Fire Accidents Increase: Mandatory KC Mark Labeling for Camping Batteries

KATS Strengthens Safety Management for Medium and Large Batteries

Camping Battery Examples

The National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it will expand the scope of safety management for medium and large batteries by mandating the KC mark for camping batteries (power banks) to enhance consumer safety against fire accidents in the rapidly growing camping market.

Last year, on March 20, the institute revised the safety standards (KC 62619) under the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act for medium and large batteries with a capacity of 500 watt-hours (Wh) or more to ensure consumer safety. Considering the industry's preparation period, the institute plans to enforce the expanded application starting from the 21st after a one-year grace period.

First, camping batteries, which have been continuously involved in fire accidents, and portable electric storage system (ESS) batteries, which were allowed limited market release through the regulatory sandbox system, have been added to the KC safety management scope for medium and large batteries.

Additionally, product safety has been strengthened by introducing a system lock function that prevents general consumers from reactivating the battery in hazardous situations where temperature, current, or other factors exceed safe limits.

Meanwhile, to reduce the burden on small and medium-sized enterprises, testing items have been simplified to evaluate software functional safety focusing on essential safety functions required according to usage for medium batteries with a rated capacity of 5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or less, which are mainly used as camping batteries.