A를 초과하는 것은 자기시험적합등록 대상 Those with a rated capacity exceeding 10㎸A are subject to self-test.