South Korea KC Certification and KC Radio (MSIP)

Core Concepts & Scope

Seven new home-appliance standards published by KATS and entering into force on 1 January 2026 deserve particular attention. Based on the Part-2 series of EN/IEC 60335 and released under KS C IEC numbering in July 2025, they cover seven categories: hair dryers (KS C IEC 60335-2-23:2024), induction hobs (KS C IEC 60335-2-6:2024), coffee machines (KS C IEC 60335-2-15:2024), electric toothbrushes (KS C IEC 60335-2-52:2024), air fryers (KS C IEC 60335-2-13:2024), air purifiers (KS C IEC 60335-2-65:2024) and robot vacuum cleaners (KS C IEC 60335-2-2:2024).

a recommends that manufacturers exporting any of the above seven categories obtain the Safety Confirmation report against the new KS C version before tooling any 2026 production runs.

On Short Range Device (SRD) classification, the October 2025 KATS announcement divides SRD into three classes: Class I devices do not require registration and may circulate based on an equivalent FCC test report; Class II devices require RRA type approval and must bear the KC-Radio mark; Class III devices require RRA type approval plus an annual factory inspection.

In addition, 5G NR Sub-6GHz and millimetre-wave devices follow a dedicated 5G Radio KC track, and the Wi-Fi 6E band (5925–7125 MHz) has been open in Korea since July a observes that routers, tablets and laptops equipped with Wi-Fi 6E were among the most consulted Korean-export SKUs in early 2026.

Key Rules & Regulatory Points

For lithium batteries, KC 62133-1 / KC 62133-2 (2022 editions) fully replaced the legacy KC 62133:2018 on 1 July Portable Power Stations (PPS) must additionally demonstrate compliance with KC 62619 at the cell and system level while simultaneously completing Electrical Appliances Safety Confirmation; neither document is dispensable.

The final KC-Mark requirements mandate that, after passing Safety, EMC and, where applicable, RF assessments, the product body and its package bear a complete mark containing the KC monogram, the KR registration number, the issuing body code and the year of issuance.

Coupang, Gmarket, Auction, 11번가 (11th Street) and Naver Smart Store all verify the KC number during listing onboarding. a advises brands to reserve printing space for the KC mark at the prototyping stage.

All verified facts come from official South Korean public documents and KATS / RRA announcements, including: the latest amendment and enforcement decree of the Electrical Appliances Safety Control Act; the seven KS C IEC 60335-2 home-appliance standards published by KATS in July 2025 and compulsory as of 1 January 2026; the October 2025 KATS SRD classification notice; the July 2024 notice opening the 5925–7125 MHz Wi-Fi 6E band; the KC 62133 edition transition notice effective 1 July 2025; the KATS instruction requiring both KC 62619 and Safety Confirmation for PPS; and the public seller compliance rules of Coupang, Gmarket, 11번가 and Naver Smart Store.

Practical Checklist

The Korean desk of a refreshes the KATS and RRA bulletins weekly.

This overview applies to manufacturers, brand owners, importers and cross-border e-commerce sellers that plan to sell, or already sell, electrical appliances, home appliances, lithium batteries, energy storage products and short-range radio devices in South Korea.

Standalone battery packs fall under the KC 62133 Safety Confirmation track; consumer electronics with radio transmitters additionally require KC Radio; Portable Power Stations must simultaneously satisfy KC 62619 and Electrical Appliances Safety Confirmation.

a recommends that enterprises split target SKUs into five groups by attributesafety-only, safety-plus-EMC, safety-plus-EMC-plus-RF, battery-only and PPSand then map each group to the corresponding KCA / KTC / RRA track so that no test item is missed.

Common Pitfalls

Common misconceptions encountered by clients include: treating legacy MSIP and the new KC Radio as two separate regimes, when in reality KC-EMC / KC Radio is simply the successor name and any MSIP-worded marking is no longer accepted after 2022; assuming a CE-RED report can be directly converted into a KC certificate, when KATS only accepts limited data under specific bilateral mutual recognition arrangements and always requires a local Korean body to perform a review; assuming the seven new KS C standards allow a grace period, when any model shipped after 1 January 2026 must hold a report issued under the new edition; assuming Class I SRD is completely paperwork-free, when Class I still requires an FCC report to be kept on file for customs or market-surveillance spot checks; and printing the KC number only on the master carton while omitting it from the smallest retail package and the product nameplate.

a performs a line-by-line review of label artwork before project delivery.

This article only covers general public rules under the 2026 framework for KC Safety Certification, Safety Confirmation, KC-EMC / KC Radio (former MSIP), KC 62133, KC 62619 and PPS dual-track compliance. It does not supersede case-specific decisions issued by KCA, KTC or RRA for a particular model, nor does it address other specialised Korean regulations such as food contact (KFDA), KC Children Certification for children’s products or K-REACH for chemicals.

It likewise does not constitute legal advice. Matters involving special frequency bands (military, broadcasting reserved), KCC telecommunications terminal licensing and energy efficiency labelling require separate assessment under their respective legislations.

Consequences & Tips

a explicitly states the applicable boundaries of this overview in every service contract.

Before initiating KC compliance, companies are advised to complete the following preparation: build a classification sheet for all Korean-target SKUs and annotate each unit with its safety tier (Safety Certification vs Safety Confirmation), wireless presence, battery presence and PPS status so that the correct compliance track can be selected quickly; for SKUs covered by the seven new KS C home-appliance standards, prioritise obtaining the new-edition report before spinning up 2026 production lines; for SRD devices, determine the Class I / II / III tier and prepare RRA type approval early for Class II and Class III; reserve a dedicated RF test batch for Wi-Fi 6E and 5G NR Sub-6GHz terminals; send battery samples promptly so that the KC 62133 edition transition is completed on schedule; synchronise the KC mark artwork, registration number, issuing body code and year information onto the package, nameplate, user manual and e-commerce back-office.

a can support SKU classification assessment, laboratory introduction and Korean agent liaison along the way.