[News Terms] Without 'KC Certification,' You Can't Do 'Al·Te·Syu Direct Purchase'

As Chinese e-commerce companies such as Ali, Temu, and Shuin intensify their invasion of the domestic market, the government has decided to ban 'overseas direct purchase' of children's products and electrical and household goods that do not have the 'National Integrated Certification (KC Certification) Mark' in the future.

The KC (Korea Certification) mark is a nationally unified legal mandatory certification system covering safety, health, environment, quality, and other fields. It is a mark that must be displayed on certain products legally designated to protect the lives and property of citizens when distributing or selling them. Previously, 13 legal certification marks were issued separately by five ministries including the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Environment, Korea Communications Commission, and National Emergency Management Agency, but from July 1, 2009, they were unified into one. This was to eliminate the inconvenience of different certification bodies per ministry and to enhance international credibility.

Accordingly, the KC mark was first introduced for eight certifications under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, including industrial product safety certification, voluntary safety confirmation for industrial products, child protective packaging, elevator parts certification, electrical product safety certification, high-pressure gas container inspection, meter calibration, and energy consumption efficiency rating. From 2011 onwards, certifications for broadcasting and communication devices, water purifier quality inspection, and fire-fighting equipment testing were sequentially introduced and implemented.

Earlier, the European Union integrated mandatory certifications related to safety, environment, and consumer protection into the CE (European Community Certification) mark since 1993. In Japan, since 2003, the PS mark (Product Safety Mark) has been used as a unified certification for electrical products and industrial goods. China, after joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), unified the mandatory certification systems previously applied separately to domestic products (CCEE) and imported products (CCIB) into the CCC system since 2002.

Since KC certification is also mandatory, products officially released domestically must bear the KC mark. When products manufactured overseas are imported into Korea, importers must obtain KC certification by having the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) verify that the products meet KC standards for safety and performance.

Recently, as overseas direct purchase transactions of goods produced abroad through Chinese e-commerce platforms have surged, the government has decided to ban direct purchases without KC certification for 34 children's product items such as strollers and toys, and 34 electrical and household items such as electric heating mats and electric bathtubs. This is to strengthen management starting with electrical and household products that require safety control and have a high risk of safety accidents such as fire and electric shock. Additionally, the government plans to establish a system allowing platform operators or companies listed on platforms to obtain KC certification for these items.

The distribution industry interprets this as a measure to curb the entry of Chinese e-commerce companies into the domestic market. Since it is practically impossible for ordinary individuals, rather than importers, to personally obtain KC certification from certification bodies, there are criticisms that this effectively bans personal direct purchases.