Exporting EV chargers to Korea: how KC certification works

#Two KC tracks for one charger

An EV charger touches two Korean regulatory tracks. Electrical safety is regulated under the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act, administered by KATS. Electromagnetic compatibility is handled under the radio-wave regime overseen by the National Radio Research Agency. Both lead to the KC mark.

#Which safety tier applies

Korean electrical safety has three tiers:

EV chargers with a rated output up to 200 kVA are Safety Confirmation products. They need testing by a designated laboratory and a declaration, but no factory inspection. The applicable standards are the KC 61851 series.

In December 2025 the ministry pre-announced an amendment to extend the Safety Confirmation scope for EV chargers from 200 kVA to 500 kVA, bringing ultra-fast chargers into the KC system. Check the current enforcement rules before classifying a charger above 200 kVA.

#Why witness testing matters

KTL is a designated Korean testing and certification body. Under a witness arrangement, KTL supervises tests at an authorised laboratory outside Korea. For a manufacturer in China this means:

• no shipping of high-power samples to Korea,
• shorter loops when a test fails and the design changes,
• one engineering team on site during testing.

Our laboratory network includes a KTL-authorised witness laboratory in China for EV chargers.

#Typical sequence

1. Confirm the safety tier and the applicable KC standards.
2. Prepare technical documents, circuit diagrams and the critical-components list.
3. Run safety and EMC tests, witnessed by KTL where applicable.
4. File the Safety Confirmation declaration and the EMC conformity registration.
5. Apply the KC mark.
6. Keep the product consistent with the tested sample; design changes may need retesting.

#Documents to prepare early

• Product specification and rating plate
• Circuit and wiring diagrams
• Critical-components list with certificates
• User manual in Korean