KC mark: South Korea radio, EMC and safety approval
The KC mark is one logo on top of several Korean laws. Radio, telecom and EMC conformity assessment comes from Article 58-2 of the Radio Waves Act and is run by the National Radio Research Agency (RRA) for the Minister of Science and ICT. Electrical safety comes from the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act and KATS. The radio side changed substantially on July 24, 2024, when Act No. 20067 added a supplier self-confirmation route and a mandatory domestic agent for applicants without a Korean address. This page reads the current texts (Radio Waves Act, its Enforcement Decree, and RRA Notice 2026-4 in force since July 24, 2026) and lists the readings they contradict, including several this page used to make.
One mark, several laws
Section titled “One mark, several laws”Article 22-4 of the Framework Act on National Standards, added on April 1, 2009, obliges each ministry that requires a mark after conformity assessment to use the national integrated certification mark (국가통합인증마크), which is the KC logo. The article unifies the logo, not the procedures: each law keeps its own routes, test laboratories, numbers and penalties. The KS mark of the Industrial Standardization Act still exists alongside KC (Article 58-3 of the Radio Waves Act even cites KS-certified items as a ground for EMC exemption).
On the radio side, the current conformity assessment notice took effect on January 24, 2011 and repealed the older notices on type inspection, type registration and EMC registration, and on type approval of telecommunications equipment. Chapter 5-2 of the Radio Waves Act (Articles 58-2 onwards) dates from the July 23, 2010 amendment.
| Regime | Legal basis | Authority | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radio, telecom terminal, EMC | Radio Waves Act Art. 58-2, Decree Art. 77-2 to 77-8, RRA Notice 2026-4 | MSIT, through RRA | Radio equipment, wired terminals, and any equipment that causes or suffers electromagnetic disturbance |
| Electrical safety, consumer products | Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act | Trade and industry ministry (산업통상부, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources), KATS, designated certification bodies | Fire and electric-shock risks of electrical appliances, consumer product safety |
| Mark | Framework Act on National Standards Art. 22-4 | All ministries using a mark | The KC logo itself |
Since the amendment in force on October 1, 2025, the safety Act names the ministry 산업통상부; the ministry publishes its English name as Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR).
The four radio and EMC routes (Radio Waves Act Art. 58-2)
Section titled “The four radio and EMC routes (Radio Waves Act Art. 58-2)”| Route | Article | Who tests | Filing with RRA | Number on the label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certification of conformity (적합인증) | 58-2(2) | Designated test laboratory (Art. 58-5) | Application reviewed by RRA, certificate published in the Official Gazette | R-C-... |
| Registration of conformity (적합등록) | 58-2(3) | Designated test laboratory | Registration, processed immediately; test file kept by the registrant | R-R-... |
| Self-confirmation of conformity (자기적합확인) | 58-2(4), since July 24, 2024 | The supplier itself, a designated laboratory, an MRA laboratory, or a laboratory accredited by a body that signed an international accreditation MRA (Decree Art. 77-3(3)) | No application: a declaration (form 21) is kept and published on the RRA website | Supplier management number, no R- prefix |
| Interim certification (잠정인증) | 58-2(9) | Assessment against relevant domestic or foreign standards | Reviewed by an interim certification committee, with conditions such as region and validity period | R-I-... |
Who falls where is decided by the Decree and by Annex 1 of RRA Notice 2026-4, not by the applicant:
- Certification (Decree Art. 77-2): equipment that may harm the radio environment or networks, that causes serious electromagnetic disturbance or is seriously affected by it, or that may seriously endanger life and safety.
- Registration: everything subject to assessment that is not in the certification list.
- Self-confirmation (Decree Art. 77-3(2)): measurement and test equipment, industrial and scientific equipment, low-risk equipment, and equipment for which a designated-laboratory test is not needed, as listed by the Minister.
