Government to Overhaul Certification System: 23 Abolished, 1 Integrated, 43 Improved

Improvement Measures Finalized for 67 Out of 79 Systems
Public Welfare and Safety Maintained,
Corporate Burdens and Overlapping Standards Addressed

The government will undertake a sweeping overhaul of the certification (conformity assessment) system, which has imposed burdens on businesses and acted as a barrier to market entry.

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy prepared improvement measures for 67 out of 79 certification systems (85%) scheduled for review in 2025, and reported them at the National Policy Coordination Meeting presided over by Prime Minister Kim Minseok on January 15.

Since 2019, the government has introduced the “conformity assessment effectiveness review” to address the issue of certification systems for public safety, health, and environmental protection leading to excessive burdens on companies due to similar, overlapping, or unreasonable standards. Nevertheless, the number of certification systems has continued to rise: the number of systems subject to review increased from 186 in the first cycle (2019-2021) to 222 in the second cycle (2022-2024), and 246 in the third cycle (2025-2027).

In 2025, the first year of the third review cycle, the effectiveness of a total of 79 systems was examined. Of these, 23 systems with unclear standards or that were not being operated will be abolished, one similar system will be integrated, and 43 systems requiring improvement will be retained but with operational adjustments. In contrast, 12 systems directly related to public welfare and safety, such as “automobile and parts certification” and “children’s product safety certification,” were recommended to be maintained.

The systems to be abolished include the “3D Printing Software Certification,” which was not practically used and lacked established standards. The government aims to reduce unnecessary certification preparation costs for businesses and prevent wasteful administrative work. In addition, the “standard and quality labeling system” and the “safety assessment system” for wood products, which have overlapping objectives and standards, will be integrated. This will allow companies to obtain the necessary certifications with a single application.

Some of the retained systems will see improvements in operation. For example, the “Fair Trade Voluntary Compliance Assessment” will recognize the results of the private ISO 37301 (compliance management system certification), and efforts will be made to shorten the certification period and extend the validity period, thereby reducing time and cost burdens. The “Energy Efficiency Grade Labeling” system will allow the simultaneous registration of new and derivative models, supporting companies’ swift response to the market.

Each ministry will prepare detailed implementation plans based on these improvement measures and proceed with follow-up actions. The remaining 167 certification systems will be subject to additional review by 2027, after which improvement measures will be finalized.

Vice Minister Moon Sinhak of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, “We will pursue the rationalization of the certification system in a way that balances the dual goals of protecting public welfare and safety while enhancing corporate vitality and promoting technological innovation.”