Market Access Restrictions in South Korea – An Overview of KC Certification.

The Republic of Korea has introduced a self-certification system since 2003. Under the self-certification system, the government provides the safety standards for motor vehicles to ensure the safety of vehicles. The manufacturers themselves certify whether the vehicles produced meet the safety standards internally. The government will carry out self-certification audits at a later stage and, if necessary, order a recall if a product does not meet the required safety standards.

In the case of imported vehicles – if the Korean representative of the foreign manufacturer is appointed – it is assumed that the respective manufacturer has the ability to self-certify.

The certification proof should be affixed in the vehicle if the self-certification is carried out by the manufacturer (KC mark).

The Korean “Motor Vehicle Management Act” specifies the different types of vehicles and their registration, the general provision of safety standards and self-certification of motor vehicles, as well as the way in which the correction of production deficits is to be carried out. Further topics related to the efficient management of vehicles are also part of this framework.
The “Motor Vehicle Management Act” consists of a total of 88 articles, which are divided into over ten chapters and additional articles.

The Korea Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (KMVSS) consist of a total of four chapters, Chapter 1 describing the general rules, Chapter 2 the technical characteristics for vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles, Chapter 3 the safety standards for manufactured vehicles (including spare parts for motor vehicles) and Chapter 4 additional provisions.
The KMVSS is the most important document on technical criteria of motor vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles for the South Korean market.