- Interim certification: when no Korean conformity standard exists or assessment is otherwise impossible, provided the equipment does not harm networks, does not cause interference and is not hazardous to users. Once a standard is published, the holder has 90 days (Decree Art. 77-6(4)) to obtain a regular assessment, or the interim certification lapses (Act Art. 58-2(10) and (11)).
What Annex 1 of RRA Notice 2026-4 says about common product types
Section titled “What Annex 1 of RRA Notice 2026-4 says about common product types”Annex 1 lists each equipment category with its equipment code, the standards that apply (EMC, radio, wired, human exposure) and the route. A few entries that matter for connected products:
| Annex 1 entry | Equipment code | Point that matters |
|---|---|---|
| 5-ra-5: wireless access systems including WLAN, 5150 to 5350 MHz and 5470 to 5850 MHz | LARN5 | Listed under licence-exempt stations |
| 5-ra-5: 5925 to 6425 MHz, with separate codes for use only inside subways and only inside buildings | LARN5A, LARN5D, LARN5E | The 6 GHz band is split into several codes |
| 5-ra-5: 6425 to 7125 MHz | LARN5F | Separate code from the lower 6 GHz sub-band |
| 5-ra-8: wireless data communication systems | LARN8 | Note 4: LARN5 and LARN8 equipment to which SAR does not apply may use registration with a designated laboratory |
| 5-ba: USN devices, 917 to 923.5 MHz and other sub-bands | USN1 to USN5 | Korean sub-GHz IoT bands differ from the EU 863 to 870 MHz plan |
| 5-ma: RFID at 900 MHz, 433 MHz, 13.56 MHz | RFID1 to RFID3 | One code per band |
| 5-a: devices using UWB | UWB1 | UWB has a regular entry; it is not an interim-certification case by default |
| 4-da: IMT mobile communication terminals | IMT, IMT2 and related codes | Cellular (3GPP) terminals sit in section 4, telecommunications business radio |
| 11: equipment that causes or suffers electromagnetic disturbance (household appliances, ISM, IT and other equipment) | ISM11, CLN11 and others | Only registration or self-confirmation columns: EMC-only products never go through certification |
Note 3 of section 5 limits SAR to portable transmitters with an antenna power above 20 mW whose radiation centre is within 20 cm of the body in normal use. The EIRP, channel and power limits themselves are not in the notice: they are in the MSIT technical standards for licence-exempt radio equipment, which RRA lists among the requirements a recognised laboratory must test to. A BLE or Wi-Fi radio tested to the ETSI standards EN 300 328 or EN 301 893 for the EU therefore still needs a Korean test against those standards.
EMC: business-use versus household equipment
Section titled “EMC: business-use versus household equipment”The EMC requirements come from Article 47-3 of the Radio Waves Act, not from the safety Act. Korea keeps the CISPR split between equipment for business environments and equipment for household environments, comparable to Class A and Class B of EN 55032. What the Korean texts impose is a user notice: Annex 4 of RRA Notice 2026-4 requires business-use equipment in the listed section 11 categories to carry, in its user manual, a statement that it was assessed for a business environment and may cause radio interference in a household environment.
The RRA designation requirements for foreign laboratories set the radiated-emission measurement distance at 10 m up to 1 GHz and 3 m from 1 to 6 GHz, and require labs to apply the KN test methods and KS standards that RRA publishes.
Test reports, laboratories and MRAs
Section titled “Test reports, laboratories and MRAs”RRA Notice 2026-4 (Art. 5 and 10) accepts three kinds of test reports for certification and registration: a report from a designated test laboratory, a report issued by RRA, or a report from a laboratory in a country bound to Korea by a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) that RRA has recognised. For some section 11 registration items, an IEC IECEE CB certificate is accepted together with a designated-laboratory report confirming the Korean requirements.
| Partner | Instrument | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| United States | APEC Tel MRA Phase I, exchange of letters of May 10, 2005 (NIST) | Recognised US laboratories issue test reports to Korean requirements; RRA still certifies |
| Canada, EU, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Chile, Indonesia | Listed by RRA as MRA partners | RRA lists EU and UK laboratories notified by their own side |
| European Union | EU-Korea FTA, Annex 2-B (Electronics) | Applies to EMC and safety, not to radio-spectrum requirements; Korea had three years from entry into force to apply the acceptance procedures of Article 3(b), with an exception list (Appendix 2-B-3) where safety certification may continue |
In every case the importing party's technical requirements apply: a recognised foreign laboratory tests to Korean standards. A report written only against EU or FCC rules does not support a Korean filing.
