Battery KC Certification Overview

To enhance consumer understanding of certification marks on purchased products and alleviate the certification costs for manufacturers, the Korea Technical Standards Institute (KATS) announced on August 20, 2008, that a new certification system, KC (Korea Certification), would be implemented starting January 1, 2009. The program was initially introduced in the Ministry of Knowledge Economy from July 2009 and is expected to be expanded to all departments by the end of 2010.

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) has announced the standards applicable to portable secondary lithium-ion battery packs and cells, and included such products under the category of self-declaration products in the KC Certification System, which will be officially implemented on July 1, 2009. Currently, testing of portable secondary lithium-ion battery packs and cells must be conducted by authorized laboratories within South Korea, and cannot be certified by means of an IEC 62133 CB report. Starting from January 1, 2009, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) has unified 13 existing certification marks within South Korea, such as eK, KCC, and KPS, into the KC mark as the national certification mark of the country. The transition period between the old and new marks is until June 30, 2011.

Battery KC Certification Product Range

1) Single Battery (Cell): Portable

2) Battery (Pack): Single battery in series and parallel assembly

3) Portable lithium single batteries with navigation capabilities or those with energy density independent of volume are applicable (for use in harsh conditions within vehicles).

4) Single batteries and battery packs for portable medical devices, barcode and credit card readers, and other products are applicable.

5) Portable Equipment: MP3 players, electronic dictionaries, PMPs, laptops, digital cameras, etc.

6) Portable Product Subdivision: Batteries used in mobile products are also subject to certification.

7) Non-certified objects: Vehicle drives, industrial, medical, or button-shaped

Battery KC Certification Required Documents

1) Application Form

2) Korean Authorization Letter

3) Circuit Diagram

4) User Manual

5) Key Components List

6) Korean Labels

7) Construct inspection and quality documents, aviation transportation test reports: English UN38.3 report or IEC62281 report

Battery KC Certification Testing Program

1) High Temperature Storage Test

2) Temperature Cycling Test

3) External Short Circuit Test

4) Cell Crushing Test

5) Cell Protection Testing at High Charging Rates

6) Overheating Test

Battery KC Certification Application Process

Under the old KC regulations, only Korean manufacturers or local agents were eligible to apply for battery KC certification, meaning that manufacturers outside of Korea had to have their battery products KC marked through local Korean agents. The new KC regulations, for foreign manufacturers, offer two methods for applying for KC certification:

01  Applying for KC Safety Certification in the name of overseas manufacturers/applicants (companies): the certificate holder is the overseas manufacturer.

KC certification is issued per factory; a single factory can only be listed on one certificate. If more than one factory is required for certification, each additional factory will be considered a new case, necessitating retesting and issuance of a new certificate. Furthermore, if a factory's name changes, it will also be treated as a new case, and testing will be arranged. One KC certificate can be used by multiple local agents simultaneously (no need for each local agent to issue a separate certificate).

Applying for the KC Safety Certification (holder: local agent) on behalf of the local agent applicant (company).

The KC Safety Certificate is issued by the local agent; only one contemporary geographical merchant can be listed on a single certificate. If a client wishes to include more than one local agent on the certificate, two or more local agents will be considered a change case, no testing is required, but a set of samples must be provided for review, and a new certificate will be issued. If the factory name changes or a new factory is added, even if the certificate holder (local agent) has not changed, it will be treated as a new case and testing will be arranged.

Additionally, it's important to note that the battery KC certification accepts CB reports and certificates, allowing for a transfer of certification through CB reports and certificates, with only some additional assessments required. Therefore, it is recommended that manufacturers widely apply for CB certification to transfer to KC, which facilitates the conversion to certifications in various countries, including South Korea, after obtaining the CB certification.

Battery KC Certification Test Standards

The battery KC certification test standard is KC62133, which is equivalent to IEC 62133:2012 Ed.2.

Note: As of January 2017, products with a volumetric energy density below 400Wh/L are also included in the certification scope. The following product categories are subject to certification: batteries used in mobile products. They require construction inspection, quality documents, and an aviation transportation test report. The old standard K62133 was abolished in August 2015. Issued K62133 certificates are valid for five years from the date of issuance. After the validity period, a KC certification must be applied for under the new standard KC62133. Products produced after the revision of the safety criteria must comply with the revised safety criteria. Cell reports issued based on the K62133 safety criteria are considered invalid when applying for the KC62133 certification (i.e., all previous versions of cell test reports are invalid).

Battery KC Certification Timeline

In the case of complete documentation and samples, the battery KC certification process typically takes around 5 weeks.

Battery KC Certification Validity

The battery KC certification is valid for 5 years and does not require factory inspection.

Battery KC Certification Agency

Korean Battery KC Certification by GSQ Inspection; Welcome to Enquire About Battery KC Product Certification! Our laboratory testing facility offers testing and certification for almost all KC directive products to assist manufacturers in meeting the requirements for affixing the KC mark. GSQ Inspection boasts a full range of safety, EMC, battery laboratories, and is equipped with: a 966 wave dark room and an 844 conduction shielding room, an ESD static laboratory. Surge lightning laboratory, EFT electrical rapid pulse group anti-interference laboratory, and a complete set of EMS testing equipment. Strict testing procedures ensure the authority and validity of the certificates!

Engineers possess advanced qualifications, composed of long-term international experts and industry engineers! We offer one-stop testing and services! We are authorized laboratories by multiple authoritative institutions such as UL, TUV, ITS, etc. Your products can be pre-evaluated by us, and upon approval, we will notify the institution's engineers for on-site witnessing. If any issues arise during the pre-evaluation process, we can assist with modifications and provide one-on-one guidance. We solemnly promise at Guoxin Qi Testing that retesting is free of charge and no additional fees will be incurred! We adhere to the principle of诚信 cooperation: safeguarding our clients' business secrets. For further information on battery KC certification, please call us for consultation. We will provide you with professional KC certification consulting services!!