EMC regulation in South Korea: KC marking and the KN standards
How EMC is regulated in South Korea under the Radio Waves Act: the KC mark, the RRA, KN 32 and KN 35, and the conformity routes.
In South Korea, EMC of broadcasting and communication equipment is regulated under the Radio Waves Act. The competent authority is the National Radio Research Agency (RRA), which also handles radio-performance and RF-exposure compliance. Electrical safety is regulated separately by another authority. Products that comply carry the KC mark.
The EMC standards
Korean EMC standards are the KN standards, derived from CISPR:
- KN 32: emission requirements for multimedia equipment (closely related to CISPR 32);
- KN 35: immunity requirements for multimedia equipment (derived from CISPR 35).
Other KN documents exist for other equipment types. Korean national standards (KS) are also published for several of them.
Conformity routes
Under the Radio Waves Act the scheme defines several conformity-assessment categories:
- Certification of conformity;
- Registration of conformity;
- Supplier’s declaration of conformity;
- temporary (interim) conformity, where the law allows it.
Which category applies depends on the type of equipment, and the law has been amended in recent years (including the introduction of additional self-conformity verification routes). Use the RRA’s current notices to identify the route for a specific product; the primary documents are in Korean.
Where to check
The RRA website publishes the current notices, the list of KN standards and the conformity-assessment rules.