Domestic agent (Radio Waves Act Art. 58-13)
Section titled “Domestic agent (Radio Waves Act Art. 58-13)”Since July 24, 2024, an applicant with no address or business office in Korea must designate in writing a domestic agent with a Korean address. Article 30 of RRA Notice 2026-4 lists what the agent handles:
- applications for certification, registration, interim certification and same-equipment applications,
- publication of self-confirmations and of changes to them,
- change reports, cancellation and certificate reissue,
- submission of documents or samples requested in market surveillance (Act Art. 71-2(2)).
The foreign manufacturer stays the applicant and the holder. Breaches committed by the agent in these tasks are treated as the holder's own (Art. 58-13(3)), and falsely designating an agent is a ground for cancelling the assessment (Art. 58-4(1)6).
Labelling (Decree Art. 77-5, Annex 5 of RRA Notice 2026-4)
Section titled “Labelling (Decree Art. 77-5, Annex 5 of RRA Notice 2026-4)”| Item | Certified or registered equipment | Self-confirmed equipment |
|---|---|---|
| KC mark | On the equipment or packaging | On the equipment or packaging |
| Model name | On the equipment or packaging | On the equipment or packaging |
| Identifier | Certification or registration number, R-C, R-R or R-I, applicant code and equipment code of up to 14 characters | Management number (applicant code and equipment code), with no R- prefix |
| Holder name, equipment name, manufacturing date, manufacturer and country of manufacture | On the equipment or packaging | In the user manual or the published declaration, with the RRA web address of the declaration |
Practical rules from Annex 5:
- Equipment whose largest markable surface is 400 mm² or less may show only the KC mark or the identifier, with the rest in the user manual (including electronic manuals).
- When the model name filed and the commercial model name are identical, the label may show only the KC mark and the model name.
- E-labelling is allowed by display (only when the display cannot be removed by the user) or by QR code, reachable in no more than three menu steps and protected against modification by users.
- When a certified radio module is built into a product, the module number is shown next to the product number.
- When the product is offered for sale online, the KC information goes at the top of the page or under the price, with the identifier in text form.
- Imported equipment must be marked before customs clearance (Notice Art. 26).
The application for certification must include a Korean-language user manual (Notice Art. 5(1)2). The Radio Waves Act texts read here do not require the label itself to be in Korean.
Timeline and record keeping
Section titled “Timeline and record keeping”| Step | Text | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant identification code (first filing) | Notice Art. 5(4), Art. 29 | Processed immediately |
| Registration | Notice Art. 29(1)1 | Processed immediately |
| Certification | Notice Art. 29(1)3 | Within 5 days; time spent verifying the test report not counted |
| Interim certification | Notice Art. 29(1)4 and 29(2) | Within 30 days, one extension of 15 days |
| Pre-clearance of samples before assessment | Notice Art. 31(3) | Assessment required within 60 days of the confirmation |
| Retention of test documents (registration, self-confirmation) | Decree Art. 77-3(5) | Until 5 years after manufacture, import or sale stops |
| Change affecting conformity standards | Act Art. 58-2(6) | Report to MSIT and new assessment of the changed items |
| Ban after cancellation | Decree Art. 77-8(2) | 6 months, or 1 year when obtained by fraud |
These are administrative deadlines. Testing in a designated or recognised laboratory, sample logistics and the Korean manual come before them.
Electrical safety under KATS
Section titled “Electrical safety under KATS”The Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act has three tiers for electrical appliances, chosen by product list, not by the manufacturer:
| Tier | Article | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Safety certification (안전인증) | Art. 5, 7 | Product test and factory inspection by a designated certification body, per model; periodic inspection once every 2 years and self-inspection records |
| Safety confirmation (안전확인) | Art. 15 | Product test by a designated testing body, then a declaration to the ministry |
| Supplier conformity confirmation (공급자적합성확인) | Art. 23 | The manufacturer or importer tests or has the product tested and confirms conformity itself |
Article 5 states that the manufacturer eligible for safety certification includes "a person who manufactures abroad and exports to the Republic of Korea", so a foreign manufacturer can hold the certificate. Article 6 allows full or partial exemption, among other grounds, for products certified by a foreign body under a mutual recognition agreement, or tested or inspected by bodies with which a Korean certification body has a recognition contract.
KC, CE and FCC side by side
Section titled “KC, CE and FCC side by side”| Criterion | CE (RED) | FCC | KC (radio and EMC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Directive 2014/53/EU | 47 CFR | Radio Waves Act Art. 58-2 |
| Self-declaration | Module A for radio when harmonised standards are applied in full | Supplier's Declaration of Conformity for some unintentional radiators | Self-confirmation, only for equipment listed by the Minister |
| Third-party step | Notified body only for modules B+C or H | TCB certification for intentional radiators | RRA certification or registration on a designated or recognised laboratory report |
| Local presence | Authorised representative optional; importer identified | Responsible party in the US for SDoC | Domestic agent mandatory when no Korean address (Art. 58-13) |
| Product identifier | None for module A | FCC ID | R-C, R-R or R-I number, or management number |
A CE and FCC technical file is a good starting point for a Korean file (schematics, parts placement, photos), but the test report, the identifier, the Korean manual and the label are specific to Korea. See CE vs FCC for the EU and US comparison.
Claims the texts contradict
Section titled “Claims the texts contradict”| Common claim | What the texts say |
|---|---|
| "The routes are Certification of Conformity (강제 인증), Registration, Interim" | Certification of conformity is 적합인증 (Art. 58-2(2)). Since July 24, 2024 there are four routes, with self-confirmation (자기적합확인, Art. 58-2(4)). |
| "Registration is a self-declaration for low-risk radio" | Registration requires testing by a designated laboratory (Art. 58-2(3)) and covers everything not listed for certification, including most EMC-only products. The supplier-tested route is self-confirmation. |
| "KATS handles EMC outside radio" | EMC requirements come from Radio Waves Act Art. 47-3; household appliances, ISM and IT equipment are in section 11 of Annex 1 of RRA Notice 2026-4. KATS handles electrical safety. |
| "A foreign manufacturer cannot file directly" | The foreign company can be applicant and holder. Under Art. 58-13 it must appoint a domestic agent only if it has no Korean address or office; the safety Act names foreign exporting manufacturers as applicants. |
| "Korea has no MRA with the EU, only partial US arrangements" | RRA lists MRAs with the USA, Canada, the EU, the UK, Vietnam, Chile and Indonesia. The EU-Korea FTA Annex 2-B also covers EMC and safety conformity assessment. |
| "KC replaced the KS mark" | Art. 22-4 of the Framework Act on National Standards unified mandatory marks; the KS mark still exists, and Radio Waves Act Art. 58-3 refers to KS-certified items. |
| "Labels must be in Korean script" | Annex 5 of RRA Notice 2026-4 lists the label content without a language rule; the certification file must contain a Korean user manual (Notice Art. 5). |
| "Interim certification is renewable while no standard exists; UWB is a typical case" | Interim certification carries conditions such as region and validity; once a standard exists, a regular assessment is due within 90 days. UWB devices have a regular Annex 1 entry (UWB1). |
| "E-labelling is limited to smartphones and tablets" | Annex 5 allows e-labelling for any equipment by built-in display or QR code, subject to access and protection rules. |
Step by step for a foreign manufacturer
Section titled “Step by step for a foreign manufacturer”- Classify the product in Annex 1 of RRA Notice 2026-4: equipment code, applicable standards (EMC, radio, wired, SAR or field strength) and route. A product combining a certification item and a registration item follows the certification procedure, unless a certified radio module is built into a registration item (Notice Art. 8(3)).
- Check KATS lists for the electrical safety tier if the product is mains-powered or otherwise listed.
- Appoint the domestic agent in writing (form 4) if the company has no Korean address or office.
- Obtain the applicant identification code from RRA (form 2) on the first filing.
- Test in a designated Korean laboratory or an RRA-recognised MRA laboratory, against Korean technical standards, KN methods and KS standards.
- Prepare the file: application, Korean user manual, test report, external photos showing the marking, parts placement, circuit diagrams (may be omitted for a certified radio module), agent designation.
- File through the agent; for self-confirmation, publish the declaration on the RRA website instead.
- Mark the product and packaging per Annex 5 before customs clearance, and display the KC information on any online sale page.
- Maintain: report changes, keep the documents for 5 years after the product leaves the market, and report non-conformities, including recalls of the same equipment abroad (Art. 58-11).
Further reading
Section titled “Further reading”- RED, radio CE marking: EU regime equivalent on the radio side
- FCC: US regime, and the US side of the US-Korea MRA
- CE marking: for reading the CE mark and its interaction with RED
- PTCRB: cellular industry certification, separate from KC
- TELEC / GITEKI, Japan: the neighbouring Asian radio regime
- CB Scheme (IECEE): the CB reports Korea accepts for some items
- E-label vs physical label: e-labelling across regions
- Certification timeline: cross-cutting orders of magnitude for the phases
- Parallel EU and US certification: pooling logic for test campaigns
- Glossary: definitions of RRA, MSIT, KATS, MRA
Sources & references
- Radio Waves Act (전파법), current consolidated text, Articles 58-2 to 58-13 and 84, Korea Ministry of Government Legislation (National Law Information Center) www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EC%A0%84%ED%8C%8C%EB%B2%95
- Enforcement Decree of the Radio Waves Act (전파법 시행령), Articles 77-2 to 77-8, Korea Ministry of Government Legislation (National Law Information Center) www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EC%A0%84%ED%8C%8C%EB%B2%95%EC%8B%9C%ED%96%89%EB%A0%B9
- Notice on Conformity Assessment of Broadcasting and Communications Equipment, RRA Notice 2026-4 (in force July 24, 2026), with Annexes 1, 4 and 5, National Radio Research Agency (RRA) www.law.go.kr/%ED%96%89%EC%A0%95%EA%B7%9C%EC%B9%99/%EB%B0%A9%EC%86%A1%ED%86%B5%EC%8B%A0%EA%B8%B0%EC%9E%90%EC%9E%AC%EB%93%B1%EC%9D%98%EC%A0%81%ED%95%A9%EC%84%B1%ED%8F%89%EA%B0%80%EC%97%90%EA%B4%80%ED%95%9C%EA%B3%A0%EC%8B%9C
- Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act (전기용품 및 생활용품 안전관리법), Korea Ministry of Government Legislation (National Law Information Center) www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EC%A0%84%EA%B8%B0%EC%9A%A9%ED%92%88%EB%B0%8F%EC%83%9D%ED%99%9C%EC%9A%A9%ED%92%88%EC%95%88%EC%A0%84%EA%B4%80%EB%A6%AC%EB%B2%95
- Framework Act on National Standards (국가표준기본법), Article 22-4 national integrated certification mark, Korea Ministry of Government Legislation (National Law Information Center) www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EA%B5%AD%EA%B0%80%ED%91%9C%EC%A4%80%EA%B8%B0%EB%B3%B8%EB%B2%95
- RRA, MRA information (MRA partners, recognised foreign laboratories, designation requirements), RRA www.rra.go.kr/en/cas/mra.do
- Designation Requirements for the Republic of Korea (US-Korea APEC Tel MRA Phase I, May 10, 2005), NIST www.nist.gov/standardsgov/designation-requirements-republic-korea
- EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement, Annex 2-B Electronics (EMC and safety conformity assessment), Official Journal of the European Union eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:22011A0514(01)
- RRA, National Radio Research Agency, RRA rra.go.kr/en/index.do
- MSIT, Ministry of Science and ICT, MSIT www.msit.go.kr/eng/index.do
- KATS, Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (Korean-language site), KATS www.kats.go.kr/
Frequently asked questions
- What is the KC mark and who governs it?
- KC is the national integrated certification mark (국가통합인증마크) that Article 22-4 of the Framework Act on National Standards, added on April 1, 2009, requires ministries to use whenever a law requires a mark after conformity assessment. The mark is shared, the regimes are not. Radio, telecom and EMC conformity assessment is run under the Radio Waves Act by the Minister of Science and ICT (MSIT) through the National Radio Research Agency (RRA). Electrical safety is run under the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act by the trade and industry ministry, with KATS.
- What are the KC routes for radio and EMC equipment?
- Article 58-2 of the Radio Waves Act sets four routes: certification of conformity (적합인증), registration of conformity (적합등록), supplier self-confirmation of conformity (자기적합확인, added by Act No. 20067 in force July 24, 2024) and interim certification (잠정인증) when no Korean standard exists. Certification and registration both require testing by a designated test laboratory. Annex 1 of RRA Notice 2026-4 assigns the route to each equipment type, so the manufacturer does not choose it freely.
- Can a CE or FCC test report be reused for KC?
- Not as such. RRA Notice 2026-4 accepts test reports from a designated Korean laboratory, from RRA itself, or from a laboratory in a country that has a mutual recognition agreement with Korea and that RRA has recognised. RRA lists MRAs with the USA, Canada, the EU, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Chile and Indonesia. A recognised foreign laboratory must still test to the Korean technical requirements: a report written against EN or FCC rules is not a Korean report.
- Does a foreign manufacturer need a Korean representative?
- For radio and EMC, Article 58-13 of the Radio Waves Act (in force July 24, 2024) requires an applicant with no address or business office in Korea to appoint in writing a domestic agent (국내대리인). The foreign company remains the applicant and holder; the agent files on its behalf and supplies documents or samples to the authority, and the agent's breaches are treated as the holder's own. On the safety side, Article 5 of the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act names the foreign manufacturer exporting to Korea as an eligible applicant.
- What must the KC label show?
- For certified or registered radio and EMC equipment, Annex 5 of RRA Notice 2026-4 requires the KC mark, the model name, the certification or registration number (R-C-..., R-R-... or R-I-...), the holder name, the equipment name, the manufacturing date, and the manufacturer and country of manufacture. Devices whose largest markable surface is 400 mm² or less may carry only the KC mark or the number, with the rest in the manual. E-labelling by display or QR code is allowed.
- How long does RRA take to issue a KC certificate?
- Article 29 of RRA Notice 2026-4 sets the processing times once the file is filed: registration is processed immediately, certification within five days (time spent verifying the test report is not counted) and interim certification within 30 days, extendable once by 15 days. These deadlines exclude testing, sample logistics and translation of the Korean user manual, which dominate the real schedule. See certification timeline.
- Is EMC for a household appliance handled by KATS?
- No. EMC of electrical equipment is a Radio Waves Act matter: Article 47-3 sets the EMC requirements, and section 11 of Annex 1 of RRA Notice 2026-4 lists household appliances, ISM equipment and IT equipment for registration or self-confirmation with RRA. KATS covers electrical safety under a separate law, so a mains-powered appliance usually needs both an RRA number and a KATS safety approval.
- What happens if a product is sold without KC radio conformity assessment?
- Article 84 of the Radio Waves Act punishes selling, or manufacturing or importing for sale, equipment that has not undergone certification, registration or interim certification with up to three years of imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 30 million. Article 58-4 also lets MSIT cancel an assessment or order recall, and Article 58-11 obliges the holder to report non-conformities, including recalls of the same equipment abroad.